Читать книгу Pretty Little Things - Jilliane Hoffman - Страница 9
4
ОглавлениеBefore the screen had even warmed up, the computer blurped. An IM. While she changed out of her wet clothes, she clicked on the flashing orange tab.
| ElCapitan says: | r u online? |
It was like he knew she was there. Like he sensed her presence. That was so cool!
| LainBrain says: | hi! was just guna rite u |
| ElCapitan says: | sup? |
| LainBrain says: | tried to beat the rain & lost |
| LainBrain says: | I love storms, but its nasty out |
| ElCapitan says: | does that mean you’re soaking wet? |
| LainBrain says: | pretty much |
| ElCapitan says: | ooohhh. I like |
| LainBrain says: | drying my hair |
| ElCapitan says: | What happ on math? |
| LainBrain says: | don’t ask |
| ElCapitan says: | u wont be 1st to fail algebra |
| LainBrain says: | didnt fail. D |
| ElCapitan says: | (::[]::) |
| Lainey smiled. | |
| LainBrain says: | thanks 4 the pity |
| ElCapitan says: | been there. HATED trig. Got a C. |
| LainBrain says: | moms gonna scalp me. prob grounded 4 life |
| ElCapitan says: | 2 bad. I like ur hair |
| ElCapitan says: | & ur pretty head |
She blushed, absently stroking a damp piece of hair that had escaped her towel turban. He was so easy to talk to.
| ElCapitan says: | have to meet u |
Lainey stared at the screen. She totally wasn’t expecting that.
| ElCapitan says: | what about Friday nite? Wanna c Zombieland? |
| ElCapitan says: | we can grab sum food 2 |
Oh my God. He was asking her out. Wait – was this a date? She looked around the room, as if hoping to see an audience there who could corroborate what she’d just read and interpret exactly what it meant. Where the heck was Molly when you needed her? Of course it was a date … Movies meant date. Food meant date. Movies and food definitely meant date. A real date. She was just asked out! Then the complete joy that had her jumping up and down in her room, squealing like a piglet, stopped as quickly as it had come on, replaced by icy, realistic panic. What was she doing? There was no way her mom was gonna let her go. No freakin’ way. Especially if she knew Zach was seventeen. She nibbled on a nail. Shit. She didn’t want to tell him no. What if he didn’t ask again?
| ElCapitan says: | hello? |
| LainBrain says: | Hmmm … I definitely want 2 see that. |
| ElCapitan says: | will ur mom b cool? |
| LainBrain says: | dont know. specially after today |
| ElCapitan says: | then dont tell her |
Lainey stared at the computer as if it were alive, watching her carefully through its blinking curser. Her stomach twisted with both unease and excitement.
| ElCapitan says: | what she dont know cant hurt her |
She looked around the empty room. A strange tickle itched the back of her throat, as if something had gotten stuck halfway down and wasn’t budging any more. That could work. She could tell her mom she was going to the movies with that new girl, Carrie. It’s not like she’d ever check, anyway. Liza was the problem child, not her. And short of, ‘Did you have a good time?’ she knew there’d be no questions asked. There never were.
| LainBrain says: | I cant b home 2 late though |
| ElCapitan says: | ull b home by 10. I have practice @ 8 |
| ElCapitan says: | thats AM!!! |
Lainey chewed on her lip. Her brain was a mush of thoughts. What should she do?
| ElCapitan says: | u still there? |
| LainBrain says: | ummm … thinking |
| ElCapitan says: | I’ll pick u up at school. weve played CS High b4. Stay late and meet me @ 5:30 in the parking lot in back by the baseball field. Ill b in a black BMW |
| LainBrain says: | 5:30? |
| ElCapitan says: | cant get the car till Dad gets home. CS is a hoof |
That’s right. Zach lived in Jupiter, which, according to MapQuest was, like, an hour away. He was gonna drive an hour just to see her … Lainey took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding. She’d never done anything wrong before. Besides the picture, she’d never gone against the rules. But her mom would just say no for the sake of saying no, and because she had these dumb, arbitrary rules about how old you had to be to do certain things. Twelve for make-up, thirteen for group dates, fifteen for car dates. A knee-jerk reaction to Liza’s screwed-up adolescence. If she didn’t go on Friday, when would she ever meet Zach? Never, that’s when.
| LainBrain says: | k. sounds like fun |
| ElCapitan says: | cool. keep it low. I don’t want ur mom or step to trip. Find a theater near u where its playin |
| LainBrain says: | k |
| ElCapitan says: | cant wait to finally meet u |
| LainBrain says: | me 2 |
She leaned back in the chair. Her brain was spinning. She not only had to figure out how she was gonna get herself across town on Friday afternoon to Coral Springs High – which she’d never even been to before – she also had to figure out how that self was gonna look like the girl he thought she was when she got there. Then an icy thought gripped her, causing a race of goosebumps to ripple across the back of her neck.
What if it didn’t work? What if he saw right through her and knew she was thirteen? What would he do then?
The computer blurped.
| ElCapitan says: | dont worry. ull b safe w/me |
She smiled. It was as if he’d just read her mind. Again.
| ElCapitan says: | im no psycho |
