Danika's Gift Read Free Page A

tomorrow.  But, wait, he wanted to see me.  That was good, right?  Then I lied.  Damn.
    Laughing broke me out of the argument I had with myself.  Sam was standing there, chowing down a piece of pizza and watching me.  My stomach growled at her before I could say a word.
    “Breathe. Sit. Eat,”  Sam said each word as a command.
                  I took a few deep breaths as I sat down across from Sam and grabbed a piece of pizza out of the box.  It was hot and smelled delicious.  I took a big bite, hoping to avoid talking about Derek, but the cheese was too hot, burning the roof of my mouth.  Sam chuckled.  She knew what I was doing.  I wasn’t fooling her one bit. 
    “You eat.  I’ll talk.” Sam grinned.  “Derek is a sophomore.  He is not very smart when it comes to math, but he is not a dumb jock either.  I think he came to the university on an athletic scholarship, but if I remember correctly, he’s more interested in getting an education than going into pro sports.  He plays baseball.  I had a couple classes with him last year.  He’s actually quite smart, other than the math issues he has.  I am not sure why he was in your Algebra class though.  Anyway, juicy stuff is lacking on him.  He doesn’t have a girlfriend, but he doesn’t bat for the other team either.  Only thing I can think of is that he maybe has someone back home?  Or just wants to focus on school?  Or maybe he’s got an older dish outside of school that I don’t know about.”
    I choked on my crust when she said the last part.  An older dish?   That wasn’t good.  I was younger than him, in fact too young to date.  I knew that I would be considered “off limits” to the guys at the school since I wasn’t eighteen yet.  I didn’t really care, since I wasn’t interested in dating anyone.  Well, until Derek walked into my life, that is.
    Sam changed the subject, talking about Professor Corbin and a few of the classes she had this year.  I was grateful for the change in subject.  I found it odd that Sam didn’t think she knew Derek, when I talked about him earlier, but then I rationalized that I made him sound plain and boring.  He was definitely not either.   My mind drifted as Sam chatted, and I recalled Derek’s handsome face, his beautiful lips as they slipped into a smile.  The way his wavy brown hair curled at the edges behind his ears.  I wondered if his hair was as soft as it looked, if his muscles were as hard as they appeared.  What he would look like without his shirt on, or what he would look like in a baseball uniform, the pants hugging his sculpted legs.  I was gone…lost in my own little fantasy world where Derek existed for my viewing pleasure.
    “Do you think?”
    “What?”  I hadn’t realized Sam was still talking.  Hell, I didn’t even realize she was still in the room.
    “I asked if you think Derek likes you?”
    “Oh.  Sorry.  I was, uh, thinking.  Derek?  I doubt it.  I’m too young for him anyway.”
    Sam frowned, “Yes, you are young.  I keep forgetting you’re only seventeen.  Crap, that puts a kink in things.”
    “What things?”
    “Setting you up.”
    “Setting me up for what?”  I really was confused.
    Sam let out an annoyed sigh.  “Setting you up with one of the college guys, like Derek.”
    “You know I don’t want to date Sam.  I wouldn’t know what to do.  Or not do.  Hell, I’ve never even been kissed.”
    “Well, at the very least, we should rectify that.  I think Derek is interested, just by the way he was looking at you.  Problem is how to get him to ask you out.”  Sam was tapping her manicured nails on the table as I continued to stuff pizza in my mouth. 
    I really didn’t think he was interested.  Well, maybe, but once he knew I was too young, too screwed up or too nerdy, that would be the end of that.

Chapter 2
    “Okay, try this.”  Sam pushed a red v-neck shirt at me.
    “I can’t wear thi s Sam.  My