Crush Alert Read online

  I’m sorry I didn’t write back before, but life got really crazy. But you, Sophie, can predict the future. Everything between me and Nick was one big fat misunderstanding, just like your said. And now everything is perfect…more than perfect. And now…are you ready? Nick kissed me. Yes, my first kiss. Is it even possible? Everything is so wonderful!!! I’m not sure I want to tell anyone else yet about my first kiss, but I know you will keep my secret safe.

  Au revoir,

  Charlotte

  P.S. I didn’t get any sleep last night!

  P.P.S. You must write back…and soon!

  Charlotte sat for a minute, trying to recall exactly what the kiss had felt like. It was easier to remember the words Nick had said, and the way he blinked afterward, and stuck his hands deep in his pockets.

  “You up there?” her dad’s voice echoed up the stairs to the Tower where she sat at her computer.

  “Yes,” Charlotte answered, yawning, and stumbled down to the kitchen still dressed in her pj’s.

  “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Dad said, placing a steaming stack of pancakes on her plate. “Or should I say Cinderella? Cinderella’s the one who danced the night away.”

  A knock on the door interrupted them. Mr. Ramsey walked down the winding staircase to answer it while Charlotte dribbled maple syrup over her pancakes.

  “Maeve, Isabel! This is a pleasant surprise. Come and have some pancakes!” Charlotte heard them all pounding up the stairs, and then her friends burst into the kitchen, stomping the snow off their boots.

  “Charlotte! You’re awake! We just have to talk,” Maeve gushed. “All of us! Wasn’t that the most wonderful dance ever?” She threw up her arms and twirled around the kitchen next to a bemused Mr. Ramsey.

  Then Maeve turned to Charlotte’s dad. “Mr. Ramsey, we have to steal Charlotte and go to Montoya’s. After all, it was the dance of the century, and all us girls have to debrief.”

  Charlotte tried not to smile too obviously. Maeve didn’t even know half of what happened!

  “But…I’m in my pj’s, and…” Charlotte pointed at her breakfast with her fork.

  Mr. Ramsey was at the stove again, pouring on more batter. “Girls! There’s plenty for everyone.”

  “Oh, thank you so much Mr. Ramsey, but I absolutely couldn’t.” Maeve’s eyes got all big and she sounded exactly like one of her favorite movie stars. “See, we’re in such a hurry. Katani and Avery are already on their way to Montoya’s! And we have to bring Charlotte—it wouldn’t be right without her.”

  Charlotte nearly coughed up a bite of pancakes. Montoya’s! What if Nick thinks I’m following him around now? It was unlikely, but still. He wouldn’t say anything in front of her friends, would he?

  “Well, I guess I’ll just have to freeze my special pancakes,” he said, patting his daughter on the back. “But, I am a little curious, girls. Didn’t you all just see each other last night at the dance?” Her father looked at all of them quizzically.

  “Well, I wasn’t there—” Isabel started to explain.

  “And there’s so much to discuss!” Maeve interrupted. “The DJ, the refreshments, what everyone wore…think of it as super-important girl talk, Mr. Ramsey.”

  Mr. Ramsey went back to the stove and flipped some fresh pancakes onto a plate. “Well, in that case, Charlotte, I think you’d better get dressed,” he said, smiling.

  Charlotte looked down at her half-eaten breakfast. “Thanks, Dad. I should probably save some room if we’re going to…the bakery.” She hoped her friends wouldn’t notice that she didn’t say Montoya’s. She was worried the name might make her voice go all funny like it had on the phone with Nick the other night.

  Mr. Ramsey shrugged. “I’m sure Marty will enjoy the remains of your breakfast. Go have fun with your friends! The little dude’s appetite seems to be back.” He chuckled as Marty stood next to him looking up with a pleading expression.

  Within five minutes the friends were walking down Beacon Street on their way to Montoya’s. What will Nick think? Charlotte wondered nervously.

  Hearts and Hummingbirds

  Avery jumped up on her chair and waved when Maeve arrived at Montoya’s with Charlotte and Isabel. The bakery was always crowded on Saturday mornings, and today was no exception. The girls had to squeeze their way through a line that reached from the cash register almost to the door just to get to the table. Charlotte sat down facing the counter, and kept an eye out for Nick’s dark hair.

