Read Online Torch Red: Color Me Torn with Bonus Content by Melody Carlson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melody Carlson
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asks.
I just shake my head. “I need a different heart.” Naturally, she looks at me like I’m totally crazy. Maybe I am.
So I leave Banana Republic and get into my mom’s car and actually start crying. Now what’s up with this? I mean really, my life’s been going pretty well lately. I’ve got a good role in the school play. I’m dating a totally cool guy. What the crud is wrong with me?
I start the car and tell myself it’s probably just PMS or maybe I need a good long nap. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will go away eventually. And so I go home and take a shower to remove all the soup kitchen crud then fall into my bed and sleep soundly. So soundly that I don’t even wake up until after seven!
Now I’m totally frantic when I realize how late it is. Not only do I have
nothing
to wear tonight, I haven’t even taken the time to call Emily about this whole Todd and Shawna thing. And now I’ve got to scramble just to come up with something halfway decent from my own closet before Justin gets here. Oh, how I wish Amy still lived at home at moments like this. She always had a closet worth raiding.
I finally manage to put together an outfit that’s not too lame. In fact, as I look at my reflection in the full-length mirror, I’m thinking,
Not bad!
I’ve never tried wearing these boots with this skirt before, but I must say, it looks pretty hot.
It’s like ten minutes before eight and I think maybe I actually have time to call Emily, especially if Justin is running late. So I quickly dial her number, but her mom tells me that she’s on a date with Todd.
“Tell her I called,” I say in a disappointed voice.
“Is everything okay, Zoë?” her mom asks with her typical concern. Emily’s mom is the sweetest.
“Oh, yeah, everything is great,” I assure her. “I just need to talk to Emily about, uh, about
something
.” I try to make my voice sound cheerful as I tell her goodbye.
But I really want to ask Mrs. Schuler where Emily and Todd went tonight, and then I want to go there myself, and I want to grab Emily and tell her that Todd’s a total jerk and that she should dump him right now. But it’s too late for that. At least for tonight. Poor Emily!
eight
J USTIN AND I DON’T TALK MUCH AS HE DRIVES TO THE PARTY . I’ M PROBA bly being quiet because I feel sort of guilty for lying to my mom.
“So what are you and Justin up to tonight?” she asked when I came downstairs just a few minutes before he got there.
“We’re going to a party,” I tell her in an innocent-sounding voice. Okay, that wasn’t a lie, but the next part was. “It’s a surprise birthday party for this really good friend of his.” I think I sounded fairly convincing. “I haven’t met the guy yet, but I guess he and Justin have been friends since they were little kids.”
“Oh, that sounds nice.” But then my mom looked concerned. “Shouldn’t you take him something? I have some nice cards in my desk if you want to—”
“That’s okay, Mom,” I said quickly. “Justin got something for him that’s supposed to be from both of us.”
“Oh, good for him. That Justin seems like such a nice boy. So thoughtful.”
But he seems unusually “thoughtful” as he silently drives across town. Suddenly I’m concerned that something might be wrong between the two of us. “Everything okay?” I finally ask in a tentative voice.
“Huh?” He turns to look at me, almost as if he’s forgotten that I’m even here.
“You’re being so quiet,” I tell him. “I just wondered if everything was all right.”
“Sorry. I guess I was just thinking.”
“Are you worried about something?”
“Well, I suppose I’m a little worried about the SAT test next week, and whether or not I’ll be accepted into the college that my dad seems determined I need to attend. Just stupid stuff like that.”
“That’s not stupid, Justin.” I sigh as the reality hits me. “I guess I kind of forget that you’re a senior sometimes.
I just shake my head. “I need a different heart.” Naturally, she looks at me like I’m totally crazy. Maybe I am.
So I leave Banana Republic and get into my mom’s car and actually start crying. Now what’s up with this? I mean really, my life’s been going pretty well lately. I’ve got a good role in the school play. I’m dating a totally cool guy. What the crud is wrong with me?
I start the car and tell myself it’s probably just PMS or maybe I need a good long nap. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will go away eventually. And so I go home and take a shower to remove all the soup kitchen crud then fall into my bed and sleep soundly. So soundly that I don’t even wake up until after seven!
Now I’m totally frantic when I realize how late it is. Not only do I have
nothing
to wear tonight, I haven’t even taken the time to call Emily about this whole Todd and Shawna thing. And now I’ve got to scramble just to come up with something halfway decent from my own closet before Justin gets here. Oh, how I wish Amy still lived at home at moments like this. She always had a closet worth raiding.
I finally manage to put together an outfit that’s not too lame. In fact, as I look at my reflection in the full-length mirror, I’m thinking,
Not bad!
I’ve never tried wearing these boots with this skirt before, but I must say, it looks pretty hot.
It’s like ten minutes before eight and I think maybe I actually have time to call Emily, especially if Justin is running late. So I quickly dial her number, but her mom tells me that she’s on a date with Todd.
“Tell her I called,” I say in a disappointed voice.
“Is everything okay, Zoë?” her mom asks with her typical concern. Emily’s mom is the sweetest.
“Oh, yeah, everything is great,” I assure her. “I just need to talk to Emily about, uh, about
something
.” I try to make my voice sound cheerful as I tell her goodbye.
But I really want to ask Mrs. Schuler where Emily and Todd went tonight, and then I want to go there myself, and I want to grab Emily and tell her that Todd’s a total jerk and that she should dump him right now. But it’s too late for that. At least for tonight. Poor Emily!
eight
J USTIN AND I DON’T TALK MUCH AS HE DRIVES TO THE PARTY . I’ M PROBA bly being quiet because I feel sort of guilty for lying to my mom.
“So what are you and Justin up to tonight?” she asked when I came downstairs just a few minutes before he got there.
“We’re going to a party,” I tell her in an innocent-sounding voice. Okay, that wasn’t a lie, but the next part was. “It’s a surprise birthday party for this really good friend of his.” I think I sounded fairly convincing. “I haven’t met the guy yet, but I guess he and Justin have been friends since they were little kids.”
“Oh, that sounds nice.” But then my mom looked concerned. “Shouldn’t you take him something? I have some nice cards in my desk if you want to—”
“That’s okay, Mom,” I said quickly. “Justin got something for him that’s supposed to be from both of us.”
“Oh, good for him. That Justin seems like such a nice boy. So thoughtful.”
But he seems unusually “thoughtful” as he silently drives across town. Suddenly I’m concerned that something might be wrong between the two of us. “Everything okay?” I finally ask in a tentative voice.
“Huh?” He turns to look at me, almost as if he’s forgotten that I’m even here.
“You’re being so quiet,” I tell him. “I just wondered if everything was all right.”
“Sorry. I guess I was just thinking.”
“Are you worried about something?”
“Well, I suppose I’m a little worried about the SAT test next week, and whether or not I’ll be accepted into the college that my dad seems determined I need to attend. Just stupid stuff like that.”
“That’s not stupid, Justin.” I sigh as the reality hits me. “I guess I kind of forget that you’re a senior sometimes.
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