Rachel's Valentine Crush (3 page)

Usually the first thing Rachel did on a winter morning was check to see if she had a snow day. But when her alarm started beeping, Rachel leaped out of bed and rushed over
to her laptop. Using a gift card that she had been saving since Christmas, Rachel immediately downloaded
Songs from My Heart.
She drummed her fingers on her desk impatiently. Even though it was still dark outside, Rachel was already wide awake—in fact, she was so jittery it was hard to sit still. In just moments, she would be listening “Secret Crush”!

While she waited for the album to finish downloading, Rachel got up and started pacing around her room. She peeked out the window and saw that the snow had finally stopped falling. Since her dad's truck was gone, Rachel figured that he and all of the other plow drivers were still working to clear the back roads. But the street in front of her house was clear. From the look of it, school would definitely be in session today. When Rachel's computer started beeping, though, she forgot all about school: The download was complete!

Rachel rushed over to her laptop and put on her headphones so that the music wouldn't wake Robbie or Grandma Nellie. A grin spread over her face as she looked at the screen. There were twelve brand-new Brody Warner songs waiting for her! And Rachel knew exactly which one she would listen to first. As the opening notes
of “Secret Crush” swelled through her headphones, Rachel closed her eyes and listened carefully.

I have a secret

It's hidden in my heart

And it's only getting bigger

Since we have been apart

Maybe it's crazy

To feel the way I do

But you're my secret crush

And I wish you liked me, too

Walkin' in the springtime

You shine just like the sun

And when I think about you

Girl, I know that you're the one

Maybe it's crazy

To feel the way I do

But you're my secret crush

And I dream you like me, too

I think about the best times

Making music together

And how much I miss you

Want to hold your hand forever

Maybe it's crazy

To feel the way I do

But you're my secret crush

And I hope you like me, too

Oh, Brody!
Rachel thought giddily. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees, beaming with happiness. Rachel was so impressed by “Secret Crush”—and even more impressed that Brody had written it himself. He was obviously so talented. There was no question that “Secret Crush” was a great song. It was different from most of the songs on Brody's first album—a little slower, a little softer. Rachel listened to it again and could tell, without a doubt, that the song really had come from Brody's heart.

On her second listen, Rachel noticed something new. At the very end of “Secret Crush,” Brody said . . . something. Rachel frowned with concentration as she listened to the ending for a third time. But the recording wasn't very clear. All Rachel knew for sure was that Brody was speaking.
Could that be the secret message?
she wondered.
No,
it has to be in the lyrics. Brody was talking about how much writing the lyrics meant to him. That's got to be where he put the clue about his crush.

And that made hope stir in Rachel's heart as she listened to the song again and again. Most of the lyrics were pretty vague; Rachel hated to admit it, but they could be about anyone. Brody didn't even get specific about his crush's hair or eye color. But there was one part of the song that caught Rachel's attention:

I think about the best times

Making music together

Those lines made Rachel think of singing in the church choir with Brody. Sure, the songs they sang in choir were nothing like the pop songs that had turned Brody into a superstar. But the melodies were achingly lovely, and sometimes when the choir practiced in the sanctuary, all their voices seemed to spiral up toward the steeple, mingling with the colored light that streamed through the stained-glass windows. In those moments Rachel felt like singing was the most perfect, most meaningful, most beautiful thing she could do.

Maybe Brody had felt that way too.

And if he did—
if he did!
—then maybe Rachel really was Brody's secret crush!

The thought made Rachel so giddy that she could hardly stop smiling as she listened to “Secret Crush” on repeat. The more she listened to it, the more Rachel was convinced: The secret message was for her. It made perfect sense!

Rachel jumped when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Grandma Nellie standing behind her.

“Morning!” Rachel exclaimed as she pulled her headphones off.

“Sorry to barge in—I knocked on the door, but I guess you didn't hear me with the headphones,” Grandma Nellie said. Her eyes twinkled. “How's the new music?”

“Perfect,” Rachel sighed happily. “It's really, really good.”

“What a talented young man,” Grandma Nellie said. “Later, you'll have to play your favorite song for me. But right now it's breakfast time, peach pie. You don't want to be late for school.”

“Whoops,” Rachel replied. “I almost forgot!”

“See you in the kitchen,” Grandma Nellie said as she
left, closing Rachel's door behind her.

Rachel dressed in her most comfortable jeans and an indigo sweater that had been her favorite Christmas present. She was so happy today that she wanted to look extra nice at school. After pulling her hair back with a skinny silver headband, Rachel hurried off to breakfast. There was a big pot of oatmeal steaming on the kitchen table, next to a pitcher of maple syrup and a jar of cinnamon. Robbie was already hard at work on his oatmeal. He even had some in his hair! Rachel grabbed a wet paper towel to get it out before it dried.

“It stopped snowing, but it is
freezing
outside,” Grandma Nellie said as she ladled some oatmeal into a bowl for Rachel. “So eat a nice big breakfast today, Rachel.”

“You got it, Grandma Nellie,” Rachel replied. “Hey! Weren't you going to show me your scrapbook pages?”

“I thought you'd never ask,” Grandma Nellie teased as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel. Then she carefully brought two bright-aqua sheets of cardstock over to the table. “What do you think?”

“Grandma Nellie! They're
awesome
!” Rachel exclaimed. And she really meant it too. The scrapbook pages chronicled a cross-country road trip that
Grandma Nellie had taken right after high school. Grandma Nellie had pasted several grainy-looking photos of her trip onto the pages and written short descriptions about each one. She'd also added post cards, souvenirs, and an old map that she had saved for more than fifty years. “I can't believe how long your hair was back then.”