  “What took you so long?” Katani asked, after hugging her friends. “People kept trying to take the chairs we saved for you!”

  “Char was still in her pj’s,” Isabel explained.

  “And Mr. Ramsey wanted to make us pancakes!” Maeve sniffed the air. “It was very gracious of him to offer, but we explained,” she added with a flourish, “that this was an important BSG meeting. And I personally think we need Montoya’s hot chocolate…agreed?”

  As if answering her question, Nick appeared with a tray of five hot chocolates and a plate of fresh-baked muffins. Charlotte avoided his eyes, but watched him pass the drinks around and lay the plate of muffins on the table. She tried to keep her breath steady but couldn’t, partially because Maeve kept looking over at her with sparkling eyes.

  Really, she felt ready to explode inside. It was a strange feeling, partly anticipation, like opening a birthday present, and partly feeling like you were hiding under the covers.

  “Hey, Char,” he said quietly, holding out the plate. “What’s up, BSG?” He nodded at the other girls.

  “Busy place this morning,” Katani commented.

  Nick nodded. “Yeah, everybody’s coming in today. My parents had to drag me out of bed to help. I saw you guys sitting here, and well…I figured I’d grab you some fresh pastries ’cause the line is so long you might not get any.”

  Charlotte thought Nick was rambling a bit. Maybe he’s a little nervous too, she figured as she twisted a strand of her hair.

  “Thanks, dude!” Avery grabbed a warm muffin. “If any more people come in, you’ll have to get some of those swingy things like they have for lines at the airport.”

  “Swingy things?” Maeve laughed.

  “What? Do you know what they’re called?” Avery challenged.

  “Charlotte?” Katani asked. “You’re the resident expert on words and airports!”

  “Umm…” Charlotte couldn’t think of anything at all with Nick standing right there.

  Nick answered instead. “I think you just call them ropes, Ave…I have to get back to work,” he said quickly. “Wish I could hang out, but…” He gestured at the line.

  “No problem,” Isabel assured him. “Good luck!”

  “Thanks for the muffins,” Charlotte blurted out, and he gave her a little wave as he disappeared back behind the counter.

  “You guys are sooo adorable!” Maeve exclaimed, all talk of airports and lines forgotten. “So tell me everything! What did he say to you out in the falling snow? I bet it was romantic! Did he kiss the back of your hand and apologize?”

  “Maeve!” Katani scolded, seeing Charlotte’s pale expression. “Maybe she doesn’t want to talk about it.”

  “It…it’s okay,” Charlotte said quietly. “I mean, things are actually great! We had the best time together after I stopped acting all weird!”

  “I know what you mean!” Isabel agreed. “I thought it would be terrible to miss the dance, but you know what? I had a great time at Jeri’s Place.” She lifted up an old shopping bag she’d been carrying. “I even had time to make something for each of you.”

  “You didn’t?!” Maeve stared at the bag, eyes sparkling. She just loved gifts!

  Isabel unwrapped a ceramic heart magnet about the size of her palm. Painted in the middle was a beautiful pink hummingbird. “This one’s for you, Maeve, because you are so sweet and friendly.”

  Maeve clutched her magnet and crooned. “It’s beautiful! I’m going to keep it in my locker.”

  Isabel ga
ve Charlotte a crane, for world travel and good luck, Avery a bluebird for happiness, and Katani an elegant swan.

  “What about you, Izzy?” Charlotte asked.

  “Well…” Izzy reached into the bag and pulled out a green-and-pink egg-shaped magnet. “Kevin made this one for me,” she confessed. “It’s an Easter Egg.”

  “What?!” All her friends said at once.

  Isabel laughed. “You had to be there!”

  Confessions of a Single Dad

  Charlotte arrived home again two hours later. After Isabel’s gifts, they’d started discussing the girls’ dresses, then they went on to the best dance moves, and everyone agreed that Riley and Maeve’s performance was awesome.

  And just when they were ready to leave, Chelsea showed up with Trevor, Dillon, and Henry Yurt. She’d run into the boys while printing out her favorite pictures from the dance at the automatic photo machine in the pharmacy. They all laughed at a shot of Yurt doing a spectacular jump move, and Maeve fell in love with an adorable picture of all the BSG holding the hearts they’d helped hang all over the gym.

