totally flattered he’d ask me.
“Sure, I’ll go with you.”
“You will?” Andrew glances up at me, and there’s an actual smile on his face. “My parents will be so happy I found a date. They’re constantly telling me I need to be more social.”
“My mom’s always saying the same thing.”
After I leave Andrew’s house, I desperately want to run over to Marisol’s house and tell her about all the crazy things that have happened to me: Evan maybe asking me on a date, Andrew asking me to the dance. But I have to remind myself that Marisol doesn’t care. She and Angela are probably sitting out on Angela’s porch together, having a great time.
The realization that I have so much news and no one to tell it to makes my excitement deflate. Practically overnight, I’ve gone back to what life was like before Marisol and I became friends.
Everything feels so bottled up inside me that when I get into Mom’s minivan, I find myself announcing: “I’m going to the Spring Dance!”
Mom glances over at me. “Say that again?”
“Andrew Ivanoff asked me to the Spring Dance.”
“How nice. I’m sure you two will have a great time.” Okay, it’s not exactly the enthusiasm I was looking for.
“Aren’t you surprised that someone would actually ask me to the dance? I bet you would’ve never predicted this.”
“Well, I guess it’s a bit unexpected, but why would I be surprised that someone would want to go with you?”
I roll my eyes. “Mom, it’s sweet that you don’t think I’m a loser, but everyone else does.”
“Rachel, what have I told you about using that word? If you think of yourself as a loser, then people will treat you like you are one.”
Right, and this is why I never talk to my mom about stuff. She’s convinced that any problem can be fixed with determination (and a good spring cleaning). And it’s also why I can never tell her about Briana sprinkling her entire room with dirt for me to clean up. The last thing I need is Mom sitting me and Briana down and trying to get us to talk things out. Briana is just one of those people you can’t reason with.
I’m quiet for the rest of the car ride, thinking about Evan Riley and Steve Mueller and Andrew Ivanoff. My life has become crazier since Mom started her cleaning business, but it’s also filled with a lot more boys. I just wish I still had my best friend to share it with.
Chapter 28
At school on Monday, it feels like everything around me has new meaning. I watch Caitlin Schubert flipping absently through a book and Steve Mueller staring out the window, while Briana goes on and on about decorations for the Spring Dance. When I glance at Marisol, hunched over some homework, I can’t help thinking about all the changes in my life that she has no idea about.
But the thing I most want to change, my parents’ relationship, is starting to feel completely out of my reach. I have less than two weeks left, and my peanut butter jar only has $124.25 in it. If I don’t win the bake sale competition, it’s back to the nursing home for me. And this time, I have a feeling Mom will make sure I’m put on bedpan duty.
I spend most of lunch poring over my journal, trying to figure out the perfect bake-sale recipe, but still no luck. I’m tempted to freak out, but I don’t have time for meltdowns.
Instead, I flip to the end and fill up more pages of the Dirt Diary. I jot down all the odd things I noticed on Saturday, including Andrew’s popular-kid dolls. For once, our visit to Caitlin’s house was uneventful since she spent the whole time in her room. Hopefully, things will stay that way from now on.
At the end of the day, I go to my locker only to find it full of gummy worms. Fabulous. It must have taken Briana forever to push them in through the vents. Most of the worms are easy to clean up, but a few have started to melt, which means that my math book is now sticky and strawberry-scented.
I’m fuming so much that I consider going
“Sure, I’ll go with you.”
“You will?” Andrew glances up at me, and there’s an actual smile on his face. “My parents will be so happy I found a date. They’re constantly telling me I need to be more social.”
“My mom’s always saying the same thing.”
After I leave Andrew’s house, I desperately want to run over to Marisol’s house and tell her about all the crazy things that have happened to me: Evan maybe asking me on a date, Andrew asking me to the dance. But I have to remind myself that Marisol doesn’t care. She and Angela are probably sitting out on Angela’s porch together, having a great time.
The realization that I have so much news and no one to tell it to makes my excitement deflate. Practically overnight, I’ve gone back to what life was like before Marisol and I became friends.
Everything feels so bottled up inside me that when I get into Mom’s minivan, I find myself announcing: “I’m going to the Spring Dance!”
Mom glances over at me. “Say that again?”
“Andrew Ivanoff asked me to the Spring Dance.”
“How nice. I’m sure you two will have a great time.” Okay, it’s not exactly the enthusiasm I was looking for.
“Aren’t you surprised that someone would actually ask me to the dance? I bet you would’ve never predicted this.”
“Well, I guess it’s a bit unexpected, but why would I be surprised that someone would want to go with you?”
I roll my eyes. “Mom, it’s sweet that you don’t think I’m a loser, but everyone else does.”
“Rachel, what have I told you about using that word? If you think of yourself as a loser, then people will treat you like you are one.”
Right, and this is why I never talk to my mom about stuff. She’s convinced that any problem can be fixed with determination (and a good spring cleaning). And it’s also why I can never tell her about Briana sprinkling her entire room with dirt for me to clean up. The last thing I need is Mom sitting me and Briana down and trying to get us to talk things out. Briana is just one of those people you can’t reason with.
I’m quiet for the rest of the car ride, thinking about Evan Riley and Steve Mueller and Andrew Ivanoff. My life has become crazier since Mom started her cleaning business, but it’s also filled with a lot more boys. I just wish I still had my best friend to share it with.
Chapter 28
At school on Monday, it feels like everything around me has new meaning. I watch Caitlin Schubert flipping absently through a book and Steve Mueller staring out the window, while Briana goes on and on about decorations for the Spring Dance. When I glance at Marisol, hunched over some homework, I can’t help thinking about all the changes in my life that she has no idea about.
But the thing I most want to change, my parents’ relationship, is starting to feel completely out of my reach. I have less than two weeks left, and my peanut butter jar only has $124.25 in it. If I don’t win the bake sale competition, it’s back to the nursing home for me. And this time, I have a feeling Mom will make sure I’m put on bedpan duty.
I spend most of lunch poring over my journal, trying to figure out the perfect bake-sale recipe, but still no luck. I’m tempted to freak out, but I don’t have time for meltdowns.
Instead, I flip to the end and fill up more pages of the Dirt Diary. I jot down all the odd things I noticed on Saturday, including Andrew’s popular-kid dolls. For once, our visit to Caitlin’s house was uneventful since she spent the whole time in her room. Hopefully, things will stay that way from now on.
At the end of the day, I go to my locker only to find it full of gummy worms. Fabulous. It must have taken Briana forever to push them in through the vents. Most of the worms are easy to clean up, but a few have started to melt, which means that my math book is now sticky and strawberry-scented.
I’m fuming so much that I consider going
Similar Books
