Deep Green: Color Me Jealous with Bonus Content (20 page)

Well,
that
just got me. And it was then and there I decided that the only way out of this thing was to lie—simply and believably. And so I did.

I looked right up at Thea and, using my best poker face, told a whopper. “What makes you think
that?
”

“Huh?” Now Andrea turned around and looked at me with wide eyes. “Really? You too?”

Our area of the locker room got a lot quieter and I felt my friends all staring at me now. Without even blinking, I returned their looks (although I avoided Emily completely). I mean, if anyone could blow my cover, it would be my best friend. Just the same, I decided to risk it. I nodded at Andrea and then shrugged as if it were nothing. “Yeah, it’s no big deal.”

“No way,” said Kirsti as she sat down on the bench beside me. “You’re making this up, Zoë.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “Yeah, like I would make this up.”

“When?” demanded Thea. “With who?”

“Last summer,” I lied like an expert. “Remember when I went to California to visit my grandma?”

“No way,” said Kirsti again. “You met a guy in California?”

I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. A surfer.”

“No way!” shrieked Kirsti. “You did it with a surfer dude?”

“I don’t believe you,” said Thea. “What’s his name?”

“Daniel Englewood,” I said without even blinking an eyelash. It was actually the name of a little neighbor boy that I’d babysat a couple of times while staying at my grandma’s house, which, by the way, wasn’t even close to a beach. “He was tan and blond and really buff.” Then I actually sighed as if the memory was making me light-headed. “Daniel was so incredibly cool. I really miss him.”

“Way to go,” said Kirsti, patting me on the back.

“Yeah,” agreed Thea, apparently convinced. “Was he good? Did you do it on the beach?”

“Oh, yeah,” I said, standing up and looking at everyone, except Emily, who I knew could see right through me. “But it was more than just the sex, you know. He was really nice too. We were together the whole time I was in California. We promised to write.”

“Do you love him?” asked Andrea.

I pretended to consider this. “I’m not sure,” I finally said. “But he was a cool guy—a great first, you know.”

It wasn’t until Emily was giving me a ride home later that she questioned my little story. “You never told me about this Daniel guy, Zoë,” she said as she drove away from school.

I just shrugged and looked out the window. “Everyone has some secrets.”

“But I’m your best friend,” she reminded me. “I told you all about Todd, practically the next day.”

“Well, that was different,” I told her. “You and Todd had been going together a long time. I guess I was a little embarrassed about my fling with Daniel, since I’d just met him, you know, and he lives so far away.”

Emily didn’t say much after that, but I sensed that I’d hurt her feelings. I even considered telling her the truth, but somehow I couldn’t make myself do it. And so for the next few months, I engaged in the locker-room talk a bit more—just so I could be believable. Oh, I never actually said anything too specific when it came to sex. I followed Andrea and Emily’s leads by remaining slightly aloof. But I’d sometimes laugh at Kirsti’s off-color jokes and then I’d just roll my eyes at Thea’s creepy descriptions of her latest sexual exploits, but all the time I just kept thinking that I didn’t fit in, that I would never fit in.

And now that it’s time to go back to school again, it seems more painfully obvious than ever that (1) I don’t even have a boyfriend, (2) I am living a complete lie, and (3) I am the last virgin remaining on the planet.

about the author

M
ELODY
C
ARLSON
has written dozens of books for all age groups, but she particularly enjoys writing for teens. Perhaps this is because her own teen years remain so vivid in her memory. After claiming to be an atheist at the ripe old age of twelve, she later surrendered her heart to Jesus and has been following him ever since. Her hope and prayer for all her readers is that each one would be touched by God in a special way through her stories. For more information, please visit Melody’s website at
www.melodycarlson.com
.

a maya davis novel

COOL BEANS

erynn mangum

CHAPTER ONE

The October day is perfect. The sun is shining. The air is crisp. The birds are chirping. The faintest mist is just fading in the earliest rays of light.

It’s morning.

“Miss?” There’s a man in a rather dorky-looking outfit staring at me. “Miss?”

“Oh, it’s Maya,” I correct him.

“Maya. Did you want something?” He’s frowning at me now.

“What?”

“Did… you … want… something?” he says, slower, waving his hand around in a circle. “From the concession stand?”

I suddenly realize there are rows and rows of candy behind the dorky man. “Oh!” I say. “Sorry. Yes, I would like a Milky Way.”

Dorky Man’s frown deepens. “A what?”

“Milky Way. A Milky Way. Milk chocolate, caramel, that squishy stuff that I can never remember what it’s called?”

“I’ve never heard of a Milky Way.”

“Are you kidding?” I am aghast.

And barefoot. Suddenly, there is a damp sensation on my toes. I look down and see my pink toenails gradually disappearing into a large puddle forming near the concession stand.

