parents and buses leaving.
“I just want to clarify that he isn't your boyfriend.”
“No,” I pout as I follow her gaze.
I launch myself down the stairs to Keller waiting by his car, totally redeemed for not answering my last message. “Have fun with your friend.” Sara calls after me.
I slow down and stroll up to his car. “Hey,” I say like it's nothing seeing him here.
“I thought you might like to go on another excursion. But you might be too busy with all your trophies instead.” He raises his eyebrows at them.
“Oh, yeah.” I look down at my arms. “Sara,” I start to call out, but she’s already behind me. And she’s distracted.
“Hi, I'm Sara. You must be Keller.” Her voice shakes slightly.
“I am.” He beams at her. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” she says in a dreamy voice.
“Nice to meet you too,” I say sarcastically.
“Sorry.” She drags herself away from Keller’s smile to look at me.
“Can you take these back for me. I'm not going to need them am I?” I ask Keller.
“Don't think I've got anything that exciting planned.”
“Okay, bye then.” I eagerly load Sara up while she pouts at me.
“Have fun,” she says, extending her pout to a full blown sad face.
“Will do.” We watch her walk slowly away.
“You sure you want to come with me?” Keller asks me once she’s gone. “You could stay and play with your trophies if you want. Line them up from biggest to smallest or something.”
“Oh, you know, whatever.” I say not really looking at him, “I could I guess, maybe from prettiest cup to ugliest.” I say stretching my arms and pretending to yawn. I jump in the car and have my seat belt on before he has opened his door.
He eyes up my seat belt. “But you don't really mind if you come or not?”
“You know. Either or.” I say nonchalantly while he laughs and swings the car into a space between two buses.
We just get out into the traffic and his phone rings in his pocket. He hands it to me. “It's my dad can you answer it for me?”
“Oh, um, sure. If you want me to.” I look at the screen with DAD pulsing at me. I stare at it for a second longer and tentatively put it up to my ear.
“Hi, this is Keller's phone,” I say gently.
“Hello, person that is not Keller. Is he there, or did you steal his phone.” His dad asks me.
I laugh and look at Keller. “Nah I didn't steal it, he's just being socially conscious by not driving and talking,” I announce.
“Yes my son is Mr. Socially Conscious,” he says sarcastically. “Could you tell him I need him back at the store? I need a couple of boxes of CDs taken over to Lilly's.”
“Your dad needs you to take some boxes to Lilly's,” I tell him.
“Dad,” Keller whines at the phone. “I'm out with Reid.”
I put it on speakerphone. “Sorry. She can go with you though.” He sounds bright and cheerful about it.
“Wow, thanks.” His voice drips with sarcasm.
“Anytime. See you in a few minutes.”
“I'm going to be at least ten. I'm in Clapham.” The bus in front of us stops suddenly. “Probably more like fifteen. School traffic.”
“Well drive faster, then. Bye.” His dad hangs up.
“Sorry,” he says. “I wouldn't have come to get you if I knew I would have to go back to work. I worked through my lunch break so I could get off early.”
I freeze, staring at him, oh my goodness, that is the nicest thing I think anyone has ever done for me.
“Sorry,” he says again looking really apologetic. “Next time we'll do something better then delivering things for my dad.”
“Don't worry. I really don't mind. I would have just been going back to my room to do homework that was set before the break.”
“As long as you don't care.” He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. “We could get something to eat. There's an awesome burger place right next to Lilly's.”
“Sounds good to me.” I’m starving. Lunch was ages ago, and I swam six races after
“I just want to clarify that he isn't your boyfriend.”
“No,” I pout as I follow her gaze.
I launch myself down the stairs to Keller waiting by his car, totally redeemed for not answering my last message. “Have fun with your friend.” Sara calls after me.
I slow down and stroll up to his car. “Hey,” I say like it's nothing seeing him here.
“I thought you might like to go on another excursion. But you might be too busy with all your trophies instead.” He raises his eyebrows at them.
“Oh, yeah.” I look down at my arms. “Sara,” I start to call out, but she’s already behind me. And she’s distracted.
“Hi, I'm Sara. You must be Keller.” Her voice shakes slightly.
“I am.” He beams at her. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” she says in a dreamy voice.
“Nice to meet you too,” I say sarcastically.
“Sorry.” She drags herself away from Keller’s smile to look at me.
“Can you take these back for me. I'm not going to need them am I?” I ask Keller.
“Don't think I've got anything that exciting planned.”
“Okay, bye then.” I eagerly load Sara up while she pouts at me.
“Have fun,” she says, extending her pout to a full blown sad face.
“Will do.” We watch her walk slowly away.
“You sure you want to come with me?” Keller asks me once she’s gone. “You could stay and play with your trophies if you want. Line them up from biggest to smallest or something.”
“Oh, you know, whatever.” I say not really looking at him, “I could I guess, maybe from prettiest cup to ugliest.” I say stretching my arms and pretending to yawn. I jump in the car and have my seat belt on before he has opened his door.
He eyes up my seat belt. “But you don't really mind if you come or not?”
“You know. Either or.” I say nonchalantly while he laughs and swings the car into a space between two buses.
We just get out into the traffic and his phone rings in his pocket. He hands it to me. “It's my dad can you answer it for me?”
“Oh, um, sure. If you want me to.” I look at the screen with DAD pulsing at me. I stare at it for a second longer and tentatively put it up to my ear.
“Hi, this is Keller's phone,” I say gently.
“Hello, person that is not Keller. Is he there, or did you steal his phone.” His dad asks me.
I laugh and look at Keller. “Nah I didn't steal it, he's just being socially conscious by not driving and talking,” I announce.
“Yes my son is Mr. Socially Conscious,” he says sarcastically. “Could you tell him I need him back at the store? I need a couple of boxes of CDs taken over to Lilly's.”
“Your dad needs you to take some boxes to Lilly's,” I tell him.
“Dad,” Keller whines at the phone. “I'm out with Reid.”
I put it on speakerphone. “Sorry. She can go with you though.” He sounds bright and cheerful about it.
“Wow, thanks.” His voice drips with sarcasm.
“Anytime. See you in a few minutes.”
“I'm going to be at least ten. I'm in Clapham.” The bus in front of us stops suddenly. “Probably more like fifteen. School traffic.”
“Well drive faster, then. Bye.” His dad hangs up.
“Sorry,” he says. “I wouldn't have come to get you if I knew I would have to go back to work. I worked through my lunch break so I could get off early.”
I freeze, staring at him, oh my goodness, that is the nicest thing I think anyone has ever done for me.
“Sorry,” he says again looking really apologetic. “Next time we'll do something better then delivering things for my dad.”
“Don't worry. I really don't mind. I would have just been going back to my room to do homework that was set before the break.”
“As long as you don't care.” He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. “We could get something to eat. There's an awesome burger place right next to Lilly's.”
“Sounds good to me.” I’m starving. Lunch was ages ago, and I swam six races after
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