Holly's Heart Collection Two (69 page)

I giggled. “What’s it look like?”

Saundra beamed, coming around and hugging him. “Read it, darling.”

“It’s a list,” he said, frowning at first. “A
prayer
list?” He read it silently first, then out loud.

“Number one, Robert’s complete recovery. Number two, many more anniversaries together. Number three, a surprise trip to Tahiti with my husband. Happy anniversary!”

Tyler, Andie, and I applauded the success of her secret mission and Daddy’s steady recovery.

When I called home to Dressel Hills later that night, Mom asked if Andie was around.

“She’s right here, why?”

“Stan has something to say to her.”

“Okay,” I said cautiously as I handed her the phone.

“Hello?” Andie said hesitantly.

A short pause followed.

Then she said, “You’re not friends with Ryan anymore? Why, what happened?”

I held my breath.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Andie said.

Another pause. I wondered what was going on between the two of them.

Soon, Andie’s grin gave her away. “Sure, I forgive you. Just don’t let it happen again.”

Perfect! My best friend and my brousin (cousin-turned-stepbrother) had made up. As for the Ryan Davises and the Rico Hernandezes of the world—well, prayer changes things. And people, too.

I must never forget.

LITTLE WHITE LIES

The Absolute Truth:
How Honest Are You?
A Quiz

Holly grabbed her beach towel and sun block. “Little white lies aren’t really white, you know,” she said to Andie.

“And not so little, either,” Andie said, carrying a Thermos of lemonade and her beach bag. The two girls headed across the park to the Dressel Hills Portal Pool.

“Some kids lie all the time and think nothing of it,” Holly remarked. “But the problem with lying is remembering what you said.”

“Yeah, so you have to tell another one to cover up the
first
lie,” Andie agreed.

Holly sighed. “When it comes right down to it, the best thing is to tell the truth, even if you’re in trouble, and just deal with the consequences.”

Andie giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Holly asked.

“I was just thinking of Danny Myers. He’d be quoting Scriptures by now.”

Holly nodded. “Like the one in Proverbs. ‘Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.’ ”

“Actually I was thinking about the verse in Revelation where it talks about liars being cast into the lake of fire,” Andie said.

Both girls shivered.

“After what happened this summer,” Holly said, “I think I’d rather go with ‘truthful lips.’ ”

Andie agreed wholeheartedly.

So, what about you? Does the temptation to lie give you the creeps, or is it no big deal? Let’s see how honest you really are. Take the honesty quiz and find out.

1. You and your friends drop in on the nearest fast-food place. Instead of change for a five, the clerk gives you change for a ten. What’s your response?

a. Keep the extra money. (Who knows how many times you’ve been shortchanged before. This’ll balance things out, right?)

b. Give the extra money back.

c. Donate the extra money to your favorite charity.

2. A new family moves into your apartment complex. They need an experienced baby-sitter, at least fifteen years old. You’re experienced but only fourteen. You really need the bucks. What do you do?

a. Wear your hair up during the interview and fib if they ask your age. (After all, you look sixteen.)

b. Volunteer your actual age in hopes of impressing them with your responsibility and honesty.

c. Tell the truth, but only if they ask. d. Don’t bother to interview.

3. You’re grounded for the weekend—no phone calls allowed. On Saturday, Mom and Dad go out for the evening. You’re bored and dying to call your best friend. What do you do?

a. Call her. After all, you have homework questions.

b. Surprise your mom and clean up the kitchen.

c. Leave the house. Use the pay phone at the 7-Eleven.

4. Your friend loves her new hairstyle. But you liked it better the old way. When she asks your opinion, you say:

a. “Looks cool.”

b. “It’s okay, but I prefer the old way.”

c. “What are you doing for spring break?” (Change the subject—fast!)

d. “Are you serious? Please, change it back!”

5. During a test, you can see the smartest kid’s answers one desk away. The teacher leaves the room. You need a good grade to stay on the girls’ volleyball team. So you:

a. Sneak a peek. (The team needs you!)

b. Rely on last night’s cramming efforts.

c. Finish the test quickly, in time to double-check the smart kid’s answers. (It’s not really cheating, is it?)

6. Your best friend asks you to keep a major secret. She emphasizes that you’re the only one who knows. Another friend wants to hear the full scoop, too, and promises to keep it quiet. What will you do?

a. Tell her, but make her promise not to tell.

b. Keep the secret. You’re loyal, aren’t you?

c. Tell her and five others. Your friend will understand.

