“I know.” She rubbed her thighs nervously with her palms. “I guess I had to be sure that this wasn't just a phase I was going through. That this is who I am. Who I'll always be.”
I leaned forward. “And are you sure now?”
She sighed heavily. “I think so. I'll tell them soon, I promise. I just have to pick the right moment.”
I nodded. “What about April and Penny?”
Her jaw dropped, and a guilty look washed over her face. “Oh, my God, Penny …”
“Yeah, you owe her a really big apology.”
“Jesus,” she said. “I was so horrible to her! What if she won't talk to me? What if she won't accept my apology?”
I put my hand on her arm. “Bree, it's Penny. She'll forgive you. That's the kind of person she is.”
She sidled up to me, leaning her head on my shoulder. Instinctively, I put my arm around her. I looked down, and saw that she was looking up at me. “Oh my God … being a teenager's so messed up, isn't it?”
I laughed. “Uh-huh. And we just got started, didn't we?”
“Are you absolutely sure you're not …”
My smile faded as I continued to meet her gaze. “Yeah, I'm sure.”
“You've never even … thought about it?”
I looked at the ground. “Well, of course I've thought about it. I'm sure everyone thinks about it at some point.”
“And you're not even a little bit curious?” Bree asked, her eyebrows raising.
My mouth went dry. My brain fought furiously for an answer, but came up empty. Finally, I whispered to her, “Are you asking me what I think you are?”
She nodded. “Maybe you'll … you know, like it.”
For the first time since I walked into her room, I felt uncomfortable. “I don't know, Bree,” I said, hoping my voice didn't sound as nervous as I suddenly felt.
I looked at her face just as it broke into a coy smile.
She's amazing. She's my best friend. Despite all the awkwardness and the mixed signals and the raging hormones and everything else, I love her. Nothing will change that, not even this. Is it even remotely possible?
I closed my eyes, wrapped my arms around Bree's waist and pulled her toward me. Just as I felt her arms slide around my neck, my lips made contact with hers. I drew in a sharp breath through my nose, and tightened my hold on her.
If someone had told me when I woke up this morning that I'd be kissing my best friend – hard – today, then I would have told them they were crazy. But now that I was doing it, I was amazed to realize that I wasn't the least bit nervous, or self-conscious, or embarrassed.
After a few seconds, Bree broke the kiss. She's still my best friend, and hopefully always will be. But whatever she was hoping I would feel … no.
She leaned back, looking at me expectantly. “Anything?”
I shook my head. “Sorry.”
“Me either,” she said, sighing heavily. She flopped into a reclining position on her bed, staring up at her bedroom ceiling. “Don't I feel like an idiot right now.”
I smiled, taking her hand. “It's okay, Bree. Really. Nothing's changed between us. Nothing at all.”
She looked up at me. The sparkle had returned to her eyes. It was wonderful to see. “You sure?”
“I'm sure.”
She sat up again, breaking into a huge smile. She exhaled in audible relief. “Wow … I feel so much better now.”
“I'm glad,” I said, smiling broadly.
She leaned forward and hugged me again, a hug I gratefully returned. It was the warmest hug we'd ever shared. All the walls between us had fallen away. “Thank you, Kelsey,” she said.
A tidal wave of relief flooded through me. “I love you, Bree.”
“I love you too.” We let go, and faced each other again. “You think someday we're going to look back on this and laugh?”
“Probably,” I said, chuckling. I tried to fight back a rising tide of laughter, but failed.
Within seconds, I was laughing myself silly. Bree started laughing too. It filled up the room, and it went on for a long time.
As our laughter subsided, Bree said, “Oh my God … we are totally nuts, you know that?”
I nudged her with my shoulder. “We're thirteen years old, Bree, it comes with the territory.”
“It'll all turn out okay, though, right?”
“I hope so, I really do.”
She winked at me. “I'm so telling Ethan tomorrow what a great kisser you are.”
