Crossed Out (13 page)

“Oh, same ol’ same ol’,” I said.

“Did you ace that Spanish quiz?” She brought the spoon up and motioned me over.

“Um, yeah.” A tinge of panic hit me. Had the school called? Quick to change the subject, I leaned over to taste the sauce. “Mmm. That’s good.”

“You don’t think it needs more seasoning?”

“Maybe more basil?” I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl.

Mom took a taste and nodded. She put a pinch of basil in and stirred. “Do you have anything you’d like to share?”

I felt as if I’d been punched in the stomach. Did she know?

“No, should I?” Squirming under her sudden interest, I cut her short. “Got a paper to work on. Let me know when dinner’s ready, okay?”

“If you ever want to talk, I’m here, okay?” She brushed some hair out of my face.

“Yeah, thanks, Mom.”

I rushed up the stairs to the safety of my room.

I threw my backpack on the wicker chair then crashed on my unmade bed. I felt like such a brat. Mom had only been trying to be nice and I blew her off. I blamed my behavior on a combination of little sleep, cutting school and my ‘date’ with Mark.

Thoughts of Mark brought up a wave of mixed emotions. Settling back against my pillow, I closed my eyes. Tonight. Midnight. Coffee house.

Was I curious about what he had to show me?
Hell, yes.
I doubted a spirit would show up. Even if it did, it wasn’t as if I didn’t have time to do a rescue. Forty-eight hours meant I’d have another day to help. For some funny reason I knew Mark wouldn’t freak out if he witnessed a rescue.

I wanted someone to confide in, and it didn’t hurt that this someone was six feet tall, buff, and very fine.

Dylan’s warning flashed through my mind.
Don’t trust that guy.
I tried to make sense of all the weird things that had happened in the last few days. Conflicting emotions ping-ponged in my head. Did I really want to go back to the coffee house? Did I really no want to? Dang, why did life have to be so complicated?

The phone rang downstairs.

“Stephanie.” Mom’s voice shattered my thoughts. “Dylan’s on the phone.”

“Coming.” A sick feeling hit me. Couldn’t he just leave me alone? I jumped off my bed and rushed to the door.

Mom stood outside my room, the phone in her hand. Her eyebrows rose. “Didn’t you two just get back from school?”

“Uh, yeah,” I said, trying to avoid my mother’s gaze. “He said he’d call me when he got home with some info on a paper we’re doing.”

“Oh, good. I’m glad you’re working with him.” Mom gave me the phone. “When you’re done, can you come down and help with the salad?”

“Sure, Mom.”

She stood there and watched me. I could feel her probing me for a clue about what she probably thought was wrong. Well, what was the worst she could do? Make another appointment with Dr. Anthony?

“Yeah, did you get it?” I asked, turning my back to my mother. I hoped Dylan would play along with me.

“I like you too.” Dylan’s voice sounded concerned. “What’s this about a paper we’re doing?”

“Um … wait a minute” I glanced over at mom. “Dylan’s telling me some stuff for that paper I told you about.”

“Right.” Mom glared at me with her know-everything-radar. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Of course I’m sure!”

“I’ll be downstairs. Don’t forget the salad.”

“No problem.”

I made a mad dash to my room and closed the door. “Why are you calling?” I whispered angrily into the receiver. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Where were you today? I didn’t see you at school.”

“As if you really looked. Didn’t you say you didn’t have time for this? Well, didn’t you? Why the sudden interest?”

“Stephanie, I’m sorry I went off on you this morning.”

That took me aback. Dylan had never admitted he  was wrong before.

I know I should’ve been happy he’d apologized but I was still mad. What right did he have to go off on me at the committee meeting this morning? I was sick of his stalker-like behavior. I didn’t need this crap, especially now that I had someone who really liked me.

Memories of the day with Mark made me smile. He hadn’t given me the third degree. It felt nice not having to avoid the truth about what being a rescuer. And better yet, to be able to share my secret with a really cute guy. I still couldn’t believe that Mark liked me and, better yet, wanted to see me later tonight.

Dylan cleared his throat. “Stephanie, are you still there?”

“Dylan, I really don’t have time for this. Stop bothering me.”

“Fine, be that way. I was only trying to help. Like I said before watch out for that Mark dude.”

“Jeez, Dylan. Back off. You’re just jealous some cute guy actually wants to be with me.”

