smile at Jana. "Come on. Sit down."
Jana was surprised at the flush of pleasure she felt and
hoped he hadn't noticed. She gave him a quick grin and sat down beside him.
"So like I was saying," Beth said, "he was
doing forty-five in a thirty-mile zone."
"Wow!" cried Cory, laughing and slapping his knee.
"I can't believe it."
"Who was doing forty-five in a thirty-mile zone?"
asked Jana. She could feel Parker looking at her, and it made her nervous.
"Our beloved principal, Mr. Bell," Beth told her.
"Oh, come on," scoffed Jana. "Mr. Bell wouldn't
do a thing like that."
"Oh, yeah?" countered Beth. "Marcie Bee's
uncle is a policeman, and he's the one who gave Mr. Bell the ticket. Isn't that
a riot?"
When Jana shook her head in disbelief, Chris chimed in, "Hey,
give the guy a break. He's human."
"So I hear you and Kirwan split up," said Parker.
He was turned toward Jana and totally ignoring the rest of the conversation.
Little prickles raced up the back of Jana's neck. She looked
to Beth for help, but her friend was too busy with her story about Mr. Bell to
notice Jana. "Uh-huh," she said softly.
"His tough luck." Parker gave her a sly grin.
Jana felt her face turn hot. She caught Beth's eye and said
quickly, "It's getting late. I'd better be heading home."
Beth made a face at Jana and then sighed in resignation. "Okay.
I'll go with you. See you guys later." She jumped up, started to leave,
and waved back at the boys in the booth.
Jana gave them a small wave, too, and then made a beeline
for the door with Beth right behind her.
"What did you do that for?" Beth demanded as soon
as they were outside. "Things were just getting interesting. I
could tell that Parker was zeroing in on you. What did he say? Did he ask you
out?"
"Whoa!" said Jana. "Not so fast. I don't
think I'm ready for this."
Beth put her hands on her hips and gave Jana an impatient
look. "But you're the one who started it."
Jana didn't answer. It was impossible to explain to Beth how
she felt. She wasn't even sure herself.
"I know!" Beth blinked her eyes open as if a light
had just flashed on in her brain. "I'll call Shawnie and ask her to talk
to Craig about hinting around to Parker to ask you out."
"But, Beth—"
"You guys would make a great-looking couple," continued
Beth, totally ignoring Jana's protest.
Back home a little while later Jana grabbed a soda out of
the fridge and took it to her room, dropping down on her bed to sip the cold
drink and think.
It had been her idea for Randy and her to date others. There
was no question about that. And she still believed it was the right thing to
do. But why was she suddenly so nervous? And what would she do if Parker
Donovan asked her out?
CHAPTER 3
"Eee yew! It's green!" shouted Beth, making
a face.
"What is it?" asked Jana, peering into the bowl
that Katie had stuck under her nose.
The Fabulous Five had decided to get together in Jana's
bedroom the next afternoon for a study and gab session, since it was too rainy
out to do anything else. Only Melanie hadn't arrived yet.
"It's spinach dip," Katie said proudly. "I
made it myself, and I brought it for us to eat during our meeting."
"But it's green, " insisted Beth.
Katie put a hand on one hip and looked down her nose at
Beth. "It's supposed to be green. It has spinach in it. Now that my mom
has started writing a gourmet food column for the local paper, I've decided to
start making some of her recipes. Here, take a cracker and try some. It's très gourmet."
Beth backed away. "What is tray gourmet?"
"Très," Katie repeated. "You know,
French for very. This dip is very gourmet. Come on, guys, try it."
Jana exchanged dubious glances with Beth and tried to decide
what to do. Katie's très gourmet spinach dip looked awful. Fortunately,
at that moment, the bedroom door opened, and Melanie came rushing in.
"Hey, I got a letter from Christie!" she sang,
waving an envelope in the air.
"Go ahead and read it," Jana said eagerly.
Jana was surprised at the flush of pleasure she felt and
hoped he hadn't noticed. She gave him a quick grin and sat down beside him.
"So like I was saying," Beth said, "he was
doing forty-five in a thirty-mile zone."
"Wow!" cried Cory, laughing and slapping his knee.
"I can't believe it."
"Who was doing forty-five in a thirty-mile zone?"
asked Jana. She could feel Parker looking at her, and it made her nervous.
"Our beloved principal, Mr. Bell," Beth told her.
"Oh, come on," scoffed Jana. "Mr. Bell wouldn't
do a thing like that."
"Oh, yeah?" countered Beth. "Marcie Bee's
uncle is a policeman, and he's the one who gave Mr. Bell the ticket. Isn't that
a riot?"
When Jana shook her head in disbelief, Chris chimed in, "Hey,
give the guy a break. He's human."
"So I hear you and Kirwan split up," said Parker.
He was turned toward Jana and totally ignoring the rest of the conversation.
Little prickles raced up the back of Jana's neck. She looked
to Beth for help, but her friend was too busy with her story about Mr. Bell to
notice Jana. "Uh-huh," she said softly.
"His tough luck." Parker gave her a sly grin.
Jana felt her face turn hot. She caught Beth's eye and said
quickly, "It's getting late. I'd better be heading home."
Beth made a face at Jana and then sighed in resignation. "Okay.
I'll go with you. See you guys later." She jumped up, started to leave,
and waved back at the boys in the booth.
Jana gave them a small wave, too, and then made a beeline
for the door with Beth right behind her.
"What did you do that for?" Beth demanded as soon
as they were outside. "Things were just getting interesting. I
could tell that Parker was zeroing in on you. What did he say? Did he ask you
out?"
"Whoa!" said Jana. "Not so fast. I don't
think I'm ready for this."
Beth put her hands on her hips and gave Jana an impatient
look. "But you're the one who started it."
Jana didn't answer. It was impossible to explain to Beth how
she felt. She wasn't even sure herself.
"I know!" Beth blinked her eyes open as if a light
had just flashed on in her brain. "I'll call Shawnie and ask her to talk
to Craig about hinting around to Parker to ask you out."
"But, Beth—"
"You guys would make a great-looking couple," continued
Beth, totally ignoring Jana's protest.
Back home a little while later Jana grabbed a soda out of
the fridge and took it to her room, dropping down on her bed to sip the cold
drink and think.
It had been her idea for Randy and her to date others. There
was no question about that. And she still believed it was the right thing to
do. But why was she suddenly so nervous? And what would she do if Parker
Donovan asked her out?
CHAPTER 3
"Eee yew! It's green!" shouted Beth, making
a face.
"What is it?" asked Jana, peering into the bowl
that Katie had stuck under her nose.
The Fabulous Five had decided to get together in Jana's
bedroom the next afternoon for a study and gab session, since it was too rainy
out to do anything else. Only Melanie hadn't arrived yet.
"It's spinach dip," Katie said proudly. "I
made it myself, and I brought it for us to eat during our meeting."
"But it's green, " insisted Beth.
Katie put a hand on one hip and looked down her nose at
Beth. "It's supposed to be green. It has spinach in it. Now that my mom
has started writing a gourmet food column for the local paper, I've decided to
start making some of her recipes. Here, take a cracker and try some. It's très gourmet."
Beth backed away. "What is tray gourmet?"
"Très," Katie repeated. "You know,
French for very. This dip is very gourmet. Come on, guys, try it."
Jana exchanged dubious glances with Beth and tried to decide
what to do. Katie's très gourmet spinach dip looked awful. Fortunately,
at that moment, the bedroom door opened, and Melanie came rushing in.
"Hey, I got a letter from Christie!" she sang,
waving an envelope in the air.
"Go ahead and read it," Jana said eagerly.
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