Life in the Lucky Zone (The Zone #2) (27 page)

I sighed. “Well, when you ask like that, how can I refuse?”

Fifty-One

Berger

I had trouble making conversation in the car all the way to my house. There always had to be the awkward moments after kissing for the first time, and we were smack in the middle of them. I’d look at Lindsey when she glanced out the side window. I could sense her gaze on me when I looked away. It was stupid, but, whatever. My main problem was in trying to tamp down the happiness running through me. And that was a huge fail. It was like when you ran after a ball when you were a little kid, and just before you could snatch it up, you accidentally kicked it again, and on it rolled. I’d never catch it.

Probably because I really didn’t want to. I couldn’t believe Lindsey had come around so quickly. If I thought hard about it, I knew it was probably too soon for her to start a new relationship. So I took care of that problem. I decided not to think about it.

She pulled the car into the driveway in front of my house and put the car in park. Time to face the awkwardness head-on. She stared out the windshield. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her voice had that fake cheeriness she sometimes used when she was unsure of herself.

I touched her arm. “Hey, I’m over here.”

She quickly clutched the pink rabbit’s foot that hung from her rearview mirror and then let it go. “I know that.” Her forehead wrinkled.

“Listen,” I said, “I have something to tell you, but I need to ask you a question first.”

Her expression eased, as if thankful that I might be taking charge of the conversation.

I felt like a complete idiot, but I needed to be absolutely sure we were on the same page. I cleared my throat. “So, back at your house. That wasn’t just a one-time thing, was it? I mean, it’s totally okay if that’s the way you want it—”

She kissed me. Briefly. Too briefly. “Of course it wasn’t a one-time thing. I’ve been worried you were already regretting it. You’ve barely said two words all the way over here.”

I huffed out a laugh. “It’s because I’m so crazy happy. I’m afraid I’m gonna freak you out.”

She smiled. “Why would that freak me out?”

“I don’t know. People tell me I’m too intense sometimes.”

“A smart guy I know once told me not to worry about other people.” She wove her fingers between mine, and I couldn’t resist bringing her hand up to my lips.

“That tickles,” she whispered.

Good to know. I smiled against her skin, then lowered our hands. “I have another question. How do we act at school tomorrow?”

She actually laughed. “I have only one rule: no smashing me up against the lockers to kiss me.”

“You’re no fun.”

“But other than that, anything goes.”

I smiled. “Anything?”

She leaned in close. “Dragon Boy?”

“Yeah, Drama Queen?”

“Get out of the car.”

I couldn’t help it. I took her face in my hands and kissed her. I could get seriously used to this. A too-familiar car horn honked, and we looked up. My sister’s car, and presumably my sister, waited in the street behind us. “I’d better go.”

She straightened my glasses. “Tomorrow,” she whispered.

I got out and waited while she left and my sister pulled into the driveway. I opened the passenger door. “Hey, Nana, did you have a good time?”

Nana grinned up at me. “More or less. Margaret Carrington cheats at cards. I’ve been telling people for years, but no one believes me.”

I helped her out of the car. “I’ll see that she’s brought up on charges.”

She chuckled. “Oh, don’t go that far. She’d never forgive me.”

Once in the house, Nana headed off to her room. Ashley chewed on the inside of her cheek.

“What?” I asked.

“I saw that.” She pointed to the front yard. “Out there.”

“Don’t you have errands to run?”

She let out an exasperated noise. “What are you doing with that girl, Trey? I’ve heard about her. She goes through guys like candy.”

“Don’t listen to gossip. You don’t know her.”

“Maybe not. But are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Why does everybody keep saying that?” I headed for my room, but she followed me.

“Who else said it?”

I sank onto the couch and tore off my shoes. “Gray.”

“You should listen to him.”

“Ashley, stop. This is none of your business.”

She leaned over, resting her hands on the arm of the sofa. “I’m worried about you.”

“I’ll be fine. Now go away.”

“Trey?” Nana’s voice sounded far off.

