Holly's Heart Collection One (55 page)
“Hope so. Why?”
“Just curious.”
“Hey, just think, if Stan and I get married someday, I’d not only be your best friend but your cousin. Is that cool or what?”
“Where do you come up with these ideas?” I asked, as if the thought had never crossed my mind.
“Never mind, I can tell you’re not in the mood.”
“Whatever.”
“Want me to spy on Jared tomorrow?” she asked.
“Sure, just don’t talk about it at school. Call me after volleyball, okay?”
“I’ll
be
at volleyball practice tomorrow. Stan asked me to wait around for him.”
I still couldn’t picture Andie and my cousin together. “Okay, see you then.” I hung up.
The Scrutiny Test Analyzing Nascence took most of my energy at school the next day. If I wasn’t spying on Jared—checking to see if he was either failing STAN by talking to or looking at girls—I was enduring Paula’s nonstop complaining about the sudden change in him.
“It’s just not like Jared,” she whined.
“He
does
seem different, doesn’t he?” I said.
Even Billy Hill noticed. “Something’s up with Jared,” I overheard him say to Amy-Liz on the way to math. “He’s acting strange.”
By the end of the week, the whole school was buzzing with rumors about Jared Wilkins. One rumor had him suffering side effects from some medication he was on for a rare disease.
He was waiting at my locker Friday after school. “Hey, Holly-Heart.”
It was the first I’d seen him smile all week. “This is pure torture, isn’t it?” I said.
“You’d be surprised.” He grinned. “I’ve never had so much fun getting slammed with rumors and jokes and other nonsense.”
“Want to call the whole thing off?”
“No chance,” he said.
His response made me terribly nervous. I mean, what if he
did
pass the test?
Danny walked past my locker just then. I turned away, trying to avoid him. “I’ve got to do something about Danny,” I muttered into my locker, feeling a little twinge of sadness for the way things had ended between us.
“Like what?” Jared asked.
“I don’t know. He looks so depressed. Maybe I should talk to him. I mean, we were such good friends before….”
“Has he called you?”
I shook my head. “I walked out on
him.
”
“You two could talk things out and still be…uh, friends, couldn’t you?”
Was Jared for real? I expected him to say something else. Something like, “Forget Danny, you’ve got me.” But he hadn’t. Instead, he handed me an envelope.
“Oh, before I forget,” he said, “could you give this to Andie for me? I recognized her handwriting.”
I stared at the letter addressed to Jared. Turning it over, I saw the address written in Andie’s best cursive. This was the letter she’d sent to test him. Part of the STAN plan I’d concocted.
“You’re right. It’s Andie’s writing.”
The envelope was unopened!
THE TROUBLE WITH WEDDINGS
Tuesday after lunch, I stopped off at my locker with Andie. A note stuck out of one of the vents at the top.
Andie leaned close to see. “Who’s it from?” she asked.
The note turned out to be from Danny, asking when we could talk. “This is just great,” I said, refolding it.
“What’s wrong?”
“Danny, that’s what.” I opened my locker and peered at the mirror attached to the door. “I’m a jerk,” I said, fluffing my hair with my fingers. “Danny wasn’t so bad.”
“Hey, do you like being preached at, and I mean constantly?” She banged her locker shut. “Remember how controlling he was? Think it over, Holly. You’re better off without him.”
“Maybe,” I said, heading for fifth period. But I wasn’t absolutely sure. It was crazy, but I still liked Danny. Or maybe it was admiration. I mean, how many walking memory chips does a girl get to meet in one lifetime?
After school Danny was waiting near the doors to the gym as I hurried in for volleyball practice.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Get my note?”
I nodded.
“When can we talk?”
“What about?” I asked.
His eyes were sober. “You and me.”
“Uh, I’ve got volleyball now,” I said. “Miss Tucker makes us run extra laps if we’re late.”
“Later then?”
“I can’t hang around after school today. Mom and I are going shopping for her wedding next month.”
“Your mother’s getting remarried?” He seemed to brighten. “When?”
“Thanksgiving Day,” I said. “And we’re all dressing like pilgrims.”
We laughed at my dumb joke.
“Can I call you later tonight?” His eyes had sort of a pleading quality.
“Sure,” I said. Just then Stan rushed past us, his whistle hanging from his neck. He shot me a strange look. “Talk to you later, Danny,” I said, dashing off to the girls’ locker room. Changing clothes at record speed, I made it back upstairs before Stan’s whistle blew, signaling the start of practice.
Stan scowled, not only at me, but at all the girls. Good. At last even Kayla was seeing his grumpy side. If only Andie were here.
