Читать книгу Personal Relations - HEATHER MACALLISTER, Heather Macallister - Страница 8

I’m a female West Houston High senior and am looking for a valentine for my overprotective older sister who’s cramping my style. She’s a babe-in-waiting, not a woofer. If you’ve got an available older brother who’s at least twenty-five, and isn’t a troll, call me and let’s hook them up. I’ll make it worth your while.

“HI, MY NAME IS Jeff Ryan and I’m calling about the ad you put in Additudes.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m glad my sister didn’t answer the phone. Hang on and let me kick my door shut…okay. I’m Courtney Weathers, by the way.”

“Uhm, I know who you are—you’re in South Pacific at school, right?”

“Yes, just the chorus, but I am the understudy for Nellie.”

“Is that good?”

“Well, not as good as being cast as Nellie, since that’s the lead, but better than not being the understudy. I mean, people can get colds, right? Anyway, you’ve got a brother?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, is he cute?”

“I’m a guy! I don’t know if he’s cute or not.”

“Do you look like him?”

“Not really. He’s my stepbrother, actually, my ex-stepbrother, but he never has a problem getting dates, if that helps.”

“So why doesn’t he have a girlfriend now? And I’m assuming he doesn’t or this call is so over.”

“He works all the time and they get mad when he bails on them. And when he’s not working, he’s bugging me.”

“I hear that.”

“I mean, he’s a great guy, and he’s letting me live with him while I finish up at West Houston, but he’s got this idea that I’m going to ‘follow in his footsteps,’ or some garbage like that. He’s got my whole life planned out to be just like his.”

“Oh, wow! You just described my sister! I’ve got a major case of goose bumps going here.”

“Hey, yeah?”

“I mean, Brooke, that’s my sister, she’s just so totally into this whole college thing and, like, I’m telling her I want to be an actress and she just so won’t listen.”

“And your parents are listening to her, right?”

“Oh, it’s so bad. My dad’s working in El Bahar, so they’re living overseas and they think that my sister is this perfect goody-goody, mainly because she is. They’re always taking her side. It’s like they think I’m still this little kid.”

“Well…I don’t think Chase—my step-bro—is the kind of guy to go for a goody-goody.”

“But that’s just it—she didn’t used to be. It’s this responsibility trip she’s on. It’s got her way too tightly wound. She needs a distraction.”

“Yeah…I’m thinking that’s what Chase needs. All he does is work—”

“Then is he going to have time to date my sister?”

“If your sister looks anything like you, he’ll make time.”

“Oh! Hey, thanks. That’s sweet.”

“Uh, yeah. See, here’s the thing. He’s trying to set this good example for me and so if he knows I’m watching how he treats your sister, then he won’t cancel out, or I’ll make a big deal out of it. You know, push the guilt button.”

“Okay. So we need to get them together. Do you have anything going on after school?”

“No.”

“Why don’t you volunteer to help backstage with the sets and props? We need more people.”

“I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“They’ll teach you and this way, I can introduce Brooke to your brother when they come to pick us up after rehearsal.”

“Uhm, I have my own car. Or right now, Chase’s.”

“Cool. So take it to get the oil changed or something.”

“Okay. I’ll think of something. So, when do you want to do this?”

“How about tomorrow?”