Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
I couldn’t bring myself to hug her back because my bold declaration of love backfired. With the utmost bravery, I had set my heart at her feet, and she treated it like a speed bump. To my knowledge, we had never said those words to each other. It wasn’t like my mom telling me ten times a day how much she loved me. Did girls do that? Did they say “I love you” to their friends? Guys didn’t.
“Come on.” She looped her arm with mine. “I’ll buy the ice cream. So, did you get your short story grade back?”
I glanced over my shoulder and took a mental picture of the crime scene, where she unknowingly shot me down with an arrow dipped in the poison of unrequited love.
Gabby was my Matt.
CHAPTER SIX
MADONNA, “LIKE A PRAYER”
Gabby
My life was over.
It had been three weeks since the near-kiss incident with Matt. I had no reason to call him. God hadn’t blessed me with allowing our paths to cross on campus. And no mutual friends or family members died, so I could have a reason to call him and suggest we go to the funeral together.
To make matters worse, Olivia and Ben had been on three dates, and she wouldn’t stop talking about what a good kisser he was, his broad chest and bulging biceps, or the way he smelled like pine trees, and was just so “bad to the bone.”
Ugh! He was a music major which was the opposite of bad to the bone.
As I studied for my Developmental Psychology test and ate Wheat Thins, the phone rang. I didn’t bother to get up to answer it. No one called me, except for my parents. But it was Thursday, and they only called on Saturdays.
Olivia hightailed it off her bed to answer it. Her Walkman crashed to the floor. Luckily it landed on the hot pink rug. “Hello? Oh, yeah, she’s right here. Gabby, it’s for you.” She held her hand over the receiver and whispered, “It’s a guy.”
“Ben?” I said, stopping short of rolling my eyes.
She shook her head, handing me the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Gabby, it’s Matt.”
I sucked in a breath like a newborn baby, and I wanted to scream like one, too, as I mouthed, “It’s Matt,” to Olivia.
Her eyes widened.
“Hey,” I said without losing it.
“My two roommates and I are having a party at our house tomorrow night. Do you have plans? If not, you should come.”
I slapped a hand over my mouth and jumped up and down.
Olivia giggled. “What? What did he say?”
I shook my head and pressed a finger to my lips to shush her, then I cleared my throat. “Um, yeah. That sounds fun.”
I was dying.
“Great. Do you have something to jot down my address?”
I scrambled, pulling on the phone cord to snag a pen from my desk. “Okay,” I said, uncapping the pen with my teeth and writing his address on my forearm. “Got it,” I mumbled, spitting the cap out of my mouth.
“Bring Ben and your roommate, if you want.”
“Um, okay.” I turned in one direction and then the other, trying to pace the room while the phone cord tangled around me.
“It starts at seven, but you can come anytime.”
I nodded as if he could see me.
“See ya.”
“Bye.” I hung up the phone. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! OH MY GOSH!” I jumped up and down, sending the phone flying to the floor as the receiver dangled from my arm.
“Dude, take a chill pill.” Olivia untangled me and hung up the phone.
I grabbed her arms. “Matt is having a party tomorrow night, and he invited ME!”
“Oh my god! Schweet!” She joined in my jubilant celebration with a squeal and manic jumping up and down. “What are you going to wear? Do you think his girlfriend will be there? Oh my god, Gabby! What if she’s not? He’s going to kiss you. No, he’s going to do more than kiss you.” She threw open the closet door and rifled through my things. “We have to find something for you to wear. You have to look fantabulous.” She stepped back and deflated. “But it’s none of this crap. Why do you dress like Holly Hobbie?”
“Okay. Okay. Okay.” I blew out a long breath. “You and Ben are invited too, but I don’t know if I want you there. No offense.”
She frowned.
“It’s just that if you’re there, then he’ll know I have someone to talk to, but if you’re not there, then he’ll probably keep me at his side and introduce me to all of his friends.”
“Unless his girlfriend is there.”
I nodded, biting my thumbnail. “Yeah. Maybe I should call him back and ask.”
“No! You can’t do that. Ben and I will go, and if she’s not there, we’ll make up an excuse to leave. But if she is there, we’ll stay until you’re ready to leave.”