Oh, no.
Ashley and I stared at each other in horror for a split second, then raced from the room. The front door was wide open. Outside, Nana was crossing the lawn, heading for the sidewalk. “Nana!” I called.

She swung around too fast, wobbled, and almost went down, but Ashley and I raced over and managed to catch her by the arms to steady her. “Where are you going, Nana?” Ashley asked, breathing loudly.

“I was looking for Trey. I need to check on my flowers in the backyard, but the door is locked.”

“Well,” I said, “I’m right here. Let’s go flower checking.”

Nana looked bemused. “Flower checking. That’s cute.”

Ashley and I helped her up the steps—how she made it down them so fast without wiping out, I don’t know—and into the house. I headed for the back of the house with Nana, purposely ignoring Ash.

But she had the last word anyway. “Think about it, Trey. And don’t forget the chain when you come back inside.”

***

Lindsey winked at me from the other side of the stage, and I grinned back. At center stage, Parker must have seen her, because he swung toward me and shook his head like
here we go again.
Which was pretty irritating. I didn’t want to think about that whole “again” thing where Lindsey was concerned. I wished Ash had never seen us yesterday. Her words had me worried that Lindsey was going to dump me any minute. Something I never felt when Lindsey and I were together. But still. All I had to do was keep her happy, right?

“Trey?”

I sucked in a sharp breath. Mrs. Mac had appeared out of nowhere beside me in the wings. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Could you go grab a couple more pencils from my desk, please?” She patted her hair as if one might magically emerge from behind her ear.

“Sure, be right back.”

I headed backstage toward Mrs. Mac’s office. On her desk, she had a cup reserved exclusively for her yellow number-two pencils. I snagged three and left. I was crossing the storage area when a muffled noise came from behind the long costume rack. I paused and went to investigate. At the very back corner of the room, someone leaned face first against the wall. Well, not exactly face first. Hands covered the face making the sniffling sound.

I squinted. “Hello?”

The person turned and swore. Marta.

I couldn’t really see her face because of the shadows back there, but the sniffling had to mean tears, so I backtracked to Mrs. Mac’s office, grabbed a handful of tissues, and returned. “Hey,” I said, approaching her like she might bite.

Marta turned her head away.

“Here,” I said, holding out the tissues. She didn’t move, so I pressed them into her hand. “I don’t know what’s wrong,” I said, “but I promise it’ll be okay.”

She glanced at me, then wiped her face. “How do you know that?” she mumbled.

I shrugged, even though she wasn’t looking. “It always is. Eventually.”

A long moment passed before she spoke. “Thanks, Trey.”

“Sure.” And since I didn’t know what else to do, I left her.

On stage, Mrs. Mac was organizing people for the car scene. I handed her the pencils, and she took them without looking, as if she’d known pencils were going to blink into existence and hover in the air beside her. She looked around and frowned. “Has anyone seen Marta?”

Several people said no. “I did,” I said quietly. “She’s backstage. She’ll probably be here in a couple of minutes.”

The teacher eyed me like she was looking for hidden meaning in my words. “All right,” she said finally. “I’ll wait. But stick around in case I need you to go get her.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Nothing like another day navigating the drama of the drama club.

Fifty-Two

Lindsey

The next week was probably the best I’d ever had, and it was all because of two words: Trey Berger. School was more fun, rehearsal was more fun, studying was more fun. I couldn’t remember laughing so much in my entire life.

And while our group of friends knew something was different between us, Berger didn’t throw our relationship in everybody’s faces. My Dragon Boy had mastered the art of the secret kiss or touch. We’d be talking to Claire and Gray, and as soon as they were distracted, Berger would rub my back or play with my hair or trail a finger down my arm, giving me shivers. The most fun was when people’s backs were turned—he would kiss me or give me one of those looks he did so well.

It was all so completely different from Adam, who had only seemed to want to kiss me when we were sure to have the biggest audience possible. Not that I wanted to hide my relationship with Berger, but the secrecy made it feel more special somehow.

Claire had made a big deal of letting me know that it was only a matter of time before Gray found out about the
Linger
thing. But I didn’t care. Let them laugh. What we had together was way more than just being shipped by people.

