Read Online Sara by Greg Herren - Free Book Online Page A

Princess Linda to her parents.
    â€œWell, I was, and I was wondering if you’d go with me?”
    I couldn’t help it. I grinned from ear to ear and felt like I was about to float up out of the chair. “Are you asking me out on a date ?” I teased.
    She was quiet so long I was just about to apologize when she said, “Don’t be a douchebag, Tony. Of course I’m asking you out on a date! Because apparently I’ll graduate from college before you ever get the nerve to ask me, and I’m tired of waiting.”
    â€œActually, I was going to ask you out at the dance last night, but we didn’t have one.” My cheek muscles were starting to ache, but I couldn’t stop grinning.
    She laughed. “So I wouldn’t have had to humiliate myself today if we’d won the game last night?”
    â€œSomething like that, yeah.”
    â€œWell, that’s just another reason to be mad about losing the damned game.” She whistled. “So, what do you say? You want to go to the party?”
    â€œNo.” As soon as it came out I started babbling. “I mean, I want to go out with you, yeah, any time, but I don’t want to go to Linda Avery’s stupid party.” Not even a date with Candy Dixon, in my opinion, was worth it. I didn’t like any of those kids and none of them liked me.
    I kind of hoped Candy would decide not to go, too, and then I could suggest a movie or something, but she didn’t.
    â€œWell, you want to go out next weekend, then?” she asked.
    I was disappointed, but it was a date—even if it was a week away. “Yeah, that would be great.”
    â€œOkay—we can talk about it at school Monday.” And she hung up.
    I put my cell phone down and started whistling as I walked back outside to finish mowing the lawn. A date with the head cheerleader!
    Not bad, right?
    I finished mowing the front lawn and spent the rest of the afternoon doing the laundry and some cleaning around the house so Mom could just relax and enjoy having her day off on Sunday. I turned the television on and watched some football games on ESPN. Mom came home with a pizza and a trunk load of groceries from the Kahola Safeway, and I told her about my big date for the next weekend.
    â€œI might be able to slip you a couple of twenties,” she said with a frown as she put the empty pizza box in the trash.
    â€œIt’s okay, Mom, I can use some of my hay-baling money.”
    She got a sad look on her face. “I feel terrible, Tony, that I can’t—”
    â€œIt’s okay, Mom.” I hated it when she looked like that, and it made me hate my asshole father all the more. The support check hadn’t come again in the mail that day. And I changed the subject.
    She went to bed early, leaving me in the living room watching football games. I ended up going to bed early myself—out of boredom more than anything else. I was still tired from not sleeping well the night before.
    As I got into bed, I wished Zack Zimmer hadn’t turned out to be such a jerk. Before the whole Glenn-is-gay thing I could have called Zack and we’d have bummed around, maybe got high, found something to do in this podunk town.
    I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
    I woke up when my cell phone started ringing. The sun was already up, and as I looked at my alarm clock my first thought was Who in the hell is calling me at nine in the morning on a Sunday? I sat up and picked up my phone. I grinned when I saw the caller ID. “Morning, Candy.” I said.
    â€œOh-oh-oh-oh Tuh-tuh-tuh-Tony,” she managed to say before starting to sob.
    â€œCandy, what’s wrong?” I was wide awake now. “Calm down, and tell me what’s the matter, okay? It’ll be okay.”
    It took her a few moments to compose herself, and when she finally did, she managed to get out, “Nuh-nuh-nuh-Noah’s d-d-dead.” She was breathing hard,