Read Online A Small Town Dream by Rebecca Milton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rebecca Milton
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face, but he gently caught her wrist.
“I can’t, Annie. I’ve tried so hard to... I just can’t… Anne .” He hesitated, then let go, turned away and went back inside. She waited a beat, then followed him.
She watched him move through the crowd to find Connie. She watched as he whispered in her ear. She watched Connie’s eyes grow wide. She watched Connie take his hand. Watched him lead her purposefully through the crowd. Watched them pass by, barely a foot away. Parker determinedly ignored her. Connie saw her and winked.
She followed at a distance. In the hall, he pushed Connie against the wall and kissed her. He took her into the boys’ bathroom. The door shut slowly behind them. She stood shivering in the hall, her mind racing, her heart pounding.
She waited. And waited. Finally, she went back into the gym and tried to lose herself dancing, but still kept an eye on the door. After what felt like hours, Connie and Parker returned, holding hands, smiling. Connie went to the punch bowl as Parker scanned the crowd. He caught Annie’s eye. She stopped, stood dead still in the middle of the dance floor and looked back. Then she clapped, applauding him, slowly and sarcastically.
She watched his face flush with shame. He turned away. She waited a moment, then walked out of the school into the moonlight, and across the field toward home. She stopped when she heard the countdown, then the cheer at midnight. She laughed, then looked up.
“Happy New Year,” she said to the moon, and then continued home.
Not one tear.
More than a million regrets.
9
“Did you really get stoned with Paul Jenks at the New Year’s dance?” Connie whispered. She and Annie had been corralled into serving at the monthly Chamber of Commerce pancake breakfast.
“I don’t know,” Annie said, feeling none too social. “Did you really give Parker Levitt a blowjob in the boy’s bathroom at the New Year’s dance?”
Connie gasped, then blushing violently, looked around to make sure no one was listening. “Annie!” she hissed. “Are you trying to get me in trouble?”
Annie looked around as well, but there was no one paying attention. “Sorry,” she said and layered three pancakes on an elderly woman’s plate.
“What dear?” the woman said, cupping her ear. Annie gave Connie a look. See?
“Nothing, ma’am. Enjoy your breakfast.” The woman thanked Annie and moved on. She turned back to Connie.
“I was just kidding. But for the record, yes, I got a little stoned with Paul.” Connie’s mouth dropped open, then she laughed.
“Good for you, you rebel you!” Connie hugged her. “And, for the record , yes, I did give Parker Levitt a blowjob in the boy’s bathroom.” Annie laughed, but it was joyless, a cover to keep her from dissolving into tears and shoving a pancake in Connie’s face.
Connie heard only the laughter. “I’m jealous of you, Annie.” That struck Annie as insane beyond belief, making her laugh even harder.
“ Giiirls ?”
Mrs. Caughtry, the doughy-faced chairwoman of the Chamber of Commerce, moved haltingly passed the counter. “It’s nice to have fun and all but, remember. Pancakes for charity, pancakes for charity. Let nothing cloud your purpose.” She slouched away even as the ridiculousness of her comment revived both girls’ giggling in earnest.
Still, Annie felt terrible. She felt that way quite a bit lately around Connie. Well, around Connie and Parker . She and Parker made a good couple, and all couples had good and bad times. Annie had no right, or reason, for that matter, to be upset. So what if Connie did do Parker in the boy’s bathroom? Wouldn’t she, if she were in Connie’s shoes?
Maybe. She wasn’t sure. Never mind she had no idea how to give a blowjob. She didn’t know if she could be that kind of girl. That kind of girl?
“This is ridiculous,” Annie said to herself. She had
“I can’t, Annie. I’ve tried so hard to... I just can’t… Anne .” He hesitated, then let go, turned away and went back inside. She waited a beat, then followed him.
She watched him move through the crowd to find Connie. She watched as he whispered in her ear. She watched Connie’s eyes grow wide. She watched Connie take his hand. Watched him lead her purposefully through the crowd. Watched them pass by, barely a foot away. Parker determinedly ignored her. Connie saw her and winked.
She followed at a distance. In the hall, he pushed Connie against the wall and kissed her. He took her into the boys’ bathroom. The door shut slowly behind them. She stood shivering in the hall, her mind racing, her heart pounding.
She waited. And waited. Finally, she went back into the gym and tried to lose herself dancing, but still kept an eye on the door. After what felt like hours, Connie and Parker returned, holding hands, smiling. Connie went to the punch bowl as Parker scanned the crowd. He caught Annie’s eye. She stopped, stood dead still in the middle of the dance floor and looked back. Then she clapped, applauding him, slowly and sarcastically.
She watched his face flush with shame. He turned away. She waited a moment, then walked out of the school into the moonlight, and across the field toward home. She stopped when she heard the countdown, then the cheer at midnight. She laughed, then looked up.
“Happy New Year,” she said to the moon, and then continued home.
Not one tear.
More than a million regrets.
9
“Did you really get stoned with Paul Jenks at the New Year’s dance?” Connie whispered. She and Annie had been corralled into serving at the monthly Chamber of Commerce pancake breakfast.
“I don’t know,” Annie said, feeling none too social. “Did you really give Parker Levitt a blowjob in the boy’s bathroom at the New Year’s dance?”
Connie gasped, then blushing violently, looked around to make sure no one was listening. “Annie!” she hissed. “Are you trying to get me in trouble?”
Annie looked around as well, but there was no one paying attention. “Sorry,” she said and layered three pancakes on an elderly woman’s plate.
“What dear?” the woman said, cupping her ear. Annie gave Connie a look. See?
“Nothing, ma’am. Enjoy your breakfast.” The woman thanked Annie and moved on. She turned back to Connie.
“I was just kidding. But for the record, yes, I got a little stoned with Paul.” Connie’s mouth dropped open, then she laughed.
“Good for you, you rebel you!” Connie hugged her. “And, for the record , yes, I did give Parker Levitt a blowjob in the boy’s bathroom.” Annie laughed, but it was joyless, a cover to keep her from dissolving into tears and shoving a pancake in Connie’s face.
Connie heard only the laughter. “I’m jealous of you, Annie.” That struck Annie as insane beyond belief, making her laugh even harder.
“ Giiirls ?”
Mrs. Caughtry, the doughy-faced chairwoman of the Chamber of Commerce, moved haltingly passed the counter. “It’s nice to have fun and all but, remember. Pancakes for charity, pancakes for charity. Let nothing cloud your purpose.” She slouched away even as the ridiculousness of her comment revived both girls’ giggling in earnest.
Still, Annie felt terrible. She felt that way quite a bit lately around Connie. Well, around Connie and Parker . She and Parker made a good couple, and all couples had good and bad times. Annie had no right, or reason, for that matter, to be upset. So what if Connie did do Parker in the boy’s bathroom? Wouldn’t she, if she were in Connie’s shoes?
Maybe. She wasn’t sure. Never mind she had no idea how to give a blowjob. She didn’t know if she could be that kind of girl. That kind of girl?
“This is ridiculous,” Annie said to herself. She had
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