collar and kneels beside me. “Are you okay?”
I nod but for some reason the tears come again.
“ Please don’t cry.” His voice is soft and his eyes are kind. “Nino’s not worth it.”
I’m not crying over Nino. I’m crying because Jon cares.
The lunch bell rings. Jon helps me to my feet and I realize it’s the first time I’ve actually touched him, with my real body, not my invisible one. A little thrill rushes through me.
“ Thanks.”
“ You’re a really special girl,” he says. “I mean special in a good way,” he adds quickly and a blush mounts in his cheeks. His gaze falls to the ground. “You’re different from other girls.”
Though Charlie is there beside us, for a moment it feels like we’re alone as we make our way back inside.
“’ Bye,” Charlie huffs and peels off in the direction of her next class.
“ See you after school,” I call after her and wave.
Jon walks me to my locker. The whole time my heart pounds so hard I hear the blood whooshing in my ears. To stay grounded, I take deep breaths – in through the nose and out through my mouth.
After I open my locker, I expect Jon to leave, but to my surprise and delight, he’s still here. He leans against the open door, wearing a goofy grin.
“ Do you want to go out sometime?”
I freeze. My voice abandons me.
My heart flutters.
“ Lola?”
My pulse slows for a moment I’m gone.
Jon reaches out to the spot he saw me last and his hand passes through me. A jolt of energy jabs into me, like I’ve stuck my finger in a light socket.
“ Lola?” he whispers. “You there? It’s okay, I’ll just wait here ’til you come back.” His eyes dart furtively from one side to the other. He’s keeping watch for me; so no one will notice I’ve vanished.
This puts me at ease. Actually, it does more than that, it makes me happy to know he’s protecting me and, a moment later, I’m back.
“ Wow, Lola. You’re so cool! God, I wish I could do that.”
“ Shhh.” I bring a finger to my lips. “Do you think anyone saw?”
“ No, nobody noticed. I’m sure of it.” His voice hushes to a whisper, “Where did you go?”
I furrow my brow and shrug. “I don’t think I actually go anywhere. I could hear you talking and I could see you.”
“ So cool.”
“ I gotta learn to control it better,” I say more to myself than Jon. I’m starting to worry that The Vanishing is happening more frequently.
“ But you told me if you remain calm, you’ll be okay. So you just have to be calm,” Jon offers.
“ Yeah, but how do I do that? That’s the hard part.”
“ I think you just need to know how really great you are and then everything will fall into place.” He puts a hand on my arm. “You’re the smartest girl I know and I wish you could see what I see.”
A smile wants to bloom on my lips, but it would have been better if he’d said I was the most beautiful girl he knew.
“ And you’re talented,” he adds. “I know about your writing.”
I give him a weak smile and he leans in close. I breathe in his cologne and have an overwhelming urge to caress his cheek.
“ And I think you’re pretty too.”
Now I smile for real.
“ I work Saturday night, but do you want to catch a movie with me Sunday?”
I nod. Now it’s me with the big goofy grin.
Chapter Fourteen
For the rest of the week I feel as if I’m floating. Jon meets me at my locker every morning and walks with me to homeroom. He even eats lunch with Charlie and me, outside under the oak tree. It’s fast becoming “our place” after we decide to steer clear of the cafeteria for a while. Charlie huffs and sighs and I can tell she’s not happy with the additional company. She continues to try to convince me I shouldn’t trust Jon, but my instincts tell me otherwise. I think she’s jealous because of all the attention he’s giving me. Oh well, she’s just going to have to get used to it.
Today’s Saturday and I spend most of it
I nod but for some reason the tears come again.
“ Please don’t cry.” His voice is soft and his eyes are kind. “Nino’s not worth it.”
I’m not crying over Nino. I’m crying because Jon cares.
The lunch bell rings. Jon helps me to my feet and I realize it’s the first time I’ve actually touched him, with my real body, not my invisible one. A little thrill rushes through me.
“ Thanks.”
“ You’re a really special girl,” he says. “I mean special in a good way,” he adds quickly and a blush mounts in his cheeks. His gaze falls to the ground. “You’re different from other girls.”
Though Charlie is there beside us, for a moment it feels like we’re alone as we make our way back inside.
“’ Bye,” Charlie huffs and peels off in the direction of her next class.
“ See you after school,” I call after her and wave.
Jon walks me to my locker. The whole time my heart pounds so hard I hear the blood whooshing in my ears. To stay grounded, I take deep breaths – in through the nose and out through my mouth.
After I open my locker, I expect Jon to leave, but to my surprise and delight, he’s still here. He leans against the open door, wearing a goofy grin.
“ Do you want to go out sometime?”
I freeze. My voice abandons me.
My heart flutters.
“ Lola?”
My pulse slows for a moment I’m gone.
Jon reaches out to the spot he saw me last and his hand passes through me. A jolt of energy jabs into me, like I’ve stuck my finger in a light socket.
“ Lola?” he whispers. “You there? It’s okay, I’ll just wait here ’til you come back.” His eyes dart furtively from one side to the other. He’s keeping watch for me; so no one will notice I’ve vanished.
This puts me at ease. Actually, it does more than that, it makes me happy to know he’s protecting me and, a moment later, I’m back.
“ Wow, Lola. You’re so cool! God, I wish I could do that.”
“ Shhh.” I bring a finger to my lips. “Do you think anyone saw?”
“ No, nobody noticed. I’m sure of it.” His voice hushes to a whisper, “Where did you go?”
I furrow my brow and shrug. “I don’t think I actually go anywhere. I could hear you talking and I could see you.”
“ So cool.”
“ I gotta learn to control it better,” I say more to myself than Jon. I’m starting to worry that The Vanishing is happening more frequently.
“ But you told me if you remain calm, you’ll be okay. So you just have to be calm,” Jon offers.
“ Yeah, but how do I do that? That’s the hard part.”
“ I think you just need to know how really great you are and then everything will fall into place.” He puts a hand on my arm. “You’re the smartest girl I know and I wish you could see what I see.”
A smile wants to bloom on my lips, but it would have been better if he’d said I was the most beautiful girl he knew.
“ And you’re talented,” he adds. “I know about your writing.”
I give him a weak smile and he leans in close. I breathe in his cologne and have an overwhelming urge to caress his cheek.
“ And I think you’re pretty too.”
Now I smile for real.
“ I work Saturday night, but do you want to catch a movie with me Sunday?”
I nod. Now it’s me with the big goofy grin.
Chapter Fourteen
For the rest of the week I feel as if I’m floating. Jon meets me at my locker every morning and walks with me to homeroom. He even eats lunch with Charlie and me, outside under the oak tree. It’s fast becoming “our place” after we decide to steer clear of the cafeteria for a while. Charlie huffs and sighs and I can tell she’s not happy with the additional company. She continues to try to convince me I shouldn’t trust Jon, but my instincts tell me otherwise. I think she’s jealous because of all the attention he’s giving me. Oh well, she’s just going to have to get used to it.
Today’s Saturday and I spend most of it
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