“Apparently there’s a leak,” I say, pointing.

Dorky Man isn’t finished. “And chocolate. What is chocolate?”

SPLASH! I slip and fall flat into the puddle. I’m gasping for breath. “Chocolate! Chocolate!”

He apparently doesn’t notice my fall. “Don’t know what that is. Go somewhere else. Next!”

A dog starts a mournful howl somewhere in the distance that echoes the cry in my heart.
He doesn’t know what chocolate is!
The dog gets louder.
What if my whole life was a wonderful dream, and this is reality?
And louder. Now it’s a mournful, yipping bark.
What if I am stuck in this puddle forever? What if —

“SHUT UP!!!”

I gasp, jumping, falling off the bed and landing with a resounding
crack!
on the floor.

Calvin, my beagle, is still barking his head off. I close my eyes and rest my cheek on the cool wood floor.

It’s 2:24 a.m., Thursday. I don’t have to look at the clock to know this.

“Ohhh …” Now my mournful moaning is in competition with Calvin’s. With my ear mashed against the floor, I can hear the stomping getting closer. I feel like an Indian in one of those old movies who can tell when the posse is coming.

“Maya Elise Davis!”

Jen is not happy on this Thursday early-
early
morning.

“Mmm?”

“Your dumb dog has been going at it every Wednesday night for the last six months, and I’m sick of it!”

I scoot around on the floor a bit so I can see my wild-haired, pajama-clad roommate and, I guess, former best friend, standing in my doorway, dimly lit by the hall light.

Poor Calvin is now lying prostrate in front of Jen, head between his paws, making little
rooo … rooo … rooo
noises.

“You scared me,” I mumble. “I fell out of bed.”

“How can you sleep through that?” she huffs. “Whatever. Now that he’s done, I’m going back to bed.” She leaves, flicking the hall light off.

“Roo … rooo …”

“She’s gone, Calvin.”

The dog sighs and then doggy crawls to where my left leg is and rests his head on my ankle.

I close my eyes again.

Mmm … Chocolate …

I sigh. Hot chocolate. No, no! Even better! Mocha.

“Ohhh …” I lick my lips.

Opening my eyes, I’m immediately confused. Usually, my first view of the morning is the clouds, rainbows, and little bluebirds I painted all over my ceiling. Today, I’m staring underneath my armoire.

Yuck. I need to remember to vacuum under here.

Apparently, I am on the floor lying on my stomach. My head is on my hands, and my left leg is completely asleep.

I look down and see why. “Calvin.”

I swear the dog shakes his head.

“Move, Calvin.”

He grunts but pulls his long-eared head away from my ankle.

I push myself to a standing position and immediately groan.

Sleeping on floor: bad idea.

I shuffle to the kitchen, eyes half closed, one hand holding my lower back, the other grabbing the high counter.

Jen, looking smart in a blazer, pants, and heels, shakes her coifed head at me. “Wow. Welcome to life.”

“I dreamed — I had such a nightmare.” I collapse onto one of the bar stools. “There wasn’t any more chocolate, and a man in a dorky outfit didn’t even know what it was.” I hold my head in my hands. “It was terrible.”

Jen doesn’t say anything for a minute. “Your cheek has your class ring imprinted into it.” She pokes my face.
“Cal-Hudson. 2006.”

“Swell.”

“Calvin was at it again last night. I hate that dog. Every Wednesday night, Maya! And why were you sleeping on the floor?”

“Hey, Calvin can’t help it.” I look over to where the little beagle is emerging from my bedroom, eyes all sleepy. “He just hears something every week. You scared me when you yelled, and I fell off the bed.” I point to my imprinted cheek. “This is
your
fault.”

“No, it’s Calvin the Blunder Dog’s fault.” She finishes her cup of blackberry-orange tea and rinses it out in the sink. “What time are you working today?”

“Ten to close.” I yawn. “I might go in early for a mocha.”

Ooh. Mocha.
Just saying the word makes my whole body crave it.

Jen watches me, finally smiling. “You are ridiculous. I wish you could see your expression right now, all wistful and sappy looking. And just over the mention of coffee.”

“Not just coffee, Jen.
Mochas”.

“Whatever.” She rolls her eyes but grins wider. And my best friend is officially back. Jen’s not a nice person until after she gets her tea fix. She’s weird that way.

“Well, have a good day. I’m off. I’ll be back around six-ish.” She grabs her briefcase and flicks me in the forehead.

“Ow.”

“Laters.” The door clicks after her. I look over at Calvin, who sits in the middle of the hallway, staring lazily at me.

“You do not get to eat breakfast in there. If I have to make it to the kitchen, you do too,” I tell him.

Calvin huffs.

“Tough.”

Letting out another huge breath, he trips into the kitchen and falls in front of his bowl.