Fire Girl Part 1 (18 page)
Authors: Alivia Anderson
Tags: #Coming of Age, #mormon, #LDS, #lds romance, #inspiration and romance, #lds teen
Principal Schmidt tugged off his Sugar Valley
hat. “I’m calling 911.”
“No!” Grace exhaled. “Please.”
Trina knelt beside her injured leg. “I think
it just needs a bandage.”
“But she hit her head.” Zac stooped down and
inspected the gash. “I think you should probably go to the
hospital, Grace.”
“No!” Grace’s eyes turned to me. “No
hospitals. Maddie will take me home, won’t you?”
I couldn’t swallow.
“I’ll take you.” Zac reached for her.
“No.” Grace glowered up at him. “Maddie takes
me, you play.”
Zac let out a breath and shook his head.
“No.”
“Yes.” Grace insisted.
“Sure, Maddie will take you. I’ll help her.”
Trina patted the other side of Grace’s shoulder. “Zac, take her to
the truck, we’ll create a diversion.”
Trina rushed at me. She took my hand and
snatched the microphone away from Principal Schmidt. “Gonna borrow
this.” She darted through the circle of cheerleaders. “Spread
out!”
Trina really had turned into Rabbit Woman.
She flipped the switch on the microphone. “Hey, Sugar Valley!”
Confused and worried faces looked back at us.
The players trickled closer to the cheer huddle. The other team
started to follow the trickle.
“We have a transfer student from
up
north,
and she has a surprise for you.” Trina turned and thrust
the microphone into my hand.
Hyper, nervous energy, the kind only found
when called up to do something completely unexpected washed through
me.
Trina put her hands out to the side and waved
them up and down to me like Rabbit White.
“Go, Madds!” Chance called out behind me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zac pick
Grace up and Principal Schmidt behind the wheelchair.
She would hate, hate, hate the attention.
A distraction.
For Grace.
The cold metal grate of the microphone top
grazed my lips. I turned for the crowd.
Something that would get all the attention
off of Grace.
I took a breath. “I tried to burn the school
down.”
It had been the first thing I could think of
and it worked.
The crowd tuned into me like paparazzi
waiting for the scoop of the century.
My heart thrummed into a nice, eclectic
pattern and I wondered if I would pass out. “It was a mistake. A
mistake I’m not proud of.”
Trina grabbed the microphone and covered it
with her hand. “Sing!” She ordered. “Just do it!”
My mouth went dry. My knees wobbled. My
vision blurred.
Trina shook it again. “Don’t think. Just
sing.”
I closed my eyes. The hard thing. The only
song I could think of.
“Amazing Grace—”
I stuttered.
“How sweet the sound—”
My voice grew stronger.
“To save a wretch like me.”
The words flowed as though they’d never been
lost. As though I’d never had to find them.
I opened my tear-soaked eyes and continued
singing.
Jimmy and Carrie stared at me from the
fence-line.
And now . . . I could see.
Who knew you could sing? Jimmy won’t let this
go.
My heart stuttered. Jimmy’s face went through
my mind. The one he’d worn when he'd thrown the bottle into the
air.
“Is everything all right?”
“It’s fine.” I shoved my phone back into my
pocket.
“Is it that girl—the one with the white,
frizzy hair?”
I dismissed this. “How’s your head
feeling?”
Grace frowned. “Don’t try to change the
subject.”
“I’m not.”
“I’m fine.”
“Good. So, what’s your bucket list?”
Grace’s brow pulled down. “You mean before I
die?”
My mouth went dry. “I guess.”
Grace chewed the bottom of her lip. “You’re
baptized, right?”
This line of thought took me by surprise. I
couldn’t stop the scoff that reflexively popped out. “Yes.”
“Have you ever read the Book of Mormon?”
I wanted to be any place but here.
“It’s important.” Grace’s voice was softer
than before.
The silence of the night blanketed the room.
I couldn’t upset Grace. I just couldn’t. But I couldn’t tell her
what she wanted to hear.
Thank you so much for reading "FIRE GIRL Part
1." There’s a lot more in store for Maddie and Grace and Zac. Real
quick, could you do me a huge favor and leave me an honest review
for
FIRE GIRL Part
1
. It only takes a couple of minutes, but it helps me
out a lot.
And then order FIRE GIRL Part 2—you’ll love
it
…At least I hope you do.
Additional Works by Alivia Anderson
Don’t miss out on what readers are calling
the best LDS romance this year…
All Sara Fairbanks wants is to marry her
missionary.
All Beau Hennings wants is to start a new life.
When she and Beau—accidentally—kiss, three days before her
missionary comes home, Sara is more confused than ever.
Good thing Sara's BFF comes up with a plan to date Beau...and the
missionary...at the same time.
Too bad the plan falls apart when her missionary tells her he’s
transferring schools and Sara sees Beau out with another
woman.
When the truth about the past surfaces, Sara has to make a choice;
trust in the Lord or face Mr. Wrong.
Alivia Anderson has always been addicted to
Fourth of July parades, any kind of chocolate, and stories that you
don’t want to end. After moving every couple of years when she was
younger, Alivia has enjoyed putting down roots. She loves going on
long walks with her husband and playing with her four little boys.
She also loves thinking about hypotheticals and painting flowers
into the early hours of the morning. Find Alivia at:
Web:
alivianderson.com
│Twitter:
andersonalivia1
│ Facebook:
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Anderson
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Table of Contents
Additional Works by Alivia
Anderson