The Truth About Thongs (Mapleville High #1)

by Stephanie Rowe

  "That's not why she made me leave it at home." I couldn't believe what a bad mood I was in. "You told her you were guarding the phone in case Heath called. So she knew I'd given the number to him."

  Natalie poked me. "Don't get mad at me, Blue. I'm not the reason Heath didn't call, and it's not my fault you couldn't go out with him tonight."

  "It's your fault I couldn't bring my phone tonight. Heath probably left me six messages trying to find me. And now he'll think I don't like him." I folded my arms across my chest and tried to shoot poison daggers out of my eyes at the world.

  "It's not my fault," Natalie repeated. "And you're not being fair!"

  "I'm glad you don't have your phone," Allie said. "If he actually bothered to call tonight, then the only acceptable response is to not be home and to not answer your phone. If you'd brought it, I would have confiscated it anyway!"

  I couldn't deal with this discussion. "I'm going for popcorn. I'll be back." I didn't even offer to get anyone anything.

  Was I in a foul mood or what? Why hadn't Heath called? He'd totally said he'd call. I sat home every night this week, threatening everyone in my family to stay off the phone, and to no avail. He simply didn't call. Why not? I didn't understand it. Everything had seemed perfect at rehearsal. Was it because I hadn't let him kiss me? Had I blown it? It didn't matter now, did it? I'd bolted and I was stuck with it now.

  The only solution to make myself feel better?

  Eat.

  I skipped the popcorn stand and headed straight for the soft-serve ice cream. It was an extra-large double chocolate with rainbow sprinkles kind of night. There was nothing like my favorite ice cream to remind me that there were still some things in my life that were awesomely perfect.

  I got in line behind a couple that was being way too lovey for my taste. Even my blackest scowl didn't deter them, so I folded my arms across my chest and stared out at the crowd so I wouldn't have to look at them and think about how I was supposed to be out with the boy of my dreams tonight.

  And that was when I saw him. Heath, walking toward me—with his arm around a girl.

  My stomach turned to lead, my toes curled, and a lump settled in my throat. He was on a date with another girl. That was why he hadn't called. Because he was on a date with someone else. Betrayal and anger swelled inside me. Unbelievable. How stupid could I be?

  As I bit my lower lip to keep from crying, I could almost feel the wind blowing through my hair as I peered out over the edge of the Ledge at all the headlights below. Oh, I was out there now, and it sucked. It was a little late to realize that Allie had been right when she'd warned me not to go out there. Would I notice when I lost my spleen? Was it a necessary organ? Would the tread marks be permanent, or would they fade with a good scrubbing?

  The Ledge was no place for a girl. With all the coaching I'd gotten on the subject, how in the world had I let myself end up out there, hanging by my fingernails?

  "Blue?"

  I jerked around, hoping it was Heath abandoning his date as soon as he noticed me. But it was Colin.

  Colin!

  Oh, my gosh. How totally embarrassing. I hadn't seen him since the kiss. What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to act? I'd totally avoided the barn all week, and I'd thought I was safe.

  "Blue! How are you?" He caught up to me and settled in beside me, as if he were going to wait in line with me.

  It was a very long line.

  "Um...hi." I shifted and tried not to look at him.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing."

  "Then why are you staring at my shoes?"

  "I'm not."

  "Then you're staring at all the bubble gum stuck to the cement floor? I'm so flattered that's more interesting than looking at me."

  Jerk. Why did he have to be so demanding? I dragged my eyes off the ground and sort of looked at his face. He smiled, and his eyes sort of crinkled up in this really nice way. I couldn't help but smile back, and suddenly all the awkwardness was gone. It would be fine. "Hi, Colin. It's good to see you."

  And it was. A boy who wouldn't put me on the Ledge. He looked totally cute in his work boots and his gray hoodie. There were grass cuttings stuck to his shoe, and he smelled like fresh flowers and pine trees, as if he'd been working outside. He looked wonderful, not scary, and I realized I was so happy to see him.

  He touched my arm. "You okay? You were looking kinda sad."

  Oh, great. If Colin noticed I'd been on the Ledge, then Heath definitely would have too. "I stubbed my toe and it hurt. A lot."

