brushed past.
Samantha narrowed her eyes at him, suspecting he was the one responsible. Ridge followed them into the classroom, ignoring the snickering coming from Jeremiah and Jonas. He sat down in his seat, fearing he may have made the biggest mistake of his life.
Ridge knew he had been terribly wrong to pull such an awful prank on Georgie. He knew he had to make it up to her, but it took him a whole week to get up the nerve to formally apologize. She hadn’t spoken a word to him or even glanced his way since it had happened. The guilt was eating him alive. So when he saw Samantha and Georgiana walking home one week later, he mustered up the courage and ran to catch up with them.
“Hello, Georgie. Hello, Sam.”
“Now you just ignore him, Georgie, and keep walkin’,” Samantha ordered. “We’ll pretend he’s not even there.” She took her friend’s arm, coaxing her to walk faster.
“Oh, come on, Georgie. I really am sorry. I should’ve never done it,” Ridge pleaded sorrowfully.
“Ridge, will you just go away?” Samantha snapped. “Can’t ya see she doesn’t ever want to talk to you again?”
“Ever?” Ridge asked.
“Ever and ever,” Samantha repeated, “. . . and ever!”
Aghast, Ridge suddenly stopped walking, but when he did, Georgiana did too.
Turning to Samantha, she spoke, “Sammy, go on without me.” Samantha looked like she couldn’t believe what her friend had said. “It’s all right. I need to talk to Ridge . . . alone.” That made Samantha’s eyes go big.
“Are ya sure, Georgie? I could walk a few feet behind or in front of ya. You know, just to make sure he doesn’t try anything,” Samantha offered earnestly.
“Sammy, I’m sure.” Georgiana smiled at her friend reassuringly. “And if my mother’s outside when ya pass by, tell her I’ll be home shortly.”
“Well, I guess . . . if you’re sure.” She looked at Ridge. “You’d better not try any stupid pranks, or I’ll get my brother Theo to teach you a lesson or two.” Ridge held his hands up in surrender, and she glared at him one more time before hurrying off ahead.
“Thanks.” Ridge looked at Georgiana gratefully. Suddenly a sense of shyness came over him. He looked at the ground and stuck his hands in his pockets as they started walking again.
“For what?” she asked.
“For givin’ me a chance ta apologize.” He looked up into her face so she would know he was sincere.
“Well, I know you’re feelin’ bad, but it was a very mean thing to do . . . even for you, Ridge,” Georgiana admonished him.
“I s’pose you’re right,” he admitted. “Well, you’ll be glad ta know I’ve decided ta give up pullin’ pranks,” he announced.
“And teasin’ too?” She looked stunned.
“Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “It would be too hard ta give up the teasin’. Usually teasin’ don’t harm no one, as long as it’s all in good fun.” He smiled over at her, and she smiled back. Boy, she’s pretty, he thought, with those gray eyes and all that blonde hair. He studied her golden hair for a moment and how it was noticeably shorter than it was a week ago. “Pranks are different,” he began again. “Ya never know when someone is gonna get hurt.” He stopped and turned to her, picking up the end of one of her braids. “I’m sorry ya got your hair cut ’cause of me. I’ve always kinda liked your long hair.” Her cheeks turned slightly pink, and he let go of her braid.
“Well, to tell ya the truth, Ridge, I think ya did me a favor. I like it better this way. Its lots easier to brush out at night, and ’sides, it’s not that much shorter.”
He could tell she was trying to make him feel better, but it actually made him feel worse. After school was out that fateful day and he had been scolded by Schoolmaster Robinson for failing to bring him the scissors, Ridge had walked to the railing where it all had happened. The ends of her braids, at least four inches long
Samantha narrowed her eyes at him, suspecting he was the one responsible. Ridge followed them into the classroom, ignoring the snickering coming from Jeremiah and Jonas. He sat down in his seat, fearing he may have made the biggest mistake of his life.
Ridge knew he had been terribly wrong to pull such an awful prank on Georgie. He knew he had to make it up to her, but it took him a whole week to get up the nerve to formally apologize. She hadn’t spoken a word to him or even glanced his way since it had happened. The guilt was eating him alive. So when he saw Samantha and Georgiana walking home one week later, he mustered up the courage and ran to catch up with them.
“Hello, Georgie. Hello, Sam.”
“Now you just ignore him, Georgie, and keep walkin’,” Samantha ordered. “We’ll pretend he’s not even there.” She took her friend’s arm, coaxing her to walk faster.
“Oh, come on, Georgie. I really am sorry. I should’ve never done it,” Ridge pleaded sorrowfully.
“Ridge, will you just go away?” Samantha snapped. “Can’t ya see she doesn’t ever want to talk to you again?”
“Ever?” Ridge asked.
“Ever and ever,” Samantha repeated, “. . . and ever!”
Aghast, Ridge suddenly stopped walking, but when he did, Georgiana did too.
Turning to Samantha, she spoke, “Sammy, go on without me.” Samantha looked like she couldn’t believe what her friend had said. “It’s all right. I need to talk to Ridge . . . alone.” That made Samantha’s eyes go big.
“Are ya sure, Georgie? I could walk a few feet behind or in front of ya. You know, just to make sure he doesn’t try anything,” Samantha offered earnestly.
“Sammy, I’m sure.” Georgiana smiled at her friend reassuringly. “And if my mother’s outside when ya pass by, tell her I’ll be home shortly.”
“Well, I guess . . . if you’re sure.” She looked at Ridge. “You’d better not try any stupid pranks, or I’ll get my brother Theo to teach you a lesson or two.” Ridge held his hands up in surrender, and she glared at him one more time before hurrying off ahead.
“Thanks.” Ridge looked at Georgiana gratefully. Suddenly a sense of shyness came over him. He looked at the ground and stuck his hands in his pockets as they started walking again.
“For what?” she asked.
“For givin’ me a chance ta apologize.” He looked up into her face so she would know he was sincere.
“Well, I know you’re feelin’ bad, but it was a very mean thing to do . . . even for you, Ridge,” Georgiana admonished him.
“I s’pose you’re right,” he admitted. “Well, you’ll be glad ta know I’ve decided ta give up pullin’ pranks,” he announced.
“And teasin’ too?” She looked stunned.
“Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “It would be too hard ta give up the teasin’. Usually teasin’ don’t harm no one, as long as it’s all in good fun.” He smiled over at her, and she smiled back. Boy, she’s pretty, he thought, with those gray eyes and all that blonde hair. He studied her golden hair for a moment and how it was noticeably shorter than it was a week ago. “Pranks are different,” he began again. “Ya never know when someone is gonna get hurt.” He stopped and turned to her, picking up the end of one of her braids. “I’m sorry ya got your hair cut ’cause of me. I’ve always kinda liked your long hair.” Her cheeks turned slightly pink, and he let go of her braid.
“Well, to tell ya the truth, Ridge, I think ya did me a favor. I like it better this way. Its lots easier to brush out at night, and ’sides, it’s not that much shorter.”
He could tell she was trying to make him feel better, but it actually made him feel worse. After school was out that fateful day and he had been scolded by Schoolmaster Robinson for failing to bring him the scissors, Ridge had walked to the railing where it all had happened. The ends of her braids, at least four inches long
Similar Books
