Read Online SVH09-Racing Hearts by Francine Pascal - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Francine Pascal
Ads: Link
notice.
But she should have known better than to think she could keep anything from Jessica. Even though it was twin sister Elizabeth who wrote the school's gossip column, Jessica was a master snoop and always made it her business to know everything that was going on. "Who are you looking for?" she asked Lila as they approached the counter.
"Oh, no one in particular," Lila said breezily.
Jessica lowered an eyebrow. "Could it be Roger, perhaps?"
Lila sighed. "For a guy who's had a crush on me for months, he sure is playing hard to get." Lila paid for her lunch and joined Jessica and Cara at a table on the patio. "I decided to watch him practice yesterday, but he never showed up. When I finally got him on the phone last night, he said some family thing had come up, something he didn't want to talk about. I asked him to join me here for lunch today, and he said he was flattered, but now I'm not so sure he's going to show up."
"That's surprising, considering the way he'd been salivating after you like a hungry puppy." Jessica took a large bite out of her cheeseburger.
Lila looked at her friend with envy. She couldn't see how Jessica could eat so much and never gain an ounce. Lila had to work like crazy
to keep her slender figure. "I wonder where he could be?"
"Maybe he has to practice," Cara pointed out. "The coach might have him making up yesterday's session."
"You're a genius, Cara. That's got to be it," Lila agreed. "We really did have a wonderful talk last night. He's actually a funny guy. Did you know he does an absolutely wicked imitation of Mademoiselle Dalton?"
"I'm sure that made him score a lot of points in your book," Jessica noted. The young French teacher had dated Lila's father for a while, and she and Lila were hardly what anyone would call best buddies.
"And did you notice the way everyone is talking about him? Overnight he's become the darling of the entire school."
"And now you intend to make him your darling, right?" Cara asked.
Lila took a sip of her soda. "You'd better believe it, honey."
"Has he asked you out yet?" Jessica asked.
"No. I get the feeling Roger's a little shy around girls. But don't think that's going to stop me. I have my ways. You just wait and see who'll be with Roger at the Bart dance."
Roger had just finished taking a quiz in his Spanish class the following Monday afternoon
when he was called down to Coach Schultz's office. He took his time walking down the empty hallway, fully aware of the reason he was being summoned.
He dreaded the confrontation, realizing he should have cleared up this matter the week before. But the temptation to hold onto his newfound status was too overwhelming to resist. Every morning as he dressed for school he'd tell himself this was the day he'd tell the coach the truth. But then he'd run into someone on the lush Sweet Valley campus who would give him the thumbs-up sign or tell him how the school was rooting for him, and his resolve would crumble. The people watching him held looks of admiration and respect, things he'd never before experienced and probably never would again once he announced his intention not to run.
Coach Schultz was leaning back in his old wooden swivel chair when Roger arrived. He was grim-faced as usual, but Roger could detect a further hardening in the coach's expression as he walked into the office. "Take a seat, Roger," he said.
The boy sat in the only seat available, a wooden stool to the right of the desk. His knees buckled under his jeans.
The coach got right to the point. "What kind of game are you trying to play?" he asked. "When I order you to practice, I expect you to
be there. You think you're so special you don't
need it?"
"No, sir," Roger interjected. "That's not it."
The coach went on. "Now take Patman. I expected him to be the cocky one, giving me a lot of sass about running extra laps and wind sprints. But no, he shows up after school--much to my surprise, I might say--ready for practice. You put a
But she should have known better than to think she could keep anything from Jessica. Even though it was twin sister Elizabeth who wrote the school's gossip column, Jessica was a master snoop and always made it her business to know everything that was going on. "Who are you looking for?" she asked Lila as they approached the counter.
"Oh, no one in particular," Lila said breezily.
Jessica lowered an eyebrow. "Could it be Roger, perhaps?"
Lila sighed. "For a guy who's had a crush on me for months, he sure is playing hard to get." Lila paid for her lunch and joined Jessica and Cara at a table on the patio. "I decided to watch him practice yesterday, but he never showed up. When I finally got him on the phone last night, he said some family thing had come up, something he didn't want to talk about. I asked him to join me here for lunch today, and he said he was flattered, but now I'm not so sure he's going to show up."
"That's surprising, considering the way he'd been salivating after you like a hungry puppy." Jessica took a large bite out of her cheeseburger.
Lila looked at her friend with envy. She couldn't see how Jessica could eat so much and never gain an ounce. Lila had to work like crazy
to keep her slender figure. "I wonder where he could be?"
"Maybe he has to practice," Cara pointed out. "The coach might have him making up yesterday's session."
"You're a genius, Cara. That's got to be it," Lila agreed. "We really did have a wonderful talk last night. He's actually a funny guy. Did you know he does an absolutely wicked imitation of Mademoiselle Dalton?"
"I'm sure that made him score a lot of points in your book," Jessica noted. The young French teacher had dated Lila's father for a while, and she and Lila were hardly what anyone would call best buddies.
"And did you notice the way everyone is talking about him? Overnight he's become the darling of the entire school."
"And now you intend to make him your darling, right?" Cara asked.
Lila took a sip of her soda. "You'd better believe it, honey."
"Has he asked you out yet?" Jessica asked.
"No. I get the feeling Roger's a little shy around girls. But don't think that's going to stop me. I have my ways. You just wait and see who'll be with Roger at the Bart dance."
Roger had just finished taking a quiz in his Spanish class the following Monday afternoon
when he was called down to Coach Schultz's office. He took his time walking down the empty hallway, fully aware of the reason he was being summoned.
He dreaded the confrontation, realizing he should have cleared up this matter the week before. But the temptation to hold onto his newfound status was too overwhelming to resist. Every morning as he dressed for school he'd tell himself this was the day he'd tell the coach the truth. But then he'd run into someone on the lush Sweet Valley campus who would give him the thumbs-up sign or tell him how the school was rooting for him, and his resolve would crumble. The people watching him held looks of admiration and respect, things he'd never before experienced and probably never would again once he announced his intention not to run.
Coach Schultz was leaning back in his old wooden swivel chair when Roger arrived. He was grim-faced as usual, but Roger could detect a further hardening in the coach's expression as he walked into the office. "Take a seat, Roger," he said.
The boy sat in the only seat available, a wooden stool to the right of the desk. His knees buckled under his jeans.
The coach got right to the point. "What kind of game are you trying to play?" he asked. "When I order you to practice, I expect you to
be there. You think you're so special you don't
need it?"
"No, sir," Roger interjected. "That's not it."
The coach went on. "Now take Patman. I expected him to be the cocky one, giving me a lot of sass about running extra laps and wind sprints. But no, he shows up after school--much to my surprise, I might say--ready for practice. You put a
Similar Books
