• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Her parents and Grandma Kath had stopped talking and were looking at her now. Lena raised her eyebrows at them and said to Cole, "Happy."

***

Lena's parents did, indeed, make her stay home for the rest of the day.

Lena texted Pem that she'd had a fight with her dad, leaving out the part about the beach and the fugue and the drama. She just said she didn't feel good, and would talk to her tomorrow.

By four o'clock, Lena was going stir-crazy. "Mom, please," she said. "I feel totally fine! Kai called and asked if I could go to the Creamery with him. Please?"

Her mom shook her head.

"I'll bring you home some ice cream," Lena wheedled.

"No."

"Caramel Mocha Madness? Come on, you know it's your favorite ... those little chunks of dark chocolate..."

Her mom laughed and put her arm around Lena. "No, honey. Not even for Caramel Mocha Madness. Grandma told me to keep an eye on you, and I take her orders very seriously."

Lena heaved a sigh. "Mom, I know you think I ... zoned out or fugue'd out or whatever..."

Her mom frowned at this evidence that Lena had listened in on her conversation.

"But I've been thinking about it, and I'm sure I was fully conscious the whole time I was on the beach. I just didn't hear you calling."

"I'm glad you feel better, honey. You're staying home, though." She let go of Lena and said, "But if Kai wants to come over here, he's more than welcome." She moved into the kitchen. "We're planning a wild night of football watching. Cole and Dad are fired up about the Raiders game. I'm fired up about lying flat on the couch."

"Fine."

Lena went to call Kai. "My mom won't let me out of her sight. Do you want to come over here?"

"So your parents are home?"

"Kai! Of course they're home. They're going to watch the Raiders game on TV."

"They are?"

"Um, yeah, why?"

"Well, even I—who knows nothing about football—know the Raiders suck."

"They do?"

"Pretty reliably."

"Aw, that's too bad. Cole likes them because they're pirates. Which is also why he likes the Buccaneers. So do you want to come over?"

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

When the knock on the door came, Lena opened it and Kai burst into the house, his hand on his heart, singing, "Summer lovin'...had me a blast!"

She laughed. "I take it the Drama Club decided on Grease."

"Yes, and you are going to help me practice for the audition."

"I am?"

"Of course you are. And Lena, seriously, with your voice, you should try out for the show, too."

"Not even maybe," she said. "But thank you. That's sweet." She headed for the stairs.

Kai followed. "Well, yeah, I am totally sweet. But for real, Lena, you should audition. It's just not right to keep that amazing voice hidden. And wouldn't it be great if we both ended up with the lead roles? You and me ... Sandy and Danny!" At the top of the stairs, he caught her in both arms and kissed her.

Just then Lena's mom came out of her bedroom, and her eyes widened.

Kai and Lena sprang apart.

"Hi," he said.

"Hello, Kai."

Then no one spoke for a long moment. Finally Lena's mom said, "Why don't you two join us downstairs for the game?"

"Uh, Mom?" said Lena. "We're not into football."

"Neither am I," said her mom. "But it's nice to be with the family, right?"

"Sure."

"Lena's going to help me practice some songs for an audition," offered Kai. "We're doing Grease this year."

"Oh. How nice."

Nervous, he added, "I told her she should try out, too."

"Lena does have a beautiful voice," said her mom, smiling. "But the only person she ever sings for is Cole."

"Come on," said Lena, pushing him down the hall toward her room. "We'll join you later," she called back to her mom.

"Don't forget to—"

"Yes, Mom, I'll leave my door open." She rolled her eyes.

Flopping down on her bed, Kai crossed his arms behind his head. "I guess I'm pretty special."

"Why is that?" asked Lena, sitting down next to him.

"Your mom thinks you only sing for Cole. But you sing for me, too."

"That's only because you heard me singing to Cole and wouldn't shut up until I sang