“He wants to be with you? What’s going on, Steph?”

“As if it’s any of your business – nothing. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go.” I hung up.

I should have been relieved, but oddly enough some of what Dylan had said bugged me.

My heart raced. Why should Dylan’s comments about Mark bother me so much? As if he’d ever understand in a bazillian years my intense desire – no – my need to be with Mark. Couldn’t Dylan get a clue and stop butting into my life?

Chapter 20

After I made the salad, I went to my room, with the excuse that I had homework to do. In reality, though, I laid on my bed, fantasizing about the meeting tonight.

Dinner arrived too soon.

I wished I belonged to one of those happy families, like the one on reruns of
7th Heaven.
Now those kids – including rebellious Jessica Biel – had it made. At
the end of each episode, their parents found the good in whatever they did. Unlike some families I knew.

During dinner, Mom kept giving me one of those I-know-you’re-hiding-something-and-I’m-going-to-pry-it-from-you-one-way-or-another looks. Talk about ruining a perfectly good meal.

She was probably still pissed over my sudden meeting with the counselor. I twirled the pasta around my fork, squirming under her gaze. I wanted to leave the dining room table but knew if I did, she’d pounce on me.

Leave it to Dad to come to my rescue. “How was school?” He shoved a fork full of spaghetti into his mouth. “Anything interesting happen?”

If only he knew.
I attempted another bite of dinner. “Um … nothing much.”

“Okay, what’s going on?” Dad leaned back in his chair. “If it was any colder in here, I’d think we were in Antarctica.”

“Nothing.” I looked away. “I’m just not hungry, okay?”

“All right.” Dad leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. “But you don’t know what you’re missing.” He glanced at his watch. “If you’ll excuse me ladies, I got a date with the Rams. Tonight’s their big game.”

He got up, went to the kitchen, grabbed a beer out of the fridge, then came back into the dining room. “Don’t study too hard, pumpkin.” He kissed the top of my head and left.

Not much later, I heard the squeak of his La-Z-Boy chair and the roar of a football game.

Relief flooded my body. Now I could escape to the safety of my room and plan for my meeting with Mark. Images of cute outfits ran through my head.

“Good dinner, Mom.” I picked up both Dad’s plate and mine and placed them in the sink. “I’ll be upstairs. Got a lame test tomorrow.”

Mom’s right eyebrow rose. Jeez, you’d think she was part Vulcan or something. “All right, you sure you don’t want to tell me something?”

I squirmed in my chair.

“Why weren’t you in school today?” she asked.

“Did Dylan tell you that?”

“It doesn’t matter who told me. What’s going on, Stephanie? Since this is your first time, I’ll let it slide. Maybe we should make another appointment with that nice Dr. Anthony.”

I shrugged my shoulders. So what if I cut school. Once wasn’t going to kill me.

“I swear sometimes it feels like I’m talking to myself.” Mom got up from the table, slamming her plate on top of the others. I flinched.

“I’m sorry, okay?” I muttered. “It won’t happen again. Now can I be excused?”

Mom stopped, folded her arms, and stared at me hard for what seemed like forever. She sighed.

“I only say this because I care about you. I worry about you. What with your little obsession with making crosses....”

“It’s not an obsession Mom. I like to make them. What’s wrong with that?”

“Okay, I give up. But if this happens again, I’ll have to tell your father and seriously ground you. Do you understand?”

Ground me?
I resisted the urge to laugh. If she thought cutting school was bad, what would she think of me sneaking out later tonight?

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Fine. You can go. But you had better be studying tonight. No texting, no blogging.”

So much for texting Cura. She’d be furious missing out on the latest news but I was sure she’d understand.

“I will, Mom.”

“Oh.” She rinsed off a plate. “You should ask Dylan over sometime. Didn’t you say you were working on a paper together?”

Jeez, I forgot about him. How stupid could I be? “Um, yes. Maybe later. He’s really swamped with a lot right now.”

“Too bad.” Mom smiled. “I like that boy. You could learn a thing or two from him.”

“Yeah, right.” I rolled my eyes. A smart-ass comment about the world not needing another wannabe stalker came to mind, but I bit my tongue. No need to further antagonize her. “Can I go now?”

“Yes.” Mom shook her finger at me. “You need to watch that attitude of yours. It’ll only hold you back in life.”

