punctuating each word with an exaggerated arm movement.
“I bet he has a sexy singing voice.” Reese sighed.
The light turned green, and the boys turned left as the girls continued straight.
Reese didn’t stop talking about Aaron the whole drive home. The way she gushed made Quinn roll her eyes. No guy was that great.
“Twice in one day. You should have seen it. The way he ran, pushing people out of the way to catch you in his arms before you crashed to the floor.” Reese followed Quinn through her bedroom door and plopped into the wicker chair, folding both legs under her. “Like Superman or something. Wow! I wish a guy would do that for me.”
“You’re exaggerating, Reese. Superman? Really.” Quinn tried to downplay the hero archetype in hope that Reese would stop talking about him.
“Well, you didn’t see it. You were totally zonked. I mean with a capital Z. No one else even tried to help. We just stood there like idiots while Aaron jumped to action. And when you called out for Jeff—”
“I did what?” Quinn’s blue eyes widened. “Please tell me I didn’t. You’re joking, right?”
Reese held her left hand up and placed her right one over her heart. “I’d never joke about that.”
“I really called for Jeff?”
Reese nodded.
Quinn flopped backwards onto the bed, covered her face with a pillow, and screamed. “I’m never going back to school.”
“Don’t say that. I can’t make it through senior year without you. Besides, there weren’t that many people in the hall when you, you know, took your little nap.” Reese got up and rummaged through Quinn’s open closet.
“Right, only a few dozen, plus Kerstin and Jeff. It might as well been the whole school.” Quinn raised herself onto her elbow. “Maybe there’s still a chance with Jeff. Did you see the green glow around him? Asking Aaron if he was my boyfriend? He couldn’t have been more jealous.”
“Be real. If he wanted to be with you, nothing would stop him.” She pulled a shirt from the metal rod. “Hey, is this new?”
Quinn nodded.
“Cute.” Reese pressed the red peasant shirt with purple embroidery against her body. She examined herself in the full-length mirror, raising an eyebrow in contemplation. “This would be so cute with a denim mini. Anyway, he’s been nothing but a jerk. Forget him. Let Kerstin have him.”
“Easier said than done.” Quinn joined Reese, sorting through the color-coded row of skirts. “Remember the first grade Halloween Carnival?”
“Yeah, I puked all over your shoes after riding the Ferris wheel. Good times.”
“Before that. Remember how Mrs. Jenkins dressed up as a witch and decorated the playhouse with spider webs and played that creepy music? You had to enter the house and take the candy from her bubbling cauldron. And that cackle. I was too scared to go in.”
“She was scary enough without the costume. Sorry, go on.”
“Jeff took my hand and told me not to be afraid. When I wouldn’t take the candy, he reached in to get the chocolate for me. He didn’t let go of my hand the whole night. He’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I want to hate him. I should hate him, but I still love him. I still feel like he’s going to walk through that door, grab me, and swing me around until we fall on the floor laughing. That he’s going to climb the tree outside my room and bring me pizza and mint chocolate ice cream when I’ve had a bad day. My head knows he’s with Kerstin now, but my heart can’t accept it. He’s my phantom limb.” She pulled a denim mini from the hanger and handed it to Reese. “I’m damn mad. At him, at Kerstin. I’m hurting more than you know. But honestly, if he came over and begged for my forgiveness, wanted to get back together, I would. I can’t just forget a lifetime of memories.”
“Well, it looks like he has.” Reese placed the skirt on the bed, shirt on top, and examined the outfit. “Not even a week after he
“I bet he has a sexy singing voice.” Reese sighed.
The light turned green, and the boys turned left as the girls continued straight.
Reese didn’t stop talking about Aaron the whole drive home. The way she gushed made Quinn roll her eyes. No guy was that great.
“Twice in one day. You should have seen it. The way he ran, pushing people out of the way to catch you in his arms before you crashed to the floor.” Reese followed Quinn through her bedroom door and plopped into the wicker chair, folding both legs under her. “Like Superman or something. Wow! I wish a guy would do that for me.”
“You’re exaggerating, Reese. Superman? Really.” Quinn tried to downplay the hero archetype in hope that Reese would stop talking about him.
“Well, you didn’t see it. You were totally zonked. I mean with a capital Z. No one else even tried to help. We just stood there like idiots while Aaron jumped to action. And when you called out for Jeff—”
“I did what?” Quinn’s blue eyes widened. “Please tell me I didn’t. You’re joking, right?”
Reese held her left hand up and placed her right one over her heart. “I’d never joke about that.”
“I really called for Jeff?”
Reese nodded.
Quinn flopped backwards onto the bed, covered her face with a pillow, and screamed. “I’m never going back to school.”
“Don’t say that. I can’t make it through senior year without you. Besides, there weren’t that many people in the hall when you, you know, took your little nap.” Reese got up and rummaged through Quinn’s open closet.
“Right, only a few dozen, plus Kerstin and Jeff. It might as well been the whole school.” Quinn raised herself onto her elbow. “Maybe there’s still a chance with Jeff. Did you see the green glow around him? Asking Aaron if he was my boyfriend? He couldn’t have been more jealous.”
“Be real. If he wanted to be with you, nothing would stop him.” She pulled a shirt from the metal rod. “Hey, is this new?”
Quinn nodded.
“Cute.” Reese pressed the red peasant shirt with purple embroidery against her body. She examined herself in the full-length mirror, raising an eyebrow in contemplation. “This would be so cute with a denim mini. Anyway, he’s been nothing but a jerk. Forget him. Let Kerstin have him.”
“Easier said than done.” Quinn joined Reese, sorting through the color-coded row of skirts. “Remember the first grade Halloween Carnival?”
“Yeah, I puked all over your shoes after riding the Ferris wheel. Good times.”
“Before that. Remember how Mrs. Jenkins dressed up as a witch and decorated the playhouse with spider webs and played that creepy music? You had to enter the house and take the candy from her bubbling cauldron. And that cackle. I was too scared to go in.”
“She was scary enough without the costume. Sorry, go on.”
“Jeff took my hand and told me not to be afraid. When I wouldn’t take the candy, he reached in to get the chocolate for me. He didn’t let go of my hand the whole night. He’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I want to hate him. I should hate him, but I still love him. I still feel like he’s going to walk through that door, grab me, and swing me around until we fall on the floor laughing. That he’s going to climb the tree outside my room and bring me pizza and mint chocolate ice cream when I’ve had a bad day. My head knows he’s with Kerstin now, but my heart can’t accept it. He’s my phantom limb.” She pulled a denim mini from the hanger and handed it to Reese. “I’m damn mad. At him, at Kerstin. I’m hurting more than you know. But honestly, if he came over and begged for my forgiveness, wanted to get back together, I would. I can’t just forget a lifetime of memories.”
“Well, it looks like he has.” Reese placed the skirt on the bed, shirt on top, and examined the outfit. “Not even a week after he
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