Maybe I can write an article about it for the Viking News and everyone will admire me. . . . Wait. Is it cool or uncool to rescue somebody? Is saving people too nice to be cool?
It was an important question, since Gillian currently had only two ambitions: 1) David Blackburn, and, 2)
To be invited to the parties the popular kids were invited to. And both of these depended, in a large part, on being cool.
If she were only popular, if she only felt good about herself, then everything else would follow. It would be so much easier to be a really wonderful person and do something for the world and make something important of her life if she just felt loved and accepted. If she weren't shy and short and immature looking
. . .
She reached the top of the ridge and grabbed at a branch to keep her balance. Then, still hanging on, she let out her breath and looked around.
Nothing to see. Quiet woods leading down to a creek just below.
And nothing to hear, either. The crying had stopped.
Oh, don't do this to me!
Frustration warmed Gillian up and chased away her fear. She yelled, "Hey-hey, are you still out there?
Can you hear me? I'm coming to help you!"
Silence. And then, very faintly, a sound.
Directly ahead.
Oh, my God, Gillian thought. The creek.
The kid was in the creek, hanging on to something, getting weaker and weaker. . . .