  Charlotte’s dad was washing dishes at the sink when she walked in. “So?” he asked. “Are ever going to fill me in on this dance?”

  Charlotte had enjoyed herself so much, she’d barely had time to think about what to tell her dad. She picked up a towel and started drying the dishes. I can’t tell him everything…not yet, at least.

  “It was fun, Dad.” She leaned down to put the frying pan away. “The music was fantastic.”

  “I’m glad you had a nice time,” her dad said. “So…you and Nick…”

  How does he always know what I’m thinking? Charlotte was glad she had her head in a cabinet so her dad couldn’t see her blush.

  “Yeah?” She stood up and calmly took a plate from the drying rack.

  “You really like him, huh?”

  Charlotte shrugged. “Well, he’s…really nice…and he wants to travel, too.”

  Mr. Ramsey nodded. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me everything, but you know you can…if you want.”

  Charlotte put the plate away and they worked in silence for a few moments.

  When Mr. Ramsey finally spoke again, he looked wistful. “I can still remember my first date with your mom. She looked so lovely that day with her long hair hanging down—looking like someone out of a Renaissance painting. And I still remember what she was wearing—a simple pair of blue jeans and a red sweater.” Dad shook his head and laughed. “We went to the Beacon Street Movie House. I remember we saw the movie Casablanca, a great Humphrey Bogart flick.” Her dad stood quietly for a minute, letting the water run into the sink.

  An echoing sadness filled Charlotte’s heart. Maybe, if her mom were still alive, she’d be able to tell her about last night and her very first kiss. That was what moms were for. Charlotte sighed and tried to focus her mind on something else, but thinking about moms made her remember Mrs. Madden and the voice mail she’d overheard.

  Charlotte put the last dish away and sat down at the table. “Dad, I need to ask you something,” she said.

  Mr. Ramsey sat down on the chair next to her and folded his hands. “Ask away, sweetie.”

  Charlotte took a deep breath. No use dancing around the issue. I’m just going to blurt it out, she thought. “Dad…how did your date go with Avery’s mom?”

  Her dad jerked back so suddenly, he almost fell off his chair. At first Charlotte thought he was choking, but then she realized he was totally blown away by her question.

  He took a napkin and dabbed at his watering eyes as Charlotte went back to her seat. “Okay. Wow. I wasn’t prepared for that one.” He laughed.

  “Dad!” Charlotte couldn’t believe it. It felt like he was the kid and she was the grownup! “This isn’t funny. I heard the message she left you. You went to that French restaurant last night.”

  Mr. Ramsey smiled at his daughter. “Oh, Charlotte! I’m so sorry, I should have explained, but you were so busy getting ready for the dance…I didn’t want to bother you!”

  “Well, next time you decide to date my friend’s mom, maybe you could let me know?” She was still a little annoyed, but something about the look in her dad’s eyes made her think she was missing something.

  “It wasn’t a date, Charlotte! We went with a whole group of people. A friend of mine at the university had the idea. Why don’t a bunch of single parents get together so we don’t have to spend Valentine’s Day alone? I invited Bif because I thought she might be interested…now, we all had such a great time, the group is thinking of getting together once a month, maybe.”

  Charlotte laughed with relief. “You’re not dating?”

  Her dad shook his head, then reached over and patted Charlotte’s shoulder. “No, honey…I…there’s no one right now. But, I do get lonely sometimes, so this group could be a really nice way to meet new people.”

  My dad lonely! Charlotte felt terrible. She never thought of her dad being lonely. He was so busy at school, he had his articles to write, and he had her and Marty. Suddenly, she realized she wasn’t the only one to miss her mom.

  When her dad saw the look on her face he sighed deeply. “You know, Charlotte, when you lose someone you love, it sometimes takes quite a while to imagine another person in your life.”

  Charlotte ran and hugged her dad. The two of them stood together comforting each other until Marty started jumping on both of them.

  “I think he wants in on the hug too,” Charlotte laughed.