I raised my fists in mock anger. “Bree …”
“Kidding!” she yelled, throwing her hands up. We laughed again.
I stood up, offering her my hand. “Now what say we go help your mom paint the guest room?”
She took my hand, and I hauled her to her feet. “Let's do it.”
At long last, I have my Watson back. Thank God.
* * *
By the time I got home, I was practically floating on air. All the drama between Bree and me, which felt like a lead weight on the back of my neck, was gone. Now we just needed Penny to come back, and everything would be okay again.
I decided to wear the same outfit to Ethan's house that I had planned to wear to the charity event – he's gonna see me rock this outfit, darn it! – and had just finished prettying my face up in the mirror when Dad walked through the door. He had his cell phone to his ear.
“I can barely hear you, Lib, what was that?” he was saying.
After a pause, during which he mouthed the words 'Aunt Libby' at me, he said, “Well, you have a good flight, sis, send us a postcard when you get there, okay?” Another pause. “I will. Love you. Bye-bye!” And then he tapped the 'End' button on the phone.
I gave him a big welcoming hug. “So, where's she off to now?”
“Morocco. She's spending ten days there.”
Dad's sister, my Aunt Libby, was a travel junkie. She started her own travel business right out of college, and turned it into a multi-million-dollar empire. Now, she spent most of her days crossing every country in the atlas off her 'haven't visited yet' list.
I giggled. “You know what this means …”
“Yeah, two hundred selfies with African backdrops,” he said knowingly. He stood back, admiring my wardrobe. “So this is what you're wearing?”
My face fell. “You don't like it?”
A stern look crossed his face, and then he broke out into a huge smile. “I love it. Aquamarine is so your color, K-Bear.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I headed for the door.
“Be back by eight. Remember, it's a school night.”
“I will,” I said, and out the door I went.
* * *
It was just over a mile from my house on Rosewood Place to Ethan's house on Orange Blossom Lane, and I was ecstatic that Mother Nature's mood matched my own. It was a gorgeous afternoon, right around seventy degrees, with just a breath of wind.
I slowed down as I approached Ethan's house. The houses on his street looked pretty much like the ones in my own neighborhood, and there wasn't anything about Ethan's house that made it stand out. The black car that picked him and his brother up every day, the one I saw time and again parked outside the school, was nowhere to be seen.
I hopped off my bike, walking it the last few yards. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that about a hundred yards away and partially obscured by another vehicle, was a black car. It wasn't as long or as fancy as the one I saw at school, but as I watched, I could swear I saw the driver's-side window roll itself up. Was someone sitting inside it, watching me?
You're about to meet Ethan's family, Kelsey. Now is not the time to get all paranoid-twitchy-bitchy. It doesn't go with your outfit.
I wheeled my bike up to the front door, popped the kickstand and leaned it up against the outer wall. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the front door.
The door opened, revealing Ethan's smiling face.
I think it's safe to say that I had a “melty” moment right then.
&nbs
p; Chapter 33
~ DAY 36 (Mon., Columbus Day) ~
ETHAN
Tonight, for the first time in months, something actually went smoothly. Pop, Logan and I were able to share a meal with a friend, like a normal family, without the proverbial “elephant in the room” spoiling everything.
Kelsey came over, and after a few minutes of awkward introductions with Pop and Logan, we sat down to enjoy our weekly pie from Anzio's. Pop had even sprung for an additional, smaller “works” pizza just in case Kelsey wasn't as much of a carnivore as we were.
We spent most of the meal talking about school, and our teachers, and our friends. Logan couldn't stop gushing over how awesome Sophie was (“you know … for a girl,” he added, trying to save face), and Kelsey happily informed me that the drama that had driven a wedge between her and her friend Bryanna had been laid to rest, though she didn't go into details.
She'd kept her word to me and not asked any questions about our past, questions that might have compromised our cover, something even Pop noticed, giving me a wink of approval as he cleared the dinner table.
