The Babysitter Murders - By Janet Ruth Young Page 0,15
says. Mrs. Alex doesn’t work that day. “Well, thanks for calling. I’ll be looking forward to that.”
“Wait! Can we talk for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” Ugh, I’m acting so awkward. He’s going to think nobody ever calls me.
“So do you enjoy being in Hawtones, or do you view it as more of a résumé builder?”
“A little of both. I wish the song selections were better.”
“What do you like most about being in the group?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
“Should I tell you?”
“Sure, if you want.”
“With my horn playing, I don’t really need another music activity on my transcript. I keep going to rehearsal because I like knowing that I’ll see you.”
“Really?” Even though her heart had vaulted like a gymnast at seeing his name on the caller ID, Dani hadn’t expected anything like this.
“I enjoy it mostly because of you,” he repeats. “So.”
“Am I supposed to be playing hard-to-get here?” Dani asks.
“Not necessarily.”
“I enjoy going to rehearsal for the same reason. But what about Meghan?”
“You mean at Icey’s?”
“I guess I made other assumptions. Sharing the ice cream.”
“I admit I played that up a little. I was looking for an indication from you. A sign.”
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“You’re giving me a lot to think about,” Dani says. “I sort of want to hang up so I can go away and think about it. Is that insulting?”
“Not really. I understand how you feel.”
“So.”
“Want to both hang up?” Gordon asks. “Even though it would be impolite?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s not even say good-bye.”
“No, let’s not. In fact, the person who hangs up quicker is showing how much they need to go away and think about—”
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Now Dani’s so high, nothing can bring her down.
It’s me! It’s me! It’s not Meghan, It’s me! The sublime coincidence of the person she likes very much liking her very much back. What were the chances of that?
He’s mine!
She shows up at Alex’s on time. She challenges him to ten foot-races around the block. Afterwards they go online and play with Louie. Dani’s phone rings. She tries not to answer it when she’s with Alex in case he’s mad or sad that he’s not getting her full attention.
But Gordy has her cell number now, so she has to at least check.
It’s Shelley, announcing that she talked to Meghan one minute ago.
“It’s weird to be on the phone with Meghan,” Shelley says.
“To hear her voice but not see her at the same time. I don’t know which I like better, her face or her voice.”
“Well, you won’t guess who called me.”
“You’re kidding.”
“We’re rehearsing together.”
“Rehearsing? Are you really rehearsing, or is it like . . . a thing?”
“It’s a definite thing. What’s going on with Meghan?”
“I . . . don’t . . . know. Hmm.” It’s an old Shelley habit. The more excited she is about something, the more she wants the other person to drag it out of her. But Dani really should give JANET RUTH YOUNG
the time to Shelley, because Dani’s had crushes before that they talked about lots. There was Joshua Sandy, who she kayaked out to the float with every night at summer camp. And Alan Diaz, whom she started dating when his family was already planning to move to Washington, DC. But Shelley has never had a girlfriend to talk about—at least, not officially.
“I don’t know,” Shelley says. “I’m going to become her friend and see if anything develops. That’s the mature way, right? But . .
.” She pauses again, waiting for Dani to prod her with questions.
“But what?”
“But if I want to be more and she doesn’t, I don’t know if I can deal with it. I mean I’m excited about getting to know her, but I don’t know how much I should stick my neck out.”
Alex clicks the mouse loudly.
Not at all, Dani thinks. She wants to warn Shelley to be careful, but she doesn’t want to seem too critical of Meghan. So she can’t say anything. Dani wonders how many times she’ll go through that circle of thoughts, over and over. She wants to say,
“I would hate to see you get hurt,” but then couldn’t Shelley say the same thing to her? Any time you really like someone and let them know it, you run the risk of getting hurt.
Alex thumps Dani’s leg with the soles of his sneakers. When she says “Ow!” he looks the other way as if it was an accident. His sneakers have lights that flash when they move.
“I have to go,” she tells Shelley. “I’m on the clock. I should feed my