7. At the amusement park, the Big Bad Wolf roller coaster entices you, but the lines are incredibly long. (A sign says there’s a sixty-minute wait.) Your impatient friends begin cutting through to the front, telling people, “Mom and Dad are waiting just ahead.” What do you do?

a. Save some precious ride time and go along with the story.

b. Wait at the end of the line…despite what your friends do.

c. Let your friends cut through the line, then tell people, “My pals are waiting for me just ahead.”

8. Five of your friends are headed for the mall. You want to go, but your mom’s not crazy about the idea. What do you tell her?

a. “All my friends have permission.” (Well, maybe three.)

b. “You can trust me, Mom. You won’t be sorry you let me go. You’ll see.”

c. “They’ll kick me out of the group forever if I don’t go.”

d. “Please, Mom? I’ll do all the dishes for a year.”

9. After school, while your teacher is out of the room, you accidentally break her glass paperweight. No one sees it happen. You:

a. Say nothing unless she asks about it.

b. Apologize and offer to pay for the paperweight.

c. Deny breaking it if asked.

10. Walking along the beach, you find a wallet containing $500. There’s no ID, only a name inside. What do you do?

a. Hit the nearest mega-mall and shop till you drop.

b. Exhaust every possible lead until you find the owner.

c. Attempt to find the owner. Keep the money if you fail.

Scoring:

Give yourself two points for each “b” answer, one point for each “d” answer, and zip for each “a” or “c” answer. Subtract one point for each time you answered “b” only because you knew it was the correct response, not because that’s what you’d actually do. Be honest.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all who have helped to make the Holly’s Heart series a successful reality. I’m forever grateful to Charette Barta and Sharon Madison, who believed in Holly-Heart from her earliest beginnings, as well as to my superb editor, Rochelle Glöege, whose suggestions and encouragement are so valuable to me.

Big hugs to my terrific teen consultants—Mindie, Amy, Kirsten, Anastasia, Jonathan, Kristin, Aleya, Shanna, Andrea, Mindie, Janie, and Julie. With their fantastic ideas and input, they made the Holly’s Heart series even more fun to create!

Hurrah for my SCBWI critique group, as well as reviewer Barbara Birch, my witty sis, who dreamed up the idea of Holly and friends being snowbound at school.

Three cheers for my husband, Dave, whose thoughtful comments, loving support, and super sandwiches made this series possible.

Thanks also to Kristie Frutchey, who shared information on the American Field Service, an international exchange student program; to Lynn Sanders and Linda Marsh, of Aaron Animal Clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for answering my questions about sick cats; to Bob Billingsley for his knowledge of the classic Thunderbird sports car; to Kathy Torley, who answered my medical questions about angioplasty; and to Janet Turner, my travel agent, who helped answer airport security questions. Your expert advice was a huge help!

And finally, my deep appreciation to my many fans who think Holly really
does
live somewhere in Colorado. I’ve enjoyed every minute spent writing Holly’s Heart just for you!

From Bev…to You

I’m thrilled that you’ve chosen to read Holly’s Heart. As my first young-adult protagonist, Holly Meredith remains dear to my heart, and I laughed and cried with her as I wrote every one of these books.

Holly-Heart and I have quite a lot in common. While growing up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I wrote zillions of secret lists and journal entries (and still do!). I also enjoy my many e-pals, and sending snail mail letters and notes to encourage family and friends has always been one of my favorite things to do. And I know all about the importance of having a true-blue best friend. Mine was Sandi Kline, and while we didn’t have Loyalty Papers, we did write secret-coded messages to each other. Once, we even hid a few under the carpet of the seventh step leading to the sanctuary of my dad’s church!

Thanks to my books, I’ve had the opportunity to develop friendships with people of all ages, from the grade-schoolers who love my picture books to the teens and senior adults who enjoy my novels. Through the years, some of you have even written to confide in me or share some of the difficulties you’ve faced. Growing up can definitely be tough sometimes. I’ve always found hope in the words of Psalm 139, which describes the amazing love of our Creator-God. It’s comforting to know that the same God who formed us in our mother’s womb, who knows the number of individual hairs we’re washing and blow-drying each day, also sees the fears and concerns of our lives. Our heavenly Father sees and understands. What an enormous blessing that is!

To learn more about my writing, sign up for my e-newsletter, or contact me, visit my Web site,
www.beverlylewis.com.

Only Girls Allowed:
More Fun Reads From
Beverly Lewis