The sun was just setting behind the tall oleander bushes in the backyard, so Kelsey and I sat down in two old deck chairs that were pretty much all the outdoor furniture we had. I was glad I'd hosed off the many layers of dirt that had covered them the day we moved in.
We made small talk for half an hour, and then I excused myself briefly for a bathroom break. When I returned, I handed her a glass of ice water and the Sherlock Holmes book she loaned me.
She took the book with a shocked expression. “You're done with this already? It's, like, five hundred pages!”
I smiled. “I told you, house arrest.”
“That's awesome,” she said, giggling. “Did you like it?”
“I loved it. The dude was amazing.”
She opened the book, idly flipping through a few pages. “Never heard anyone refer to Sherlock Holmes as a 'dude' before, but I totally agree.”
I took a swig from the Diet Pepsi can that I got from the fridge. “He was, like, the world's first CSI.”
She grinned. “I love that show! And you're so right … but the most amazing thing was, he did it over a hundred years ago, before we had computers and fingerprints and DNA testing and stuff. Did you have a favorite story?”
I thought for a moment. “Um, I don't remember what it was called, but I think it had a poisonous snake in it …”
“The Speckled Band,” Kelsey replied immediately. “One of my faves too.”
I locked eyes with her, and we stared at each other silently for a minute.
Finally, I broke the silence. “You going to the dance on Saturday?”
She stood up, moving her chair over until it was right next to mine. Sitting back down, she laid her head gently on my shoulder and grasped my arm. “I will if you will,” she said.
Instinctively, I put my arm around her shoulder. “Sounds awesome. You know Baz's band is playing, right?”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“You gonna wear your grass skirt?”
Smiling, she playfully slapped my chest. “I'll leave that to you, island boy.”
I chuckled. “Well, I can tell you this … if you go, I'll have a surprise for you.”
She straightened up, looking me in the face. “What kind of surprise?”
“Oh, no, Detective, you're not getting me to talk that easily.”
She stared at me for a few moments, then leaned forward in anticipation. I did the same, sharing another kiss with her.
“I can't wait,” she said.
Me either. She'll NEVER see this coming.
Chapter 34
~ DAY 37 (Tue.) ~
KELSEY
It was all I could do not to jump up and hug Bree as she walked up to our table in the cafeteria. She was smiling hugely, and even April was amazed at the complete transformation in Bree's personality from the past month.
Bree and I agreed not to reveal her secret just yet, not even to April. She assured me we eventually would, but first she had to come out to her parents, a day she promised would be very soon.
“Welcome back, banana-head,” April said with a naughty grin.
“Thanks, cannonball,” Bree retorted with an equally wicked grin.
I laughed out loud. April and Bree had been friends since they were seven. Apparently once at a pool party they both attended, April made a big splash off the diving board, soaking everyone in attendance, and Bree accidentally slipped and fell, with the banana split she was eating ending up in her hair. It was childish, but to hear these silly nicknames used for the first time in years was so delightful. The drama really was over.
“So, how's Ethan?” Bree asked with a smile.
“He's great,” I said, and then I told them about my visit to his house. Unseen by April, Bree winked at me. Yeah, there can't be many girls my age that can say they've kissed a boy and a girl on the same day. Another secret Bree and I will never reveal. “He asked me to the dance on Saturday. He promised me a 'surprise'!”
“Oooh!” said April. “Maybe he'll ask you to be his girlfriend!”
“Maybe,” I said. That would be so awesome. “Are you going, April?”
She made a face. “No, I'm grounded till I'm forty, remember?”
“How about you, Bree?” I asked.
Bree suddenly looked nervous. “I've never been to one, Kelse, you know that.”
“Neither have I,” I replied. “Can you come to this one? Please?”
She thought about it for a few moments, then exhaled. “I don't know if I have anything … you know, tropical.”
