Read Online Home Sweet Drama by Jessica Burkhart - Free Book Online

knowing I looked like a giant dork. But that was better than getting spaghetti sauce on Heather’s shirt and facing certain death.
    â€œSasha!” Paige turned to face me and almost knocked her tray off her lap. “Because! It’s the middle of the week and that means Homecoming is half over!”
    Paige’s tone rose with every word—it was like she was spewing exclamation points.
    â€œOh, yeah,” I said, trying to sound sorry. “That.”
    â€œI just can’t wait for Green-and-Gold Day on Thursday, and then Friday’s the dance. I’m going to be going
crazy
on Thursday. I want to deep condition my hair, do my nails …”
    I had to tune out Paige’s chatter about Homecoming. Instead, I thought about riding and concentrated on not spilling anything on Heather’s clothes. For the rest of lunch, I just nodded and pretended to listen.
    After my last class of the day, I walked down the hallway of the math building. I was sooo ready for my riding lesson. I half-wanted to skip changing into my riding clothes, but I knew Heather would kill me if I rode inhers. I was almost to the door when I saw Callie and Jacob walking in front of me.
    Callie reached over to touch his upper arm and he moved a step away from her to shift his backpack from one shoulder to the other. He kept the distance between himself and Callie. She glanced down at her feet and stayed just behind him as they walked to the door. He pushed open the door and let her walk in front of him.
    That was weird.
    Why was Jacob being strange around her? He’d promised he’d never spill our secret about what had really happened between us, and I believed him, but what I’d just seen made me worry.
It’s probably nothing,
I told myself. I had to believe that or I’d make myself crazy.

10
    THE LAST PERSON I WANT TO TALK TO
    I RUSHED THROUGH GETTING DRESSED AND hurried to the stable, determined to spend as much time there as possible. I needed some serious Charm time and I was going to give him an extra-special grooming.
    â€œHi, guy,” I said to Charm as I walked toward him. He had his head stuck over the stall door and his big brown eyes watched me approach.
    I kissed his cheek and reached into my back pocket. “I
might
have brought you something from the common room kitchen,” I said. “Something you might want.”
    I had Charm’s full attention. He stretched his neck over the stall door, watching me reach into my back pocket.
    I pulled out half a carrot and held it up, grinning at him. “Does this interest you?”
    Charm bobbed his head and strained to reach the carrot.
    â€œAw, here, boy.”
    I flattened my hand and put the carrot on my palm. I held it out to Charm and he almost inhaled it. While he chomped on it, I took out his tack box from the trunk outside his stall and took his lead line off the hook.
    I went into his stall and clipped the lead line under his chin. We walked out into the aisle together and I found a free pair of crossties.
    â€œLet’s make you sparkly and shiny,” I said.
    I rummaged through Charm’s tack box for his body brush and laughed as he pawed the aisle floor with his right foreleg.
    â€œFeeling extra good today? It was the carrot, huh,” I said.
    I ran the brush lightly over his body—he hadn’t gotten dirty since yesterday’s grooming. After just minutes, his coat was new-penny bright and his sock was stark white. I combed his mane, tail, and forelock. They detangled easily and I inspected Charm’s bridle path and whiskers.
    â€œIt’s going to be trim time for you soon,” I said. “We’ll have to get out the clippers.”
    Charm wouldn’t mind that. The buzz of the clippersnever bothered him—he loved any kind of attention. After I wiped his eyes and muzzle with a damp cloth, I tacked him up and put on my helmet.
    Mike walked down the aisle toward us and smiled at