Dig Too Deep Read Free Page A

“That’s great, I guess. It’s just …” The sky looks empty without the craggy peak. “My granddaddy walked me all over that mountain.”
    Cole smiles. “Mine too. There was a honey hole for brook trout on the back side, up by …” He glances at me then shakes his head.
    â€œUp by what?”
    His nose crinkles under his freckles. “I can’t tell you. Granddaddy swore me to secrecy.”
    I raise one eyebrow, like Iris taught me. “But it’s gone.”
    â€œA secret’s a secret.”
    That’s exactly the kind of weird reasoning I remember from my own grandpa. Mountain people are an odd breed. “You realize that makes no sense.”
    He smiles and shrugs. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you and your mama moved to DC.”
    â€œWe did.” I wonder how much to tell him. Having a mom in prison is probably as gossip worthy in Ebbotsville as it is in DC. “I live here now,” I say and hope he leaves it at that.
    â€œNo shit. Really?”
    â€œReally.”
    â€œThat’s great,” he says, and I get the feeling he means it. “Will you go to Plurd?”
    â€œIs there any other high school here?” I’d give my favorite sweater for him say yes. A private school, a Catholic school, heck even a charter school would be better than Plurd County High, with its 60 percent graduation rate and test scores in the thirtieth percentile.
    â€œNope. Plurd’s it.” I try to smile, but I must look like I’m in pain, because Cole says, “You probably went to a fancy school in DC, huh?”
    â€œKind of fancy.” I turn and start down the rhododendron trail.
    He follows me. “I can tell by the way you talk. Really proper.”
    â€œSorry.” Sorry? Did I just apologize for speaking correct English?
    â€œNo, I like it,” he says.
    â€œIt’s not like we were rich or anything,” I say. “I was only there on scholarship.” I frown, remembering the paperwork for that scholarship. A scholarship that I heard about. And I applied for. And I got—no thanks to MFM, who was so busy saving spotted seals that she wouldn’t have noticed if I’d decided to homeschool myself.
    â€œWell, that’s good,” Cole says. “I mean … it was good. I guess.”
    The trail is narrow, and he’s walking behind me. I’m wondering if he’s staring at my butt. I try to walk normal, which suddenly seems very hard.
    â€œI was thinking maybe …” He puts his hand on my arm and I stop. “There’s a party tomorrow night. You should come, meet some people from school.”
    His ears are turning a little red, and I can feel my face doing the same thing. He’s not technically asking me out, but I think he kind of is. “Okay,” I say. “Sure. Where is it?”
    â€œWest of town on Highway 52. I can pick you up, if you want.”
    â€œThat’d be great.” The thought of walking into a party alone is terrifying. People here aren’t too quick to warm up to strangers.
    â€œEight o’clock?”
    â€œSure.”
    He walks backward up the trail. “A’ight, then. See you tomorrow.”
    I wave and start down the trail, smiling since I know he can’t see me. I’m not looking forward to being the new girl at school. Knowing Cole will be there gives me some relief and, if I’m honest with myself, something to look forward to. He is pretty cute … but then I always have been a sucker for dimples and a crooked grin.

Three
    Back at the house, I tiptoe in so as not to wake Granny, but she’s sitting up, watching Wheel of Fortune .
    â€œHey,” I say.
    â€œHey back atcha. You find somethin’ to do?”
    â€œJust went for a walk.” I watch the television as Vanna turns over two A ’s in what is clearly Amsterdam and I realize I never did check my messages. “I