The Summer I Became a Nerd - By Leah Rae Miller Page 0,80

say.

“Why?”

I take a huge bite of toast. “‘Cause it’s freaking me out.”

“I was just thinking.” She sips her coffee. “You really like this boy, don’t you?”

I stare out the window into the gray morning as I chew. Do I “really like” him? Is that the right way to put it? I’ve only known him for the summer technically, but “really like” doesn’t seem to encompass it. If you “really like” someone, do they insist on invading your every thought? Does just saying their name make goose bumps rise on your arms? Do you contemplate how many freckles your children will have?

“Yeah, I really like him.”

Mom would definitely freak out if I told her how I actually feel.

…

When I get to The Phoenix, Martha, Vera, Jonah, and Mr. Scott are setting up tables in front of the display windows.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Martha says.

“Morning,” I say. Then, I’m almost knocked down when Vera runs into me and clasps her arms around me in a hug.

“This is going to be so much fun, Maddie. I can’t wait to see the cheerleaders. Are you guys going to do flips and cheers and oh, a pyramid thing? Please do a pyramid thing!” Vera strings her words together. What has she eaten to be so awake this early, and where can I get some of this magical substance?

“I’ll tell the girls you request a pyramid,” I say.

“Veer, go help Daddy with the boxes in the back room, please,” Martha says.

Vera takes off to the front door, pausing before she goes inside to attempt a hurky jump. The girl has decent form for a seven-year-old.

“Want to help me hang the banner?” Martha asks.

I’m surprised she hasn’t begun interrogating me about what happened last night. I nod and pick up the large folded plastic sign from one of the tables., and stretch it out on the concrete while Martha goes to get a ladder and scan the sign for typos.

1STANNUAL NATCHITOCHES SMALL BUSINESS FESTIVAL

The local signage place did a great job.

It suddenly hits me how unbelievable it is that we got all this together in such a short period of time when the Mi Pueblo van pulls up. Corina hops out and opens the back doors. She waves as I walk up.

I help her pull out a cooler. “Good morning. I just wanted to say thanks for taking part in this.”

“Are you kidding? My mom thinks this is a wonderful idea. She’s been running around like a crazy person all week getting everything ready.”

“I have not been crazy,” Mrs. Garcia says as she comes around the corner of the van.

Mi Pueblo was the first business I approached other than The Phoenix with the idea of having a small business festival. Mrs. Garcia was so stoked about it, she signed up in two minutes flat. The same thing happened with pretty much every other business I went to. They didn’t even mind a small percentage of all of their proceeds would go to local charities and the college’s radio department. That seemed to be the cherry on the cupcake for them, in fact.

There’s only so much room in The Phoenix’s lot, though, so when businesses started calling Martha about reserving a spot, I went next door to Mes Amis. They offered up their lot as well. Then the problem of where people were going to park came up. Luckily, the college library across the street was more than happy to help seeing as their lot is huge.

There were also permits to be gotten and that’s where Dan’s dad, a.k.a. Taxidermy Todd, came into play. Without his connections in the city council, none of this would be happening.

Then it was just a matter of promotion. My cheerleading coach was all for recruiting the squad to help spread the word seeing as her partner, Sarah, reserved a spot for her bookstore. Plus, the college radio station has been broadcasting the where and when of the festival, like, every ten minutes for the past week.

Now, all I can hope for is the heat won’t keep customers from coming out.

By the time Martha and I get the banner hung, things are in full swing. I hand out copies of the layout to every business so they know where to set up. Tents and tables start dotting the two parking lots. Everything is going smoothly. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Except, maybe, for a certain someone to show up.

I get a call, and I know it’s Dan before I answer because he’s earned himself