be temporarily ignoring facts, too. And that is more than okay with me.
I smile all the way through my shower, then on the way to sixth period, can’t even stop when I sit down across from Toni. I’ve totally lost my mind even considering being with Keller. But my crazy heart is telling me I’m already living dangerously by running away from my family, why not crush on a guy who would destroy me if he knew for certain what I am?
“I know that look,” Toni says as a grin spreads across her face and she drums the tabletop. “Okay, listen, I have an idea, since my cousin is likely to take a century to get around to asking you out. We’re playing at The Barn on Friday night, so you should come. I’ll arrange it so it’s a group thing, but there will definitely be some quality Keller time.”
“Playing? And what’s The Barn?”
“Baker Gap’s answer to a nightclub. It’s a barn outside of town the owners have turned into a music venue. Every night has bands with different kinds of music, and Friday is rock night. Oh, and I guess I haven’t told you I’m in a band, thus the pink,” she says as she points at her hair.
“Really? That’s cool. You sing?”
“A little, but I mainly bang the hell out of the drums. Mom’s so proud.”
“Your mom doesn’t like your music?”
A bit of Toni’s effervescence dissolves. “Let’s just say having a pink-haired daughter in a rock band wasn’t high on her list of aspirations.”
I feel the overwhelming need to lighten the mood. “Well, you’re really more blond than pink. And you don’t have visible tattoos or a scary guitarist boyfriend.”
Toni snorts. “Feel free to be my advocate with my mom anytime.”
“So, what’s your band’s name?”
“Nemesis. I suggested Hostile 17, but the guys drew the line and threatened a Buffy intervention, so I backed down. Now there’s another band with that name.”
“You really are obsessed.”
“Hey, look where I live. I deal how I can.”
Ms. Appleton enters the room and starts talking about sculpture. Toni leans over and whispers, “You’re coming with Paige and me to Celene’s after school. You need something new and hot for the big night.”
“I don’t know.”
“I do. That’s all that matters.”
I shake my head at how quickly Toni and I are bonding. She’s the goofy best friend I’ve never had. I just have to make sure befriending her isn’t the hugest mistake Toni’s ever made.
“Hubba hubba,” Toni says from behind where I stand looking in a mirror in Toni’s bedroom. “If I weren’t as straight as an arrow, I’d go out with you. Say, you don’t happen to have any gorgeous male cousins lurking about, do you?”
I barely keep myself from jerking. I do in fact have several gorgeous male cousins, but I don’t want them anywhere near Toni. “No, sorry.”
Toni shrugs. “Worth a try.” She turns away to pull on her chunky, black, lace-up shoes that somehow go well with her flared jeans covered in pink paint splashes that match the streaks in her hair. When she disappears into her closet, I return my attention to my own reflection.
Toni and Paige convinced me to buy a killer pair of low-rider jeans covered with several painted flowers centered with bronze sequins. I turn sideways to admire them and the sleeveless bronze top, the great sandals and the large hoops filled with copper and bronze beads hanging from my ears. I’m going to freeze, but I’ll look good doing it.
When Toni emerges from the closet, she’s changed into a different shirt, a black tee with hot pink writing that says, “Hostile 17 stole my kittens!”
I raise an eyebrow.
“What? Just because the band can’t be called Hostile 17 doesn’t mean I don’t get my point across whenever I can.”
“Help me.”
We both turn to see Paige standing in the doorway, looking so forlorn my heart leaps in worry. “What’s wrong?”
Paige enters the room and proceeds to flop onto her back on the bed. “I need
I smile all the way through my shower, then on the way to sixth period, can’t even stop when I sit down across from Toni. I’ve totally lost my mind even considering being with Keller. But my crazy heart is telling me I’m already living dangerously by running away from my family, why not crush on a guy who would destroy me if he knew for certain what I am?
“I know that look,” Toni says as a grin spreads across her face and she drums the tabletop. “Okay, listen, I have an idea, since my cousin is likely to take a century to get around to asking you out. We’re playing at The Barn on Friday night, so you should come. I’ll arrange it so it’s a group thing, but there will definitely be some quality Keller time.”
“Playing? And what’s The Barn?”
“Baker Gap’s answer to a nightclub. It’s a barn outside of town the owners have turned into a music venue. Every night has bands with different kinds of music, and Friday is rock night. Oh, and I guess I haven’t told you I’m in a band, thus the pink,” she says as she points at her hair.
“Really? That’s cool. You sing?”
“A little, but I mainly bang the hell out of the drums. Mom’s so proud.”
“Your mom doesn’t like your music?”
A bit of Toni’s effervescence dissolves. “Let’s just say having a pink-haired daughter in a rock band wasn’t high on her list of aspirations.”
I feel the overwhelming need to lighten the mood. “Well, you’re really more blond than pink. And you don’t have visible tattoos or a scary guitarist boyfriend.”
Toni snorts. “Feel free to be my advocate with my mom anytime.”
“So, what’s your band’s name?”
“Nemesis. I suggested Hostile 17, but the guys drew the line and threatened a Buffy intervention, so I backed down. Now there’s another band with that name.”
“You really are obsessed.”
“Hey, look where I live. I deal how I can.”
Ms. Appleton enters the room and starts talking about sculpture. Toni leans over and whispers, “You’re coming with Paige and me to Celene’s after school. You need something new and hot for the big night.”
“I don’t know.”
“I do. That’s all that matters.”
I shake my head at how quickly Toni and I are bonding. She’s the goofy best friend I’ve never had. I just have to make sure befriending her isn’t the hugest mistake Toni’s ever made.
“Hubba hubba,” Toni says from behind where I stand looking in a mirror in Toni’s bedroom. “If I weren’t as straight as an arrow, I’d go out with you. Say, you don’t happen to have any gorgeous male cousins lurking about, do you?”
I barely keep myself from jerking. I do in fact have several gorgeous male cousins, but I don’t want them anywhere near Toni. “No, sorry.”
Toni shrugs. “Worth a try.” She turns away to pull on her chunky, black, lace-up shoes that somehow go well with her flared jeans covered in pink paint splashes that match the streaks in her hair. When she disappears into her closet, I return my attention to my own reflection.
Toni and Paige convinced me to buy a killer pair of low-rider jeans covered with several painted flowers centered with bronze sequins. I turn sideways to admire them and the sleeveless bronze top, the great sandals and the large hoops filled with copper and bronze beads hanging from my ears. I’m going to freeze, but I’ll look good doing it.
When Toni emerges from the closet, she’s changed into a different shirt, a black tee with hot pink writing that says, “Hostile 17 stole my kittens!”
I raise an eyebrow.
“What? Just because the band can’t be called Hostile 17 doesn’t mean I don’t get my point across whenever I can.”
“Help me.”
We both turn to see Paige standing in the doorway, looking so forlorn my heart leaps in worry. “What’s wrong?”
Paige enters the room and proceeds to flop onto her back on the bed. “I need
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