I opened the refrigerator and grabbed a can of Diet Cherry Coke.

“Yeah, Mom.” I grabbed a bag of Cheetos. With all her nagging, I needed some comfort right now.

“I thought you weren’t hungry?” Mom frowned at the bag of Cheetos clutched in my hands.

“What?” I shrugged my shoulders. “I need a snack to keep me going during my studies.”

“I’ll never understand you.” Mom turned and glanced down the hallway. “Now if your father took what’s going on in this house more seriously, I’d be in Heaven.”

“Sure, we’d be one big happy flippin’ family,” I muttered under my breath between a couple Cheetos.

“What did you say?” Mom turned back to me.

“Uh … nothing.” I grabbed an apple and put it in the pocket of my cargo pants. “I’m going to my room.”

I rushed upstairs, not waiting for Mom’s reply. I closed my bedroom door. Whew, that was too close. If they had awards for the biggest mouth in Sacramento, I’d win, no questions asked. I still couldn’t believe how stupid I’d been to say Dylan was working on a paper with me. After how he treated me this morning, I wanted nothing to do with him.

I pushed my worries aside. I opened the can of Coke and took a sip.
Aahh.
Much better.
I opened the mirrored doors of the closet and looked for an outfit that would complement being next to the hottest guy to grace Sutter High’s halls.

Tonight couldn’t come fast enough.

Chapter 21

My bedroom felt oppressive. It didn’t help that the room was a major mess. A crumpled, half-eaten bag of Cheetos, two empty Coke cans, and a couple chocolate Peppermint Pattie wrappers competed with my algebra book for space on my small study table.

Tapping my pencil against my face, I pushed the clutter aside with my other hand. I really needed to finish my homework or I risked facing Mr. Eipper’s wrath. Not a pretty picture.

I tried, I really did. With my bare feet hooked on the chair rungs, I opened my math book to Chapter 10. Two more problems to finish. How hard could this be? But each time I started a problem, my attention drifted to the digital clock by my bed, and to visions of Mark’s thick black hair and blue eyes.

Mom popped her head in. “You doing okay?”

“Uh, as if I have any choice in the matter,” I snapped back. I knew I shouldn’t get her any more upset but dang it I couldn’t help it. “Jeez, Mom, I’m doing my homework, okay?” I showed her my half-completed math paper.

“Well, I just wanted to see if you were—”

“Texting Cura? No.”

“Well, make sure you turn off the lights when you’re done.” She started to close the door, then popped her head in again. “Even if we have our differences, I still care about you. No matter what you think.”

She left.

Okay, this really sucks. Lay the whole guilt trip on me. For a moment, I debated if I should sneak out.

Nah. This was the new me. Take it or leave it.

Later, after I’d finished my paper, I glanced back at the clock.

The red numbers mocked me. Only 11:30 p.m.

Getting off the chair, I made my way to my bed. Lying across my comforter were the outfits of choice – a pair of American Eagle jeans, a short denim skirt, and a couple of sweaters. I decided against the skirt because it wasn’t warm enough, and I didn’t want it to ride up my less-than-perfect thighs and scare Mark off.

So jeans it was. After putting the pants on, I stepped back to admire my reflection in the mirror. The dark antique wash of the jeans looked hot. Add a large leather belt, and my Steve Madden wedges to complete the look.

A giddy feeling of excitement bubbled inside me. You’d think it was Christmas or something. But this was even better. Instead of just a cool gift, I was going to get the hottest guy on campus.

I couldn’t believe how much Mark was affecting me. I don’t ever remember any guy exciting me this way. All I could think about was how his biceps strained against his tight t-shirt, begging me to rip it off. His lips invited me to come closer. I could still smell his warm woodsy scent. Jeez, you’d think he’d cast a spell on me or something.

Finally the magical hour arrived.

I was so excited, I thought I’d burst. I couldn’t move fast enough. All I wanted at the moment was Mark.

I grabbed my Nordstrom hoodie and some gloves So I wouldn’t freeze like last time.

I cracked open my window and glanced over at Dylan’s house. I’d learned my lesson about driving my car during the night. Dylan was on to me. I didn’t want him to follow.

Still I couldn’t believe he hadn’t called me back. Didn’t he care? In a way I felt disappointed.

I brushed that thought aside. Why should I care what Dylan thought? Anyway, a cute guy was waiting for me.