“Neither can I,” Grandma Nellie said, laughing. She reached up and ran her fingers through her short gray curls. “It used to take me hours to style it like that. These days, I figure I have more important things to do.”

“Like scrapbooking?” asked Rachel.

Grandma Nellie nodded. “For my whole life, I've been saving my mementos in shoeboxes,” she told Rachel. “I never quite knew what to do with them. But gosh, honey, it sure is fun to unpack those boxes and have all these memories come rushing back. And speaking of rushing . . .”

Rachel glanced at the clock on the microwave. “7:10!” she gasped as the doorbell rang. “Aaaah, that's Taylor! I've gotta go or we'll
both
be late!”

RACHEL GAVE ROBBIE AND GRANDMA
Nellie a pair of quick kisses and threw on her lilac parka. Then she grabbed her backpack and dashed out the front door, where Taylor was waiting impatiently.

“
You
were supposed to text me when you figured out the secret message!” Taylor said accusingly. “At midnight!”

Rachel's hands flew up to her face. “I
totally
forgot!” she exclaimed. “I'm so sorry, T. If it makes you feel any better, my dad didn't even let me stay up until midnight. So I was actually asleep.”

Taylor looked grumpy for two more seconds before she burst out laughing. “My parents didn't let me stay up late, either,” she admitted. “So I didn't even get to listen to the album until this morning. How awesome is it?!”

“The awesomest,” Rachel replied. That same
involuntary smile flitted across her face before she could help herself. Taylor figured out what it meant right away.

“You know something!” she shrieked. “Tell me! What's the clue in ‘Secret Crush'?”

“Well, I don't know for sure,” Rachel said. “I just—it's a great song, isn't it?”

“Yes, it's the greatest, it's a masterpiece, Brody's a musical genius,” Taylor said impatiently. “But why are you smiling like that?”

They were getting close to school, so Rachel glanced around to make sure no one could overhear her. “You have to promise you won't tell anyone,” she began.

“Well,
duh
,” Taylor replied at once.

“No, I mean really, really promise, like swear-on-your-life-and-hope-to-die promise,” said Rachel.

“Rachel. Of course I won't tell anyone,” Taylor said.

And Rachel knew that she wouldn't. “So, you know that line about making music together?” she asked.

Taylor thought for a moment. “Um, yeah. I remember.”

“I think that's the clue!” Rachel exclaimed. “And . . . Taylor . . . I think it might be . . . about
me
—since Brody and I were in choir together!”

Taylor squealed so loudly that Rachel grabbed her
arm and shushed her. Then Rachel started giggling. She couldn't help it—she was just too happy to worry about drawing attention to herself.

“But I don't want everybody to know,” Rachel continued. “Just in case I'm wrong. That would be so embarrassing.”

“No worries. I won't say a word,” Taylor promised.

But the minute the girls walked into school, it was clear that everyone else was already talking about “Secret Crush.” Excited chatter buzzed through the halls. Groups of students stood together to listen to Brody's new album on someone's phone. Rachel immediately noticed that a large crowd had gathered around Tammy Hemmings's locker. Tammy was the most beautiful, popular girl in eighth grade—maybe in the whole school. Normally Rachel didn't try to listen in on other people's conversations, but the way everyone was clustered around Tammy made her curious. If Brody had stayed at Archer Middle School, he would've been in eighth grade this year too. Maybe the older kids knew something about him that Rachel didn't.

“I think the clue is in the sunshine line,” Amber Jones said. “Come on, that's definitely about the seventh-grade class picnic last spring, don't you think?”

Becca Morrison shook her head. “No way. It was only sunny for part of the picnic. The rest of the time we thought it was going to start raining.”

“None of those lines really seemed like clues to me,” Clarissa Chow pointed out. “Except for that one about ‘making music.' Am I right, Tammy?”

Tammy checked her reflection in her locker mirror. She carefully applied some shiny pink lip gloss before she answered. “Well, I
think
so,” she said slowly. “Because Brody and I spent a ton of time together in glee club. Especially when we were practicing for our all-state solos.”

Rachel felt a sharp twinge in the center of her chest.
Glee club. All-state solos,
she thought numbly.
How could I forget?

Ever since she had started middle school, Rachel had wanted to be in glee club too. But her father wouldn't allow it. He wanted Rachel to come right home after school so that she could focus on her homework and help take care of Robbie. And even though Rachel would've loved to be in glee club—especially after she started crushing on Brody—she was grateful that her dad let her be in the church choir. That chance to sing was the best part of her week.

And why wouldn't Brody have a crush on Tammy?
Rachel asked herself.
She's so popular and pretty. Practically every boy in school likes her!

“It's not something that everybody knows about,” Tammy continued, smiling. “But Brody and I spent
so
much time together practicing those solos. We had this really strong, like, connection. I'm pretty sure I was the first person that he told about getting to compete on
SingNation!
And, I mean, I don't want to brag, but I
always
knew that he was going to go really far. He's crazy talented, you know? I remember at the end of our practice sessions, we would hang out together while we waited for the late bus, and sometimes we would sing a little duet . . . it was really magical.”

“Sooo romantic,” Marisol Hernandez said with a sigh. “Were you guys secretly dating?”

Tammy shook her head. “See, that's the thing,” she said, lowering her voice a little. “We had this connection, but Brody never asked me out or anything. I know he's on TV now and he plays these giant sold-out shows, but one-on-one, he can be kind of shy. So, honestly, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he had a secret crush on me.”

Rachel turned away. She had heard enough. But then she heard something that made her pause.

“I just don't think that line about ‘making music' is the clue, though,” said Gabriella Bruno. “It's gotta be that part at the end—when Brody stops singing and talks instead.”