Read Online Holly's Heart Collection One by Beverly Lewis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beverly Lewis
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was unbearable, so I tried my best to block out those kinds of thoughts.
In my Bible, I underlined the pastor’s text with a red pen. Carrie cozied up to Mom in the pew, and I wanted to be somewhere else. Somewhere like the Dressel Hills Hospital, maybe in traction in the same room as Jared.
I knew there was only one reason why Andie hadn’t asked me to go with her to Jared’s audition: She wanted all his attention. Some best friend she’d turned out to be.
Just then Carrie peeked around Mom in the pew and flashed me a less-than-angelic grin. Her missing teeth completed the impish look.
Most of the time I loved Carrie, but sometimes I felt that Mom spoiled her rotten. Getting away from my little sister for a full week during spring break was a fabulous thought. And if I got permission to go to California to visit Daddy, I’d be leaving Andie behind for a while. It seemed, now that I thought of it, there was only one person I would miss at all. Jared.
When we arrived home and sat down to dinner, the food tasted blah. Usually I can’t get enough baked chicken and onions, but Jared was on my mind and in my heart.
Later, after the dishes were stacked in the dishwasher, Mom grabbed a note pad and sat at the table. “Let’s plan your birthday party, Holly-Heart.”
I glanced at the calendar. “It’s still too far away.”
“Oh, but the days are flying by,” she said, clicking the pen. “How many friends do you want to invite?”
I paused to count. “I can think of at least ten.”
Her eyebrows rose high above her eyes. “Well, I was thinking more in terms of seven. Including you, that’s eight. An even number is always nice…for games and things.”
Then I said something I shouldn’t have said. And in a catty sort of way. “Who cares about even numbers?”
Mom sighed. “Maybe we should talk about this later.” She was exasperated with me, and how could I blame her? I’d given her a tough time on purpose.
“Why don’t we just forget about this birthday? Maybe turning fourteen next year will be better!” I stormed out of the kitchen, certain that Andie was doing her musical thing right now at the hospital with Jared. More than anything, I wanted to be there. Not here.
Upstairs, I curled up in my window seat and wrote the remainder of my letter to Daddy. I tried to imagine what his new life was like. This, after all, was his house. He and Mom had fallen in love with Colorado. They’d moved from Pennsylvania after getting married, making a life together in this skier’s paradise. And what a skier Daddy was! He even gave me skiing lessons, starting when I was five. After a few practice runs, the sport was like breathing. Daddy said I was a natural.
Surely his new life wasn’t half as good as it had been here with us. And what about this new stepson of his? Somewhere out there I had a nine-year-old stepbrother. How weird was that?
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Mom poked her head in the door. “Holly-Heart, Andie’s on the phone.”
My heart skipped a beat. News about Jared! Could it be?
“I’ll get it up here,” I said, coming out of my room and going to the hall phone. Mom wouldn’t allow either of us girls to have a phone in our room. “Hello?”
“Hey, Heartless, still speaking to me?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? You were the one who stormed out of here yesterday.”
“Well…Jared had his audition.”
“How was it?”
“Jared’s voice is as fine as he is.”
“I know that. How’s Jared feeling ?”
“Feeling? Well, uh, I know you won’t believe this, but our hands touched today, when no one was watching. Is that what you mean?”
“You are so not telling the truth,” I said.
“Hang on, I’ll get Jared to tell you himself.”
“You’re disgusting, Andie,” I yelled. “And you call yourself my best friend? I’m tearing up the Loyalty Papers. They don’t mean anything to you anymore.”
“Holly, what’s going on?” she said, acting
In my Bible, I underlined the pastor’s text with a red pen. Carrie cozied up to Mom in the pew, and I wanted to be somewhere else. Somewhere like the Dressel Hills Hospital, maybe in traction in the same room as Jared.
I knew there was only one reason why Andie hadn’t asked me to go with her to Jared’s audition: She wanted all his attention. Some best friend she’d turned out to be.
Just then Carrie peeked around Mom in the pew and flashed me a less-than-angelic grin. Her missing teeth completed the impish look.
Most of the time I loved Carrie, but sometimes I felt that Mom spoiled her rotten. Getting away from my little sister for a full week during spring break was a fabulous thought. And if I got permission to go to California to visit Daddy, I’d be leaving Andie behind for a while. It seemed, now that I thought of it, there was only one person I would miss at all. Jared.
When we arrived home and sat down to dinner, the food tasted blah. Usually I can’t get enough baked chicken and onions, but Jared was on my mind and in my heart.
Later, after the dishes were stacked in the dishwasher, Mom grabbed a note pad and sat at the table. “Let’s plan your birthday party, Holly-Heart.”
I glanced at the calendar. “It’s still too far away.”
“Oh, but the days are flying by,” she said, clicking the pen. “How many friends do you want to invite?”
I paused to count. “I can think of at least ten.”
Her eyebrows rose high above her eyes. “Well, I was thinking more in terms of seven. Including you, that’s eight. An even number is always nice…for games and things.”
Then I said something I shouldn’t have said. And in a catty sort of way. “Who cares about even numbers?”
Mom sighed. “Maybe we should talk about this later.” She was exasperated with me, and how could I blame her? I’d given her a tough time on purpose.
“Why don’t we just forget about this birthday? Maybe turning fourteen next year will be better!” I stormed out of the kitchen, certain that Andie was doing her musical thing right now at the hospital with Jared. More than anything, I wanted to be there. Not here.
Upstairs, I curled up in my window seat and wrote the remainder of my letter to Daddy. I tried to imagine what his new life was like. This, after all, was his house. He and Mom had fallen in love with Colorado. They’d moved from Pennsylvania after getting married, making a life together in this skier’s paradise. And what a skier Daddy was! He even gave me skiing lessons, starting when I was five. After a few practice runs, the sport was like breathing. Daddy said I was a natural.
Surely his new life wasn’t half as good as it had been here with us. And what about this new stepson of his? Somewhere out there I had a nine-year-old stepbrother. How weird was that?
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Mom poked her head in the door. “Holly-Heart, Andie’s on the phone.”
My heart skipped a beat. News about Jared! Could it be?
“I’ll get it up here,” I said, coming out of my room and going to the hall phone. Mom wouldn’t allow either of us girls to have a phone in our room. “Hello?”
“Hey, Heartless, still speaking to me?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? You were the one who stormed out of here yesterday.”
“Well…Jared had his audition.”
“How was it?”
“Jared’s voice is as fine as he is.”
“I know that. How’s Jared feeling ?”
“Feeling? Well, uh, I know you won’t believe this, but our hands touched today, when no one was watching. Is that what you mean?”
“You are so not telling the truth,” I said.
“Hang on, I’ll get Jared to tell you himself.”
“You’re disgusting, Andie,” I yelled. “And you call yourself my best friend? I’m tearing up the Loyalty Papers. They don’t mean anything to you anymore.”
“Holly, what’s going on?” she said, acting
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