  He lifted an eyebrow. "Did you really?"

  "Yes." I could tell he didn't believe me, and for a moment that felt good. With Colin, I didn't have to pretend I was someone I wasn't, partially because he could tell when I was lying, and partially because I wasn't trying to impress him. After all, he'd taught me how to kiss. How much more personal can you get?

  "So, how's Heath? Was he impressed with your...talents?"

  I felt my cheeks heat up. "Um... I... Um...haven't..."

  "You haven't kissed him yet?" Colin was looking pretty intently at me.

  "No," I admitted.

  "Why not?"

  "I haven't had the opportunity."

  "Uh-huh. So it's not that you shut him down again?"

  Why did Colin care? "I don't plan to say no."

  Colin nodded slightly, but he looked a little annoyed. "Well, you'd better plan to say no at some point with him or you'll find yourself in..."

  "In what?"

  "In a situation you don't want to be in."

  "How do you know what situation I want to be in?" I asked.

  Colin met my gaze. "Because I know you."

  "Oh." He seemed awfully certain, and I didn't really have the energy to challenge him.

  "Did you come here with Heath?" Colin asked as the line moved forward a few feet.

  Why was Colin obsessing about Heath? "No. I came with my friends and my family." Oh, smooth, Blue. Doesn't that make me sound like a suave and sophisticated diva? Not. It made me sound like a loser who spent Friday nights with her family.

  Once again, it was a good thing I wasn't trying to impress Colin. He somehow managed to see the real me all the time. I was definitely going to have to work on that. It was no way to attract boys. Then again, he'd been out at the mall with his sister on a Thursday night, so maybe he would understand about having to spend time with family. So, maybe, it was okay to admit it to him.

  "Well, I think you're about to have your chance to wow Heath with your talents," Colin said, "because he's on his way over here."

  "He is?" I almost whirled around to find Heath, then stopped myself. What was I doing? He'd put me on the Ledge. He didn't deserve my attention. Colin was the one who'd come up to me and was being nice to me. So I turned my back toward Heath and faced Colin. "So what? I'm talking to you."

  Colin lifted his eyebrow, then narrowed his eyes. "What game are you playing, Blue?"

  "I'm not playing a game. I just...well...we were supposed to have a date tonight and he never called, so I'm mad at him. I don't want him to think I..." Think what? That I was madly in love with him and would do anything for him?

  "Ah." Colin looked over my shoulder, then looked back at me. "Want some help making him feel bad for missing out on a date with you?"

  Help making Heath feel bad? "Sure."

  Colin nodded, then slung his arm around my shoulders and pulled me up against his side. "Pretend you like me."

  "I do like you." I fit just perfectly under his arm,

  Something flitted across his face. "Pretend you like me the way you like Heath."

  "Oh..."

  "Put your arm around me," he muttered.

  "Right." Was I an idiot or what? Colin was probably rolling his eyes at having to put up with me. I didn't even know how to act like a girlfriend! I tentatively sneaked my arm around him, and I could feel him suck in his breath as my hand settled on his waist. How intimate was this? It was actually sort of
cool. I felt safe. Like I belonged to someone. Like if anyone tried to come after me, Colin would protect me. "Like this?"

  "Yeah." His voice sounded a little strangled. "Smile at me."

  I looked up at him and found him watching me. His eyes had this weird soft glow, like he was looking at a puppy or something that made him feel all good inside. I smiled. "Thanks, Colin."

  He grinned, and for the first time I noticed that he had a little dimple in his right cheek. "I'm having fun."

  "Me too." It was then that I realized Colin had some shadow on his cheeks too. "You shave?"

  He looked surprised. "Of course."

  "Can I touch?" I immediately wished I could be sucked into the ground. What a completely stupid comment. "I mean...I always wondered if it felt rough."

  Colin shrugged. "Go ahead."

  "Really?"

  "Just do it."

  "Never mind." This was too embarrassing. I mean, it was one thing to admit to a guy that you'd never kissed anyone before, but it was something else to be letting all your secrets out.

  Colin rolled his eyes, then grabbed my hand and pressed my fingers against his jaw.