  The Truth and Nothing but the Truth

  After eating more than her fair share of muffins at Montoya’s, Avery lay curled up on the couch, watching Boston College basketball. Scott was sprawled in the arm chair across the room. It was their favorite local team.

  “When’s Red Sox opening day again?” Avery asked. Soccer and basketball were her favorite sports to play, but baseball had to be her favorite to watch. She couldn’t stand waiting all winter for her favorite team’s first game.

  “Not till April,” Scott yawned.

  A commercial came on, and a singing cat tap-danced across the screen, waiting for its owner to fill its food bowl. Mrs. Madden stuck her head in the room. “Are you two going to peel yourselves away from that screen anytime soon?”

  “Mom, we deserve a break…,” Avery started.

  “Well, I need some help here some time today. This room is a mess!” Their mom gestured around at what, to Avery and Scott, seemed to be a pristine and dustless living room.

  “Sit down and relax, Mom,” Scott pointed to the couch. To Avery’s surprise, she actually sat, perching with her hands clasped.

  “Did you have fun last night?” she asked Avery.

  “Sure, Mom.” Avery shrugged, then blurted out before thinking, “What about you? How was your date?”

  Scott gave her a look. “Come on, Ave, don’t bug her.”

  “Oh!” Their mom looked confused. “I had a wonderful time. But it wasn’t a date! Whatever gave you that idea?”

  Scott glared at Avery, who jumped up and stared like an undercover detective. “You’re not dating Mr. Ramsey?”

  “Mr. Ramsey!” Avery’s mom burst out laughing. “Oh, oh, dear!”

  “What?” Avery insisted, standing in front of her mother with her arms crossed.

  Mrs. Madden gathered Avery in her arms. “We went out as a big group of single parents. Mr. Ramsey was there, but so were about ten new friends of ours!”

  “Really, Mom?” Avery asked, comfortable inside her mom’s hug.

  “Really, sweetheart. I would tell you if I had a date.” She kissed the top of Avery’s head.

  Scott stood up and stretched. “Cool. I’m meeting some friends. Tell me how the game ends, Ave?”

  When her brother left the room, Avery pulled away from her mom.

  “I…I wanted to talk to you about something else, Mom.”

  “Go ahead, my love.”

  And then Avery told her everything—about Dillon asking her t
o the dance and her turning him down because Maeve wanted him to ask her.

  “But everything worked out,” Avery finished up, “Because Maeve decided she has way more in common with this dude named Riley—which is totally true because both of them are crazy about music and performing.”

  “But here’s the thing,” she tried to explain. “I still feel kind of weird about the whole Dillon situation. I mean, he asked me to the dance so I think he might kinda sorta like me or something, and…”

  The basketball game ended in a cascade of cheers. Avery stared at the screen for a minute.

  Mrs. Madden nodded encouragingly. “And?”

  “How can I play soccer and stuff with him now? Won’t it be weird?”

  Mrs. Madden’s lips twitched. “Honey, it’s perfectly normal and fine to be just friends with boys. Dillon’s one of your best buddies, and that hasn’t changed. He’ll probably be relieved if you just go back to that,” she said as she ruffled her daughter’s hair.

  “You’ll know,” she added, “when you start seeing boys a new way. And there’s no need to be in a big hurry to get there! Someday you’ll find a guy with the perfect sense of humor, intelligence, and…”

  “And crazy skill at sports, right?” Avery piped in.

  “You got it, kiddo!” Her mom laughed.

  Avery smiled. Her mom might get on her nerves a lot, but she always knew the right thing to say to make Avery feel better.

  She gave her mom a quick hug. “Okay. I’ll help you clean up after I get some homework done.”

  Before taking out her English book, Avery signed onto IM. None of her BSG friends were on, but another name caught her attention. SnwbrdrJ. Jason. Compared to Dillon and all the boys at AAJH, he was a totally different kind of dude.

  Avery went to her closet and began rummaging through her backpack. Jason misses me. An unfamiliar feeling crept up on her when she realized that she missed Jason too.

  CHAPTER 20

  Love Is in the Air

  Outside, the sun shone off drifts of freshly fallen snow. Marty trudged along beside Avery and Charlotte, his stubby tail drooping, as the girls walked toward Amory Park.