“Hooo-boy!” she said, scrambling to her feet and wiping furiously at her snow-encrusted hair and scarf. “Let’s do it again!”
John walked over to her side, put a hand on her shoulder, and wiped snow off her scarf. Even in the faint lantern light, Lizzie could see the sincere admiration in his eyes as he bent his head and said, “You really liked that, didn’t you?”
“Of course!” Mandy said gleefully, looking up at him, her green eyes shining. So John just kept his hand on her shoulder as they began walking back up the hill. Oh, great! Lizzie thought, seething. How cute. She just turns 16, and already they’re this charming little couple who have eyes only for each other.
She was angry. Mostly angry at Mandy for making her go along, but also angry at herself for feeling so horribly jealous of her own sister. She loved Mandy, so why did she struggle with this anger toward her now? John Zook. No, she knew she had no chance with him, but … the truth confronted her nevertheless, raising its big taunting head, blotting out any happy thoughts of the future.
She tried hard to accept the fact that John had no interest in her, even praying earnestly that God would not let these ugly feelings take control of her. But when Lizzie was with John and Mandy and confronted with their evident admiration of each other, it was more than she could handle. Especially when Mandy acted so sporty. Lizzie guaranteed that Mandy had been just as scared as she, but, oh, no, she would never admit it.
Lizzie yanked off her head scarf, shaking the snow from it, wiping her face with her mittens as she watched the retreating figures. She dusted off the front of her coat, stomped her feet to shake off the snow, and started trudging up the long, winding trail.
Suddenly, there was someone beside her. She turned, alarmed, to find Stephen in step with her.
Lizzie laughed ruefully. “I declare, you have the most annoying habit of sneaking up on someone!”
“I didn’t sneak up on you.”
“Yes, you did.”
He didn’t answer and they walked side by side up the slippery slope. Lizzie’s breath came in short, panting gasps until she gave up and stopped.
“Whew! This really tires a person, doesn’t it?”
“Not like the mountain.”
Lizzie peered through the darkness at Stephen’s face. He was very nice-looking, she realized again.
He stepped closer to Lizzie and said, “Lizzie, you should go hiking with me sometime. I love to go tramping around in the mountain. You can always see deer or grouse, squirrels, or just whatever.”
Lizzie was quite taken aback. She looked up at Stephen and blinked rapidly. Was he serious? Did he mean that they, just the two of them, should go hiking together, like a real date sort of thing? Or did he mean just in the way he would ask Paul or John to go with him, as a good buddy type of thing? Stephen was just mysteriously different. That’s all there was to it.
“You mean in the wintertime?” Lizzie asked, laughing.
“No, some time when it gets warmer.”
He paused before continuing, “’Course, I guess we can’t go this year anymore. I’m going to another county in northern Pennsylvania to work for my uncle who just moved there a few months ago.”
“You mean to live there? You’ll stay there on the weekends, too?” Lizzie asked, incredulous. She couldn’t imagine weekends without Stephen.
“Yeah.”
There was silence as Lizzie scuffed the toe of her boot into the snow, as the soft snowflakes fell around them in the velvety night. Suddenly she raised her head and asked, “Why?”
“Why do you care if I stay there or not?” Stephen asked shortly.
“I … I don’t. I mean … I do … I mean, I’m going to miss you. It won’t be the same without you. But …” Lizzie shrugged helplessly.
Suddenly, Stephen moved close to her, and she felt the weight of both of his hands on her shoulders. Her breathing stopped, fading away to nothing, her heart hammering even as she
John walked over to her side, put a hand on her shoulder, and wiped snow off her scarf. Even in the faint lantern light, Lizzie could see the sincere admiration in his eyes as he bent his head and said, “You really liked that, didn’t you?”
“Of course!” Mandy said gleefully, looking up at him, her green eyes shining. So John just kept his hand on her shoulder as they began walking back up the hill. Oh, great! Lizzie thought, seething. How cute. She just turns 16, and already they’re this charming little couple who have eyes only for each other.
She was angry. Mostly angry at Mandy for making her go along, but also angry at herself for feeling so horribly jealous of her own sister. She loved Mandy, so why did she struggle with this anger toward her now? John Zook. No, she knew she had no chance with him, but … the truth confronted her nevertheless, raising its big taunting head, blotting out any happy thoughts of the future.
She tried hard to accept the fact that John had no interest in her, even praying earnestly that God would not let these ugly feelings take control of her. But when Lizzie was with John and Mandy and confronted with their evident admiration of each other, it was more than she could handle. Especially when Mandy acted so sporty. Lizzie guaranteed that Mandy had been just as scared as she, but, oh, no, she would never admit it.
Lizzie yanked off her head scarf, shaking the snow from it, wiping her face with her mittens as she watched the retreating figures. She dusted off the front of her coat, stomped her feet to shake off the snow, and started trudging up the long, winding trail.
Suddenly, there was someone beside her. She turned, alarmed, to find Stephen in step with her.
Lizzie laughed ruefully. “I declare, you have the most annoying habit of sneaking up on someone!”
“I didn’t sneak up on you.”
“Yes, you did.”
He didn’t answer and they walked side by side up the slippery slope. Lizzie’s breath came in short, panting gasps until she gave up and stopped.
“Whew! This really tires a person, doesn’t it?”
“Not like the mountain.”
Lizzie peered through the darkness at Stephen’s face. He was very nice-looking, she realized again.
He stepped closer to Lizzie and said, “Lizzie, you should go hiking with me sometime. I love to go tramping around in the mountain. You can always see deer or grouse, squirrels, or just whatever.”
Lizzie was quite taken aback. She looked up at Stephen and blinked rapidly. Was he serious? Did he mean that they, just the two of them, should go hiking together, like a real date sort of thing? Or did he mean just in the way he would ask Paul or John to go with him, as a good buddy type of thing? Stephen was just mysteriously different. That’s all there was to it.
“You mean in the wintertime?” Lizzie asked, laughing.
“No, some time when it gets warmer.”
He paused before continuing, “’Course, I guess we can’t go this year anymore. I’m going to another county in northern Pennsylvania to work for my uncle who just moved there a few months ago.”
“You mean to live there? You’ll stay there on the weekends, too?” Lizzie asked, incredulous. She couldn’t imagine weekends without Stephen.
“Yeah.”
There was silence as Lizzie scuffed the toe of her boot into the snow, as the soft snowflakes fell around them in the velvety night. Suddenly she raised her head and asked, “Why?”
“Why do you care if I stay there or not?” Stephen asked shortly.
“I … I don’t. I mean … I do … I mean, I’m going to miss you. It won’t be the same without you. But …” Lizzie shrugged helplessly.
Suddenly, Stephen moved close to her, and she felt the weight of both of his hands on her shoulders. Her breathing stopped, fading away to nothing, her heart hammering even as she
Similar Books
