by Lisa Luedeke
“You don’t need to go,” Matt said.
“I know.”
“But if you do, Cassie and I will stick to you like glue. And I can ask to be paired with you. We’re both tall.”
“Coach Riley encouraged me to go, too. She came by the house, you know.” I looked at Matt and he nodded. “She believes me.” My eyes welled up thinking about her.
“Of course she does,” Matt said.
“She said, You’re a tough girl, Katie. You’ve been through a lot, but you’ll get through this. You’re stronger than most. And there are a lot of people rooting for you. I just sat there and cried.”
“She’s cool.”
“Yeah, she’s the best. But I just can’t decide right now about graduation.”
He nodded and looked at me carefully. “I don’t know if this will help. I mean, it’s not the biggest thing in the world, but …”
“What?”
“Well, Alec—”
“What? What about Alec?”
“He got suspended yesterday. For five days. I know it’s nothing compared to what he did, but …” Matt shook his head. “It just made me so damn happy to see something happen to him, you know?”
“What happened?”
“He was opening up his backpack in the hall between classes. It was stuffed full of books and junk, and when he unzipped it, these three unopened beers came tumbling out. Right there on the floor!” Matt’s face lit up. “The hall was packed. Everyone saw it: lots of kids, Mr. Tenney, another teacher. Alec was going, What the hell is this bullshit? but Mr. Tenney hustled him off to the office and that was it. The whole thing flew around school in about two seconds.” Matt’s eyes gleamed.
“Oh, and he’s going to miss three track meets during his suspension, so he can’t qualify for the States no matter what. For him, that’s the worst part. You know, he placed third in the state in shot put last year. “Matt looked at me now, gauging my response.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“It only happened yesterday.”
“You know what I mean—today, earlier.”
“I guess I was saving it—for when you really needed it or something.”
“I need it now.”
“I know.”
Just picturing Alec, the guy who’d never paid for a single crappy thing he’d done his whole life—and I was sure there were plenty of things he’d done I didn’t know about—in trouble thrilled me, if only for a moment.
“Somebody must have set him up.” I turned and looked at Matt. “He’s a lot of things, but one thing he’s not is stupid.”
“That’s what he said all the way to the office: Somebody set me up!” Matt smiled.
My mind raced with the possibilities. There weren’t many. “I wonder if it was Stan. I bet it was Stan.”
“Maybe.” Matt pursed his lips and looked intently at an ant making its way over the pine needles.
I stared at him. “You know, don’t you?”
“No.” He didn’t look at me.
“You’re a horrible liar, Matt. Why won’t you tell me? Why shouldn’t I know?”
“I was sworn to secrecy.”
“Tell me!”
“It was Cassie.”
“Ha! Cassie? Right.”
“If you say a word, she’ll kill me. She is going to tell you after graduation. She can’t risk getting caught.”
“Cassie did this,” I said skeptically. “My best friend, do-the-right-thing, play-by-the-book Cassie.” I laughed briefly, incredulous. “Wow.”
Matt nodded. “I know. When she told me she was thinking about it, I was pretty surprised. But you know, it is the right thing, if you think about it.”
“How did she even pull it off?”
“She’s pretty smart.”
“You’re right, it’s nothing compared to what he did. But it’s the best thing I’ve heard in a long time.”
*
We stayed there all day under the pine trees until hunger started to gnaw at our insides. It was way past lunchtime. Matt took an apple out of his pack and tossed it to me. We had sat for a long time without saying anything at all. I’d always liked that about us. We didn’t need to talk all the time. Even when we were younger, we’d sometimes walk all the way up Pitcher Mountain without saying a word.
A gentle wind had picked up, and water bumped against the shore in tiny waves. The sun was high in the sky now, its warm rays stronger. Beads of sweat had gathered on my forehead and dampened my shirt. We moved into the shade, under the wide boughs of an ancient evergreen.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you,” he said finally. “I called my grandma in New Hampshire the other day.”
“How is she?” His grandfather had died during the winter.
“She’s doing better. She’s used to being alone now—more used to it, anyway.”
I nodded.
“Anyway,” he said slowly, “I hope you don’t mind—I asked her if she’d mind if we both came and lived with her this summer.” Matt looked at me, once again trying to gauge my reaction. “I mean, if you don’t want to, that’s no problem, either. I was planning to stay here. I just wanted you to know. Just … if you need to get out of here.”
“Maybe I should get out of here,” I said, looking out across the water.
“I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m done doing that.”
I smiled. “Yeah, right.”
“I just want to help.”
“I know.”
We were quiet again for a while.
“Thanks,” I said.
*
“It’s nice without the mosquitoes, isn’t it?” I sighed. “And look at the trees, the colors.” All around the lake, the trees were covered with light green: shoots, buds, and half leaves just beginning to grow.
“It’s amazing,” he replied.
“I love it here. I don’t want to leave—I just got back. Fuck Alec.”
Matt looked at me, surprised.
“What?” I said. “I think you’ve heard me swear before.”
“It’s not that.” He was smiling.
“We’re staying here this summer. Or I am, anyway.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
“Good.” I looked him in the eye.
“Good.” He looked back at me.
“I’ll probably change my mind tomorrow.”
“Whatever.” Matt was still smiling, studying my face.
“What are you looking at?”
He shook his head. “You. You seem—I don’t know—different than I expected.”
“Whatever it is,” I said, “it’s all a bluff.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, you’re making me nervous, looking at me like that.”
“And I don’t even have my camera out… .”
“Good thing for you you don’t. So, you want to go in the water?” It was a dare.
“You’re kidding, right? It’s freezing cold still.”
“Bet I can swim farther underwater than you!” I said, and jumped up suddenly, running down to the water’s edge. If I hesitated for an instant, I’d never do it.
“Hah!” was all he said, then he caught my eye, whipped off his shirt, and we both ran into the water screaming.
Lisa Luedeke lives in New Hampshire with her husband and daughter. Smashed is her debut novel. Visit her online at lisaluedeke.com.
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MARGARET K. McELDERRY BOOKS
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publish
ing Division
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Lisa Luedeke
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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The text for this book is set in Bell MT.
Jacket photograph copyright © 2012 by Jenni Tapanila.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Luedeke, Lisa.
Smashed / Lisa Luedeke.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Maine high school senior Katie Martin is set to win a field hockey scholarship until her life is derailed by drinking, a car accident, and an angry classmate.
ISBN 978-1-4424-2779-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4424-2795-2 (eBook)
[1. Emotional problems—Fiction. 2. Alcoholism—Fiction.
3. High schools—Fiction. 4. Schools—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.L97654Sm 2012
[Fic]—dc23
2011030515