The ball finally dropped that Thursday afternoon after school. Berger and I were driving to the one-act play competition at Caldwell High School when his phone buzzed. “That’s a weird text,” he said, holding up the phone in my direction.

The stoplight turned green. “I can’t look right now. What’s it say?”

“It’s from Gray. He says, ‘Bwahahaha. Linger. Ask Lindsey.’”

“Oh.” I glanced at him, then looked back at the road. “So, um, Sam shipped us a few weeks ago.”

“Shipped us? Huh? Oh,
Linger
.” He chuckled. “I like it.” He slipped his hand beneath my hair, holding my neck. “Makes me want to touch you.”

I shivered. “We’re gonna have a wreck if you don’t quit tickling me.”

“You love it,” he whispered against my ear.

I laughed. “Seriously, you need to quit. I’m gonna drive right off the road.”

“Good idea. Pull over so I can kiss you.”

“Berger! We’re going to be late to the competition.”

He settled back in his seat. “Oh, all right. But you know we won’t. That judge being delayed pushed everything later.”

“Don’t you want to see the play that Holmes is doing?”

“Not really. I’d much rather make out with you.”

I did too, but Mrs. Mac was going to be super pissed if we didn’t show up on time. But maybe we could spare a few minutes.

“What’re you smiling at?” he asked.

“What? Nothing.”

“Don’t lie.” He moved close again, his breath feathering over my cheek. “You want to kiss me too.”

I bit my lower lip. “If I’m smiling it’s because this is a particularly pleasant section of road.”

He let out a low laugh. “Nice try.”

Oh, why the heck not? I turned right into a residential neighborhood and pulled over. “You’re such a lucky boy.”

“Yes!” he said, snaking his arms around me. His phone buzzed, but he ignored it. “I convinced you! I am the mighty Dragon Boy, and all fear my powers.”

I shook my head, trying not to smile. “Shut up and kiss me.”

Fifty-Three

Berger

After twenty minutes of kissing and laughing—I couldn’t persuade Lindsey to get in the back seat with me—she took my face in her hands. “We need to go,” she whispered. “Besides, you’ve been ignoring your phone long enough.”

“It was probably just Mrs. Mac wondering where I am. I didn’t tell you that she’s promoted me to the position of Favorite Gopher.”

“Has she?” Lindsey kissed me, then pushed me back. “Check your messages.”

I sighed. “You’re no fun.”

She started the car and pulled away from the curb. “I
am
fun.”

I looked at my text messages. They were from my sister.

Ashley: Nana is missing Come home

Ice ran down my spine. I swore. There were more texts and voice messages, but that was the gist of them.

Lindsey stopped the car in the middle of the neighborhood street. “What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t inhale a full breath. “Take me home,” I said.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Nana. She’s not at the senior day care place.”

“What?”

Just get home.
I could breathe if I got home. “Turn the car around.”

Lindsey made a U-turn and left the neighborhood. I leaned forward, willing the car to go faster.

“Please tell me,” Lindsey said.

“It was Ash. All those calls. She was asking me to head to the senior center because she was stuck in traffic. When she finally got there, Nana wasn’t around. They don’t have tight security because not many of the people there have dementia. Now no one knows where she is.”

“Oh, Berger.”

“Can you drive faster?”

“Yes. We’re going to your house, right?”

I looked at her, but didn’t really see her. I kept imagining my grandmother wandering down a road going nowhere. “Yeah,” I managed to finally say. “I’m meeting my parents there.”

On we drove, the miles feeling endless.
You should’ve answered the phone. You should’ve checked your messages. Nana could be safely at home right now if you hadn’t ignored the calls. You shouldn’t have been kissing Lindsey anyway. You both should have been at the competition, not making out. Then you could have easily gotten the messages, picked up Nana on time, and everything would be fine.

“What did you say?” Lindsey asked.

“Huh?”

“Sounded like you were mumbling something.”

She made me sound like the village idiot. Irritation rose up in me. “I wasn’t mumbling. I never should have ignored my phone, but I was too busy kissing you to think straight.”