  It was rough, almost prickly. "Huh." He let go of my wrist, and I rubbed my fingertips over his skin. "It's rough in one direction and smooth in the other."

  "Uh-huh." He had that weird strangled sound in his voice again.

  "It's cool." I dropped my hand. No longer was I a bumbling freshman. I was becoming more of a woman by the minute. "Thanks."

  Colin looked down at me and his eyes met mine. "You're welcome."

  I smiled. "For a boy, you're a pretty nice guy."

  "What's your real name?"

  I caught my breath. I never told anyone my real name. It was too embarrassing. But...this was Colin. He'd taught me how to kiss and knew I was out with my family on a Friday night. It was actually sort of nice that there was someone out there besides my friends whom I could be myself with. "Blueberry."

  He grinned. "Really?"

  "Horrible, isn't it?"

  Colin shook his head. "I think it's perfect." His voice was soft, almost tender, and he touched my cheek with his hand.

  I caught my breath. He had that expression on his face, the one Heath had had right before he'd tried to kiss me. My stomach did a little jiggle and I went still. Was Colin going to kiss me? In public? For a moment I really, really hoped so. Kissing him was magical... I lifted my face and—

  "Blue!" Heath's voice slammed into our moment. "Blue, is that you?"

  Colin's face darkened, and he looked up over my shoulder. "Hi, Heath."

  "Bradshaw," Heath said. "You here with Blue?"

  I twisted around so I could see Heath, and Colin tightened his arm around my shoulder. "Hi, Heath," I said.

  "Hey." Heath looked right at me and gave me one of those special smiles that made my stomach turn to goo. "I tried to call you this week, but I think I must have the wrong number. I kept getting some Chinese food place."

  "Heard that line before." Colin snorted and began playing with my hair. It tickled, but felt so good. I wanted to snuggle closer to him and tuck myself under his arm even more. Why did it feel so good to have Colin touching me? It shouldn't feel good. I was into Heath, not Colin. I shifted slightly, forcing myself to pull away from Colin.

  For a moment, his arm tightened around me, and then he let go, dropping his arm to his side. I missed his arm instantly, but I lifted my chin to face Heath, refusing to let myself retreat into Colin.

  Heath glared at him before turning back to me. "Anyway, Blue, are you free tomorrow night?"

  "Tomorrow?" Oh, my gosh. Tomorrow? I had so little time to panic. "Sure."

  Heath grinned. "Great. I thought we'd go to Pop's and hang."

  He wanted to go to Pop's with me? That was awesome! Pops was the best place in town to hang out. It had decent pizza, an old, kinda cool jukebox, and most importantly, it's where all the kids from town hung out. If he took me there, everyone would see us together! How cool was that? "Sure. Sounds great!'"

  He nodded. "Cool. I'll pick you up at seven. Sound good?"

  I blinked. "How do you know where I live?" Didn't he have to call me or something? I really wanted him to call me, not just randomly grab me when we accidentally ran into each other.

  But he just shrugged. "You're in the school directory, aren't you?"

  "Oh. Right. Yes."

  Heath nodded. "See you then." He jerked his head at Colin. "Later."

  Colin muttered something back, and Heath left. And I didn't see the girl with him anymore.

  Huh. Interesting.

  I had to tell my friends about the encounter. My most horrible evening had suddenly catapulted into ecstasy. "I'll see you around." I abandoned my quest for ice cream and turned to leave, only to be halted by Colin's hand on my arm.

  "He's lying."

  I looked at Colin. "What?"

  "He didn't call. The Chinese food place line? It's old. He didn't try to call you."

  Some of my elation faded. "Give me a break, Colin. I just got my cell phone two days before. I'm sure I wrote down the wrong number."

  "Yeah?" Colin raised his eyebrows. "Even if you did, if he can find your address in the school directory, why couldn't he get your home number from there? I assume it's listed correctly in there?"

  Yeah, it was. I felt my shoulders sag. "Why are you doing this?"

  "Doing what?"

  "Trying to take away my good mood."

  His grip on my arm softened. "Sorry, Blue. I'm just trying to protect you from him."

