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In Wildest Dreams by
Linda Palmer |
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"So, Danni. What did you and Joe do last night?" asked my best friend, AJ. Her real name was Ariel Jasmine Sanders, but if anyone actually called her that, she went postal. I didn't blame her, of course. If I'd been named after Disney princesses, I'd be torqued, too.
"Shh." I glanced over to the next table where Calista Lancaster sat. She didn't look our way, which meant she hadn't heard AJ, thank goodness. All I needed was for the biggest gossip in the whole school to find out the only guy who would hang with me was imaginary. I kept my voice low when I answered, "We kicked vampire butt."
AJ's jaw dropped. "Oh my God. I was just kidding. You mean you dreamed about him again?"
"Yes."
"That's what? Four nights in a row? "
"Yeah. Weird, huh?"
"Beyond weird. Did you two have stakes and crosses? And did you make out afterward?"
"Yes and yes." I smiled at the memory of last night's Technicolor fantasy, which was just like the one the night before that and the night before that and the night before that, except for the villain. So far Joe and I had battled ghosts, werewolves, demons, zombies, and vampires.
Now AJ sighed. "Are you sure you've never met this guy? Dreams are supposed to be based in reality, you know. Maybe you walked past him at the mall, and he stuck inside your head."
"Trust me. No real guy is that cool."
"You're so lucky."
"Lucky? You're the one with the living, breathing boyfriend."
"True. And here he comes." She smiled apologetically. "You're still going to the Taylor Swift concert with us tonight, right?"
"Actually I--"
"Do not back out!"
"Okay. I'll go." I so loved tagging along.
Not.
I watched AJ walk over to Sam. He pulled her close for a quick kiss. My heart twisted, and I felt a stab of jealousy so sharp that I was embarrassed. It wasn't AJ's fault that she attracted every male in school. I didn't know why she'd decided to be my friend, but I was grateful. I couldn't count the times she'd saved me from humiliation.
I blamed my parents for my total lack of social skills. They'd home schooled me until my senior year
and then decided I might benefit from public education. Of course I was a misfit. I kept waiting for a miracle, like an LA aunt who'd swoop in with armloads of designer jeans and the keys to a bright red Maserati. Until she showed up, my dreams were a safety valve, a way of letting off steam to keep from exploding. As for Joe, well, he was surely the creation of my wistful heart, just as our astral adventures were relief from my boring life.
I dumped the remains of my lunch in the trash and headed for my next class: P.E. If I survived that, I could pretty much coast until 3:30, when the last bell of the day set me free until Monday.
The moment I walked into the gym, I knew I was in for trouble. Calista looked at me with a wicked grin, which could only mean one thing. She'd heard us after all. I tried to ignore her as I walked to the dressing room. It didn't work.
"Hey, Danni." She and four of her BFFs fell into step beside me.
"Hey."
She reached out to touch my red velvet vest. "I didn't know you were helping Santa at the mall this year."
I didn't answer, instead slipping past her to change into my gym clothes. Yes, the vest was ugly and clashed horribly with my copper curls. But Mom had spent hours at her sewing machine. How could I not wear it?
Since Calista didn't follow, I actually thought I was off the hook until I started back out. That's when she blocked the door.
"Got a hot date tonight?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," I said, a big fat lie. But I knew there was no way in hell Calista would be at that concert. She was more of a P!nk sort of girl.
She looked at one of her buddies and winked. "With Joe?"
"Yes."
"What's his last name? Maybe I've met him."
"He isn't from around here."
"Then where's he from, Danni? There?" She actually poked my forehead.
Something inside me snapped. I shoved her hard into the wall and escaped onto the basketball court where everyone gathered for volleyball. I barely functioned for the next forty-five minutes, waiting for Mrs. Anderson to blow her whistle and summon me to her office. But it never happened. Somehow I avoided Calista for the rest of the afternoon. Or maybe she avoided me. I knew my violence shocked her. It had shocked me, too, though not as much as my stupid lie. Why did I care what she thought?
Sam and AJ picked me up at 7:00, as planned. Their excitement was contagious, so I soon relaxed and put everything behind me. Then I saw Calista, just a few feet ahead in the Coke line. Of course she'd already spotted us. She whispered something to the girl closest to her. They made a show of looking around for my date, then burst into laughter. I ducked my head in shame. Why had I let her goad me into lying?
Squaring my shoulders, I looked up again, and started toward her, fully intending to confess. But before I got there, the weight of a heavy stare drew my gaze to the nacho line. A guy with dark chocolate eyes gaped at me. His nachos hit the floor with a splat! He staggered back a step.
Never taking my gaze off him, I tugged on AJ's sleeve. "Am I awake?"
She pinched me really hard on the arm.
"Ow!"
"You definitely are. Why?" She looked where I looked. "Do you know that dude?"
I barely heard her question as I slowly walked toward him. He met me halfway.
"How could this be?" he asked.
"It can't," I assured him.
"There's only one way to find out for sure."
He lowered his head; I raised up on my tiptoes. Our lips touched.
Wow. Even better than our dreams.
I grabbed his hand and dragged him to where my best friend and her guy stood gawking at us.
"AJ, Sam…this is Joe," I said, smiling so big my face hurt.
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About the author: After taking a break, former Silhouette
author Linda Varner Palmer is back at her computer. This time
around, it's all about empaths, psychics, shapeshifters and things
that go bump in the night!
http://www.lvpalmer.com/Home_Page.html |
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Thrifty Thursday Free Short Stories -- 2010 |
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