Less Than Three

Chapter 12: Goo Goo Eyes

Author Note: *Waving* Hello new readers, friends, voters and followers! I have to admit, it's a little overwhelming to go from 100 reads to more than 1000 in just over a day. Overwhelming ... but fun too! I just wish I knew how to work this thing better. If I could, I would reach out and hug every one of you. Instead, I'm stuck here saying thank you so much for reading my story. I hope you'll stick around to find out what happens next. If you'd like to take a peek at other things I've written, here's the website I have with my co-author, Charity Tahmaseb:  www.thegeekgirlsguide.com

~ Darcy

P.S. I've had a lot of requests to read your stories. There is nothing I'd like to do more than that. I love to read and I also love to help out other writers. But, right now, I'm getting ready to release a new book, plus I'm already reading three novels on here. (You should check them out!) I'm hoping for more time soon. Until then -- Keep Writing!

There had to be a way to fix this.

I tried to talk to Craig the next morning but all he did was hum the theme song from that shark movie and snicker. I called Madison next. She agreed to leave her house for once. My dad dropped us off at the Rock-It Shop.

We browsed the latest vinyls for a while then left the strip mall and walked in silence. I wanted to talk about what had happened but I couldn't find the words. Just a week ago, I could tell her anything. Now? Now we were discussing the weather.

"Sure has been hot lately," Madison said. She gathered her long dark hair and lifted it off her neck before letting it fall again in a satiny sheet.

"Supposed to hit a hundred by tomorrow," I answered. Because, you know, heat in the summertime is big news around here. I stopped walking and faced her. "About last night," I said. She surprised me by stopping, turning, and saying the same thing to me.

"Pinch, poke, you owe me a Coke," I said. But Madison wasn't in the mood.

"I know about the lake," she said.

I hurried to defend myself, to explain my actions and place the blame where it clearly belonged ... on Jacob. "I don't suppose he told you how he happened to be at the park? Who he was with? What he was doing with her?"

She grabbed one of the hands that I'd been waving. Her touch made me wonder: When did I get the idea that Madison was the enemy?

"It's going to be okay," she said.

"It is?"

She was taking it pretty well for a girl who'd spent the last few days moping in her room. And that was before she even knew for sure (okay, for probably sure) about Jacob's indiscretions.

"He wasn't thrilled to see his girlfriend and one of his ex-best friends dripping in their underwear together in the moonlight, but ..."

"Brady?"

"Who else would we be talking about?"

"He called you?"

She nodded. 

"Again?"

"He wanted to talk."

Maybe Madison was the enemy after all. I fought to keep from showing my irritation.

"And?" I asked.

"And he's a little pissed. But he believes your story. 'Only Summer could be goofy enough to get herself into a mess like that' is what he said."