[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
down low enough to see it around her neck. I know you think
he s a jerk, but he s really & Anne shook her head and looked
away. He s really very sweet.
A car pulled up to the curb behind them just then, Rocket
Man blaring from its radio. Everyone turned. This time, the
car was close enough that Grace could clearly see Linda Amato
at the wheel. Oh, don t look now, Terry Cusack said, dropping
her voice to a raspy whisper, but here comes the lezzie mobile.
The group exploded in laughter.
Anne nudged Grace hard with her elbow. Hah, they should
only know.
What s that supposed to mean? Grace said, as all her nerve
endings snapped to attention.
I mean our retreat adventure and nearly getting our asses
kicked the hell out of here on her account, Anne said. Or had
you forgotten?
It s not right to be spreading rumors about people
Rumors, what are you talking about rumors? Anne said,
following Grace, who had headed away from the group. It was
plain as black and white, or yin and yang, as the case may be. You
88 Diane Salvatore
need to have that kind of thing notarized or something?
Okay, okay, Grace said. But we were there. We re allowed
to talk about it. They weren t. They don t deserve to have their
gossip justified. They haven t got the slightest idea what the hell
they re talking about.
Hey everybody likes Linda, anyway. No one meant any
harm, Anne said. What s it to you? She grabbed Grace by the
shoulder. I m asking you a question.
Grace turned and stopped, pounding her heel hard into the
snow, over and over. It s just oh, shit, nothing. I m just grouchy.
You taking the train back? I ve got another chop-buster midterm
tomorrow.
Anne looked at her steadily for several beats. You sure?
Grace nodded. Then they headed down the hill together to
Hillside Avenue. Grace was grateful for the company. She wasn t
sure why, but suddenly she didn t feel safe anywhere.
Chapter 7
Grace and Meg stood in line waiting to get into Sacred
Soldiers gymnasium for the first dance of the new semester.
Even the hailstorm earlier hadn t kept away the crowd of Sacred
Soldiers boys and Immaculate Blessing girls.
So you re not supposed to dance with any guys? Meg asked
as they were squeezing through the door with the rest of the
crowd.
Grace smirked. Glen was away for the weekend on a family
tour of Washington, D.C. I don t know. We didn t go into details.
I think he was hoping I wouldn t come at all. They joined the
line for the coat check. Did I tell you he invited me to come
with them?
And stay in his room?
Very funny. No, I would have had a room with his sister. But
I told him I asked my mother and she wouldn t let me.
Good ol Mom. She sure can come in handy sometimes.
Well, if I had really asked her, she probably wouldn t have
90 Diane Salvatore
let me anyway, Grace said. They got their coat tickets and made
their way down the harshly lit hall, past glass-encased displays of
basketball and track trophies.
Maybe she would have if she had known you were going to
spend the weekend with me instead.
Don t get me started. I want to have a good time. Grace s
face heated up all over again remembering how, yesterday, her
mother had been in her room dusting when the phone rang.
Grace didn t get to it soon enough, and her mother had answered.
When she heard it was Meg, she gave the phone to Grace and
announced, so Meg could hear, It s her again. What happened,
you re renewing your surliness lessons?
But Grace gave herself over to a tingle of excitement when
she stepped inside the gym. It was huge and dark, far darker than
the nuns allowed Immaculate Blessing s cafeteria to be during
their disastrous dances. Colored lights moved in swirls around
the dance floor, which was slick with polish and gave the place a
faint, waxy smell. The band, Stardust, a local favorite, had already
begun pounding out a song by BTO. Swaying girls gathered
under the stage by the lead singer, a muscular young man all in
black, with hair as long as theirs.
Come on, let s dance, Meg said, taking Grace by the wrist
and leading her onto the dance floor. In her black corduroys
and a red knit sweater, Meg fell naturally into the rhythmic
step. Grace, stiff limbed and self-conscious, kept her eyes fixed
alternately on her new gray boots and on a point in the distance
over Meg s shoulders, so she could pretend to be absorbed by
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]