Read Online Impossible by Nancy Werlin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy Werlin
Tags: Romance, Fantasy, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Social Issues, Young Adult, Love & Romance, Pregnancy, Orphans & Foster Homes
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consulting a lawyer, he said.
Like his ex-wife, Mr. Spencer wept too, but privately.
For a few days, the entire city slipped into an uproar of blame, counter-blame, and recrimination, mixed in with plenty of talk about out-of-control teen drinking and what public schools could and couldn't be held responsible for and what parents could and couldn't do. Amidst all of this, what had happened to Gray's date, Lucy Scarborough, moved unnoticed into the shadows, which was what Lucy insisted was exactly what she wanted.
Leo and Soledad fielded the few phone calls that came their way, and told the simple truth: that they had arranged for a family friend to pick Lucy up at the hotel after the prom to take her to the after-party, which she had then decided not to attend. The reporters turned this into Lucy knowing Gray was drunk and refusing to get into his car with him, and Gray then racing off angrily to his death.
Nobody said this made Gray's death partially Lucy's fault, although, secretly, his mother wondered what would have happened if Lucy had gone with Gray. Would he have driven more cautiously?
What people did say was that if Lucy had gotten in the car with Gray, she too would likely have died, and that her parents had been smart to send a friend to check up on her. Lucy Scarborough had had a lucky escape, everybody said. The passenger in a tiny convertible would have been even more likely than the driver to have died in that crash.
There was no contact at all between the Spencer and Markowitz families.
CHAPTER 16
Several days after the prom, as the public furor began to fade away, Lucy found herself longing desperately for something she could not name.
Despite her best attempts to be logical and practical, confusion still ruled her.
Her whole body seemed to ache. She wasn't sure, despite Soledad's and then a doctor's careful examination and reassurance that she was physically all right, which aches were emotional and which were physical. It certainly didn't help that she'd been largely unable to sleep.
She had also been unable, despite all the support from her parents, to talk to them very much about what had happened. Part of it was that she was afraid she might slip up and tell them about the stuff that she had imagined. She felt the same way about talking to the therapist Soledad had found for her. And while she wondered if she might talk to Sarah, she wasn't ready for that. There was too much involved, especially since Sarah didn't yet know about the rape, only about Gray's death.
Lucy thought sometimes that what she really wanted was to stay home forever and be only with Pierre. She had whispered her crazy secret to Pierre. This soothed her, but only for a short time.
She refused to be crazy. But she needed—needed—to tell the crazy secret anyway. To somebody safe. To somebody who would not judge her.
There was really only one good choice.
On the evening of the sixth day, Lucy went for a drive with Zach. He took her out for ice cream after a dinner that Lucy had only picked at. They sat in Soledad's car in the parking lot of the ice cream place as the sun began to set. They both looked straight ahead and worked on their ice cream. Lucy tried frantically to think of an opening.
Zach was eating a chocolate coffee crunch cone. He had gotten Lucy mint chocolate chip, in a cup, when she tried to order only a soda. Zach noticed with satisfaction that she was now eating her small spoonfuls.
She was too quiet, though.
He was almost painfully aware of Lucy's every move. Even when he wasn't looking directly at her, he felt as if he knew every time she shifted her body even a tiny bit. This was the first time he'd been alone with her since he'd brought her home on what he now thought of as "that night." His plan had been to do whatever was necessary to talk her into eating some ice cream at least. He felt victorious. He was being somewhat useful.
"You feeling okay today?" Zach asked finally.
"Yeah. This is
Like his ex-wife, Mr. Spencer wept too, but privately.
For a few days, the entire city slipped into an uproar of blame, counter-blame, and recrimination, mixed in with plenty of talk about out-of-control teen drinking and what public schools could and couldn't be held responsible for and what parents could and couldn't do. Amidst all of this, what had happened to Gray's date, Lucy Scarborough, moved unnoticed into the shadows, which was what Lucy insisted was exactly what she wanted.
Leo and Soledad fielded the few phone calls that came their way, and told the simple truth: that they had arranged for a family friend to pick Lucy up at the hotel after the prom to take her to the after-party, which she had then decided not to attend. The reporters turned this into Lucy knowing Gray was drunk and refusing to get into his car with him, and Gray then racing off angrily to his death.
Nobody said this made Gray's death partially Lucy's fault, although, secretly, his mother wondered what would have happened if Lucy had gone with Gray. Would he have driven more cautiously?
What people did say was that if Lucy had gotten in the car with Gray, she too would likely have died, and that her parents had been smart to send a friend to check up on her. Lucy Scarborough had had a lucky escape, everybody said. The passenger in a tiny convertible would have been even more likely than the driver to have died in that crash.
There was no contact at all between the Spencer and Markowitz families.
CHAPTER 16
Several days after the prom, as the public furor began to fade away, Lucy found herself longing desperately for something she could not name.
Despite her best attempts to be logical and practical, confusion still ruled her.
Her whole body seemed to ache. She wasn't sure, despite Soledad's and then a doctor's careful examination and reassurance that she was physically all right, which aches were emotional and which were physical. It certainly didn't help that she'd been largely unable to sleep.
She had also been unable, despite all the support from her parents, to talk to them very much about what had happened. Part of it was that she was afraid she might slip up and tell them about the stuff that she had imagined. She felt the same way about talking to the therapist Soledad had found for her. And while she wondered if she might talk to Sarah, she wasn't ready for that. There was too much involved, especially since Sarah didn't yet know about the rape, only about Gray's death.
Lucy thought sometimes that what she really wanted was to stay home forever and be only with Pierre. She had whispered her crazy secret to Pierre. This soothed her, but only for a short time.
She refused to be crazy. But she needed—needed—to tell the crazy secret anyway. To somebody safe. To somebody who would not judge her.
There was really only one good choice.
On the evening of the sixth day, Lucy went for a drive with Zach. He took her out for ice cream after a dinner that Lucy had only picked at. They sat in Soledad's car in the parking lot of the ice cream place as the sun began to set. They both looked straight ahead and worked on their ice cream. Lucy tried frantically to think of an opening.
Zach was eating a chocolate coffee crunch cone. He had gotten Lucy mint chocolate chip, in a cup, when she tried to order only a soda. Zach noticed with satisfaction that she was now eating her small spoonfuls.
She was too quiet, though.
He was almost painfully aware of Lucy's every move. Even when he wasn't looking directly at her, he felt as if he knew every time she shifted her body even a tiny bit. This was the first time he'd been alone with her since he'd brought her home on what he now thought of as "that night." His plan had been to do whatever was necessary to talk her into eating some ice cream at least. He felt victorious. He was being somewhat useful.
"You feeling okay today?" Zach asked finally.
"Yeah. This is
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