Halfway through practice, Jared showed up. He sat in his usual place, high in the bleachers. This STAN thing was getting out of hand. Boys were starting to ridicule him. Certain girls were avoiding him; others were vying for his attention more than ever. Like Paula Miller, for instance.
After practice I waited for him at the bottom of the bleachers. “Hi,” I said, feeling a bit sorry for him.
His smile warmed my heart. “Hey, Holly, you’re looking really good out there.”
“Thanks.”
“So how am I doing?” His eyes searched mine.
“I, uh, don’t know about this STAN thing anymore,” I said.
“What do you mean?” He followed me across the gym. “I agreed to it, remember? So what’s the problem? I’m doing what you wanted.”
I stopped to look at him.
Really
look at him. “It’s all wrong, Jared. Every single part of it.”
“How’s it wrong?”
“Because STAN is turning you into a…a…”
Thwe-e-ep!
It was Stan’s whistle.
I spun around. “Now what do you want?” I said.
“Lay off, Holly.” Stan stood at the volleyball net, clipboard in hand, and glared at me.
I looked first at Jared, then my cousin. “Huh? I don’t get it.”
Stan folded his arms. “Keep me out of whatever it is you’re talking about.”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “It’s nothing about
you,
” I said, trying to force a straight face.
Jared grinned, too. “Yeah, it’s nothing, man.”
I eyed my cousin, holding his precious clipboard. Driving him crazy with STAN was perfect genius. He’d never believe we weren’t talking about him—never in a zillion years!
He was glaring at me now. “And stop telling everyone about the wedding, too.”
“What’s eating you?” I said.
“You know what. There shouldn’t be a wedding at all.”
“You’re pathetic,” I said as he sauntered back to the bench and sat down.
“What’s buggin’ him?” Jared said.
“He’s a pain, that’s what.”
Jared stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Maybe both of you should back off…give each other a break.”
I stared at him. He was starting to sound like Danny, telling me what to do. “You’re doing it, too, Jared,” I said.
He looked confused. “What? What did I say?”
Thoughts of STAN whirled in my head. Jared’s personality was changing—for the worse. The fun-loving Jared had disappeared, and in his place was…what?
I sighed. “Maybe this scrutiny test was a big mistake. I mean, you’re
so
different. Nothing like you used to be. I think STAN’s turning you into someone…uh, someone
awful.
Let’s just forget the whole thing.” I turned and headed for the girls’ locker room.
“Holly, wait!”
I turned around. “Not now, Jared. It’s over.” And this time I ran all the way down the steps to the locker room, leaving Jared standing in the middle of the gym floor.
It felt good getting away from him…
and
Stan. In the shower, I let the water beat on my back for the longest time.
Mom pulled up in front of the school. “Hi, Holly-Heart, ready to shop till we drop?”
“I’m ready, sure. Can’t wait,” I said, settling into the front seat. “We don’t have much time before the wedding, you know.” I pulled a piece of paper from my backpack.
Mom glanced over. “What’s that?”
“We have to be organized about this if you’re going to have a perfect wedding.” I held my list up.
She smiled. “I should’ve known.”
“First we need invitations, and they must be mailed this week.”
Mom looked horrified. “This week?”
“Yep. Six weeks in advance of the special day. That’s
this
week.” I opened my backpack, scrounging for a pencil. “Another big item is flowers, you know. And a photographer. We must have pictures, lots of them. And…food. What would a Thanksgiving Day wedding be like without food? How do turkey hors d’oeuvres sound?”
“Slow down, Holly,” Mom said, finding a parking space in front of Footloose and Fancy Things. “Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? My wedding day is important, but it’s not the first time, you know. Second weddings shouldn’t be too showy.”
“Says who? You’ve waited a long time for the right guy to show up. And if Daddy had been thinking straight, he’d have come to his senses and married you again instead of—”
“Holly, please. Let’s not get into that.”
“Do you agree with me—this wedding
has
to be special?”
She nodded. “Special, just not too fancy.”
“Where’s
your
list?” I asked just as Mom got out of the car to feed the meter.
“Relax—please? My list is right here,” she said, pointing to her head as we made our way into my favorite shop.
Footloose and Fancy Things was the most exclusive shop in Dressel Hills. The cushy decor and soft music reminded me of a big-city department store. There were mirrors everywhere, and luxurious chairs to relax in while waiting for someone to come out of the plush dressing rooms and model an outfit. That someone happened to be my mom. She deserved the best fashion critic there was—me.
Modeling an off-white dress with a gentle brocade bodice and sleeves, Mom stood before me, smiling. “This is ecru,” she said. “It’s appropriate for a second-time bride.”