  "Is that right?" I set my hands on my hips, trying not to let Colin's warning scare me. "What's wrong with Heath?"

  Colin shifted his weight before answering. "He lies."

  Colin shook his head and let his hand drop from my arm. "He's an idiot, Blue. Just ask Theo."

  "Theo says he's a good guy. Plays basketball."

  "And that makes him a good guy?"

  "Well, it doesn't make him a bad guy." My stomach was starting to congeal into a hard little lump. I wasn't used to Colin being a jerk. Why was he trying to ruin my moment? "What's wrong with you?"

  "Me? Nothing. Are you going out with Heath tomorrow?"

  "Of course I am." How could I not? It was the best moment of my high school career.

  His eyes narrowed. "Well, have fun. And bring some pepper spray."

  "Why would I need pepper spray? Maybe I want him to kiss me."

  Colin just gave me an annoyed look and walked away. Without saying good-bye! Why had he turned into such a grouch? I don't know why girls have the reputation of being moody. Boys are definitely a whole lot worse.

  But Colin wasn't my problem. I had a date with Heath tomorrow.

  I skipped all the way back to my seat.

  Chapter Twelve

  My date with Heath was at seven o'clock, and I was a total disaster.

  I was so nervous I would have forgotten my makeup if Allie hadn't been there to put it on. And my hands were shaking so much that my hair would have been a total disaster too if it weren't for Natalie and Frances.

  After I apologized to Natalie for snapping at her about my cell phone on Friday night, we were good. Which was excellent, because I needed them.

  By the time I was ready, it was one minute before seven. Sixty seconds to spare. Phew!

  I stood in front of the mirror and inspected myself. Hair actually behaving, with enough body that you could see I had hair even if you were looking at me from the front. A pair of tight jeans and black boots, and a tank top that hugged my bust and showed a little skin.

  Allie couldn't wear tops like that or she'd pop right out. She said she was jealous of me because I could wear them. I suspected she was just trying to make me feel better and distract me from my nerves, but that was okay. I decided to believe her. I needed all the positive reinforcement I could get.

  A light tap sounded at my door, and my mom popped her head in. "Is that what you're wearing?"

  "Y
es." Uh-oh. She was wearing black jeans. Probably because she's not all that happy about my first car date.

  "It sends the wrong message. Put something else on. And those jeans are too tight. Find something else."

  "But, Mom! He's a senior."

  "All the more reason. He needs to remember that you're fourteen."

  "Almost fifteen."

  Mom gave me the mom look. "You'll be fifteen in seven months."

  "So?"

  "Change your clothes."

  The doorbell rang and my stomach leaped into my throat. "He's here! I have to go. I don't have time to change."

  Mom grinned a very evil grin. "Oh, take your time. Your dad and I will keep him company until you're ready. Change your clothes or you're not leaving this house."

  Then she shut the door.

  Sometimes I really hate my parents.

  I heard my dad answer the door and greet Heath, and all hopes of a good evening shriveled up into nothing. Once Heath met my parents, I was doomed. He'd know I was a freak that matched my name.

  "You'd better get down there," Frances said. "I love your parents, but they really aren't going to help your social life."

  "What if your mom starts talking about those psychic-clarity herbs?" Natalie asked. "Or what if they ask if they can double-date with you guys?"

  I looked at her in horror. "They wouldn't!"

  "Wouldn't they?"

  Oh, my gosh. "You're right. They would!" I ran to my closet and started tearing sweaters off my shelves. Too short. Too heavy. Too summery. "Got it!" For once in my life, the clothes I wanted to wear were actually clean. I pulled the red cotton sweater over my head and threw my arms into the sleeves. Perfect. It had a high neck and the bottom came to the middle of my thighs.

  I had bought it to go with my black leggings, and it would serve the same purpose for the tight jeans.

  I ran into the room. "Okay?"

  "I take it that thing's coming off as soon as you get outside?" Allie asked.

  "You bet."

  "Then it's perfect. You look like a nun in it."

  "I think it looks good," Frances said. "Keep it on for a while, and then take it off if the date's going well."

  "Keep it on the whole time," Natalie said. "I'm starting to hear some things about him."