Part 16 (1/2)
Right after school, Christy began to carry out her plan. She knew where Katie parked her car in the school lot, so Christy decided to wait by Katie's car. When she showed up, Christy would say, ”I've been a horrible friend for not being supportive of your relations.h.i.+p with Michael. I've missed your friends.h.i.+p, and I want us to find a way to be close again.” That's what she would say.
Christy found Katie's car and waited nearly twenty minutes. There was no sign of Katie anywhere. Dozens of cars zoomed past her, leaving the parking lot looking like an emptied pizza box with the few remaining cars scattered around like leftover chunks of pizza toppings. She was about ready to give up and leave when she heard Michael's slightly beat-up sports car roar into the parking lot.
I'll say, *Hi, Michael,' and I'll smile at him and be nice, Christy told herself. But she barely had a chance to look at him.
The pa.s.senger door of his car opened before Michael had even come to a complete stop. Katie lurched out, slamming the door. Michael popped the car into gear and bolted past them, leaving a puff of exhaust to envelop Christy and Katie's first face-to-face encounter in more than two months.
”Hi,” Christy said shyly. ”How are you doing?”
Katie stared at Christy, her eyes swollen and red. ”Why are you here?”
”Well, I, um...you missed the yearbook picture with the volleyball team.”
”You waited here to tell me that?”
”No, actually, I waited here because I wanted to talk to you.
”I don't believe this.” Katie shook her head so that her short, straight, copper-colored hair swished like silk ta.s.sels.
”Believe what?” Christy asked, shrinking back. Katie had no problem speaking her mind, and it looked like she was in the mood to let someone have it. Christy didn't want it to be her.
”I can't believe this,” Katie said again, groping in her backpack for her car keys. ”I don't think I can talk to you right now. This is too weird.”
”What's too weird?”
Katie stood still, her green eyes narrowing into slits, scrutinizing Christy's expression. ”This is just too much of a G.o.d-thing for me right now. I have to go.” Then, jerking her car door open, she climbed in and started up the engine.
Christy didn't know if she should knock on the window and try to get Katie to pay attention to her or if she should run across the parking lot, jump in her own car, and chase Katie. Before Christy had time to decide, Katie jammed her car into drive and squealed out of the school parking lot.
”Too much of a G.o.d-thing'-what's that supposed to mean?” Christy muttered as she picked up her belongings and lugged them across the lot to her lonely-looking car. Do I have bad timing or what? She and Michael obviously had a fight. Maybe after she's had some time to cool down, I'll try talking with her. Why did I wait by her car anyway? I should have called her. It's easier to talk on the phone.
”Christy!” came a familiar voice across the lot. It was Fred, one of the other yearbook photographers. Fred was okay in a let's-just-be-friends kind of way. Still, something about him bugged her.
”I'm glad you're still here,” he said. ”Did you take the picture of the volleyball team?”
”Yes, and I know it's due tomorrow.”
”Why don't you and I drop it off at the one-hour photo place together? I'll treat you to a c.o.ke while we're waiting.”
”No, thanks,” Christy said, unlocking her door and getting inside.
”Okay, then an ice cream,” Fred amiably suggested.
”I really need to get home, Fred. I have a ton of homework. I'll drop it off on my way home and pick it up tomorrow.”
”You're planning on staying after school tomorrow to finish the layout, aren't you?”
”Yes, I'll be here.”
”I did it!” Fred said, his face full of glee. ”I finally got you to say yes to something I asked. We're on a roll, Christy. It can only get better from here. So do you want to go to the prom with me?”
”No!” Christy said. This was only the fifteenth time he had asked her.
Fred looked undaunted. ”Not a problem. You still have six weeks to change your mind.”
”I'll see you tomorrow, Fred.”
”I'll be looking forward to it,” he responded cheerfully. He waved and smiled so that his crooked front tooth stuck out. Jogging to his car parked on the other side of the lot, he drove off on his merry way.
Christy stuck her key in the ignition to start her car. Nothing happened. She jiggled the key and tried again. Nothing.
I don't believe this! What else could go wrong? Christy thought, climbing out of the car and slamming the door. With deliberate steps she marched back to the school building to call her dad.
About fifteen minutes later, he pulled up in his white truck. He still had on his overalls from the Hollandale Dairy. He was a large man with reddish hair and bushy red eyebrows. It was embarra.s.sing to have to call her dad to come start her car. She was glad no one was around to see the rescue.
”Did you leave your lights on?” Dad asked when he hopped out of the truck with jumper cables in hand.
”I don't think so.”
”Go ahead and pop the hood. We'll try giving the battery some juice.”
Christy's dad connected the two car batteries, letting his truck run for a few minutes before saying, ”Get in and start her up.”
Christy turned the key, and the engine immediately turned over. She smiled her relieved thanks to her dad. Embarra.s.sing or not, it was nice to have a dad who came to the rescue.
”I'll follow you home.” Dad disconnected the cables and slammed down her hood.
They reached home with no problems. Christy thanked her dad and then went straight to her room and flopped on her bed. At nearly the same instant, the phone rang.
”Christy!” Mom called from down the hallway. ”Telephone.”
Christy forced her long legs down the hallway and picked up the phone. She heard Todd's familiar ”Hey, how's it going?”
”Don't ask,” she said.
”Bad day?”
”It didn't start out that way, but the last hour or so has been pretty frustrating.” Christy ran through the details, deleting the part about Fred asking her to the prom. ”The worst part is, I feel like I don't know how to make things right with Katie. Everything I try blows up in my face. I guess I should call her or go over to her house. I hate things being unsettled like this.”
”Good idea. Let me know how it goes.”
”That's all the advice you have for me? Aren't you going to tell me what to say?”
”No.”
”Todd, it's not going to be that easy.”
”Sure, it will.”
”She'll probably yell at me.”