“Well, just wear something bright and sunny, Bree, I doubt they'll send you home because of your wardrobe,” April said.
She pondered for a few moments, and the nodded. “Oh, okay.” She gave an awkward smile. “I definitely owe you one, Kelsey.”
“Good,” I said.
“I want a full report on Monday,” April said, taking a bite of her sandwich.
“Fine, fine. Have either of you guys seen Penny lately?”
Bree shook her head. “I've looked for her everywhere, too. April?”
“I saw her this morning, but she was too far away to talk to her. At least she's still coming to school.”
“I tried texting her this weekend,” I said. “She just said that she needs some space right now.”
Bree sighed heavily, looking down at the table. “Crap. I just wanna …”
I patted her shoulder gently. “I know, Bree, I know. She'll be back.”
I hope.
* * *
I had another great recess period with Ethan on the bleachers. I laughed when he told me how Kirk Blaisdell was apparently too scared to even come near him now. Good, I remember thinking. About time someone taught that tool a lesson.
I boarded the bus after school, taking my usual seat behind the Devereaux sisters. I couldn't help but notice Sophie staring dreamily into space. “I recognize that look,” I said, snapping her out of it.
She met my gaze, and giggled softly. “Yeah, it's the same as the one on your face.”
Kirsten rolled her eyes. “Honestly, every day it's the same thing with you two.”
Sophie turned and glared at her big sister. “You know, maybe you should find a cute boy. It might make you less grouchy all the time.”
Her jaw dropped. “I am not grouchy! Have you seen the boys in the sixth grade? They're all toads!”
I looked at her. “I used to think that about my class, Kirsten. And you're right, most boys are toads. You just have to find the one that isn't.”
“Not interested,” she replied dismissively.
“Oh, come on,” I pressed, “there's gotta be one boy that you like … how about Sean Murphy?”
She looked at me with a frown, and for a moment I thought she was going to bark out a denial. But slowly, her face softened, and a smile curled at the edge of her lips. “He's … okay, I guess,” she said, her face reddeni
ng.
“Aha! I knew it!” Sophie said.
I laughed. “How's Logan doing, Soph?”
She smiled. “He showed me one of his drawings today. One he did of me. It was so … so beautiful, Kelsey.” She dramatically flicked her head back, causing her ponytail to whip around and almost catching Kirsten in the face. “I'm a work of art now.”
Even Kirsten had to laugh at this. “Maybe I'll ask him to do one of me, too.”
Sophie made a face. “You get your own boy!”
I pictured Sophie and Logan together, on the playground, with Logan drawing a pencil-portrait of Sophie. It was too adorable for words. They were like two fluffy little bunny rabbits. Well, one fluffy, one spiky-haired.
* * *
I was shocked when I walked up to my house, seeing not one but two cars parked in the driveway. Dad almost never came home this early, which made me worried. Seeing Walter's car right next to his made me even more worried. I touched the hoods of both cars, and they were still warm, which meant they hadn't been home for long.
Has there been another development in the Lynch case?
I pushed the door open as quietly as I could. I inched through the house, poking my head into the kitchen. I heard their voices coming from the backyard, and the sliding door was open, so I could just make out their conversation, even though I couldn't see them.
“… cution starts their case tomorrow,” said Walter.
“I know,” Dad said. “Any more trouble from the Argentinians?”
“Not since we arrested their goon squad,” Walter replied. “But they're running out of time, so we're keeping vigilant.”
“Good. When do the witnesses take the stand?”
“Well, first the forensic accountants will have a go, then a few cops. Glouchkov and Campbell will probably be the D.A.'s final nail in Lynch's coffin.”
“Let's hope so, Wally,” Dad said. “I want this bastard in our rear-view mirror.”
“Amen to that, Marty,” said Walter, and I heard the sound of two beer bottles clinking together.
I smiled, doing a mental fist-pump. Finally, justice!
Ethan's Secret (James Madison Series Book 2) Page 20