Last Year's Mistake - Gina Ciocca Page 0,13

could start all over, and for that I should have been grateful.

Violet propped her chin on one hand, pretending to be engrossed in Mr. Ingles’s lecture. With the other hand, she wiggled her fingers against David’s back until he turned enough to take a note from her. I watched him read it, then turn around and nod, grinning that grin I knew so well.

I definitely should have been grateful.

“Should” being the operative word.

Six

Connecticut

Fall, Freshman Year

I spotted David at his locker a couple of weeks after school started and had to do a double take. I loved his recent short haircut, but I still wasn’t used to it, and that morning he’d added another new thing to the mix: a navy and white Yankees jersey I’d never seen him wear before—and I’d seen him a lot. Not only did we have three classes together, but when he and his father had arrived in Norwood, my family welcomed them to the neighborhood by helping to unload the U-Haul. For their whole first week we’d taken turns grilling in our backyards until they had a chance to get their kitchen unpacked.

“Hey,” I said as I came up next to him.

David looked up and promptly eyed the stack of college pamphlets I was trying to shove into the front pocket of my book bag. “Holy brochures, Kelse. Are you planning on graduating four years early?”

I answered him with my best soft-voiced imitation of Mrs. Malone, my guidance counselor. “It’s never too early to think about the future.” The zipper closed over the bulging compartment, and I nodded toward his jersey. “Go Yanks. Nice shirt.”

David puffed his chest, pretending to model it. “Thanks. My dad gave it to me for my birthday.”

“Last year?”

“Uh, no.” A shy smile pulled at his lips. “Today.”

My books almost slipped out of my hands. “David! Today is your birthday? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Eh, it’s just another day. Nothing to make a big deal over.”

“Of course it is! Everyone should feel special on their birthday! I would’ve brought balloons and decorated your locker if I’d known.”

“No offense,” he laughed. “But in that case, I’m kind of glad I didn’t tell you.”

I gaped at him. New kid or not, someone as nice as David didn’t deserve to have his birthday pass with no fanfare at all.

I found Eric at his locker after lunch. He and I had known each other forever. But ever since Amy Heffernan had dared him to kiss me and he’d done it, the awkward factor kept ratcheting up between us. He’d apologized, and even asked me out a few times, which I suspected was more about the desire to save face than actual interest in me. But then he’d tried to kiss me for real, and the way he used his tongue like an overexcited puppy made me pull back and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. I also may or may not have said “yuck” out loud. . . . And even though I’m sure his assessment of the kiss was similar, he was highly insulted.

So the fact that I still felt more comfortable talking to him than to Maddie lately was saying a lot.

“Hey,” I said as he dropped books onto a mass of compacted papers and gym clothes. “Can we do something tonight for David’s birthday?”

“Sure.” He slammed the metal door and hoisted his backpack onto his shoulder. “Maddie’s brother already bought a bunch of beer for her party this weekend. I’ll bet we could get some people to go down to the lake and celebrate.”

He emphasized the word “celebrate” with a giant grin that showcased his unusually square teeth—and also told me he was way more excited for an excuse to drink beer than to actually acknowledge David’s birthday.

When had my friends become so enthralled with the challenge of smuggling booze into their bloodstream? It was like puberty had triggered some need to experiment, and I was clearly missing the hormone.

“Oh. That wasn’t really what I had in mind.”

“Then why not just invite him to the party? Do we have to do something today?”

I didn’t get a chance to tell him that, technically, Maddie hadn’t even invited me to her party, because she came around the corner at that moment with Amy Heffernan. The carefully curled ends of Maddie’s chestnut hair tumbled over her shoulders, and her pink-glossed lips pursed conspiratorially as she and Amy exchanged the gossip du jour. They sported matching charm bracelets around the arms holding their