Call the Shots by Don Calame Read Free Book Online Page A

yesterday. God.” She laughs, shaking her head. “I’m really sorry about that. I was just . . . I guess I’m just a little overeager is all. My brother’s always on me about how excited I get about things.” She shrugs, then looks at me with this sort of sad, apologetic hangdog expression. “I didn’t . . . scare you off, did I?”
    All of a sudden I feel like a royal tool for wanting to break up with her.
    Of course she was excited. I’m her first boyfriend. It’s a big deal for her. I probably acted exactly the same way with Tianna. Okay, well, maybe not
exactly
the same. But it’s possible I was a little overzealous. Which is maybe why she ended things with me so quickly. Maybe if she’d just given me a chance, we could have had something kinda special.
    “No.” I smile at Evelyn. “You didn’t scare me off.”
    I catch Coop rolling his eyes behind Evelyn’s back.
    “Phew.” Evelyn’s whole body relaxes. “I thought for sure I blew it with you.”
    Coop sputters. “No, no. Sean definitely would have mentioned that.”
    I shoot him a death glare at the same time that Matt smacks him on the shoulder.
    Evelyn smiles the vacant smile of someone who doesn’t get the joke. “Well, good. I’d really hate myself if that was the case. Can we start over, please?”
    I nod. “Sure. Yeah. Okay.”
    “Oh, thank goodness.” She breathes a heavy sigh of relief, then unfolds her school schedule, which I notice is decorated with a multitude of lavish SEAN-PLUS-EVELYN -filled hearts. “So, did you get in to Web Design?”
    “Oh . . . uh . . . actually . . . um . . . No, actually.”
    Evelyn’s face falls. “Aw, dang it.”
    “Yeah.” A nervous laugh escapes my lips. I glance down at my own schedule. “Looks like they switched me into . . .” I look up and meet Evelyn’s big brown eyes. Oh, God, she knows I’m lying. “I mean, they
put
me in Drama instead.”
    Evelyn pouts. “I was really hoping we’d get to be in a class together.”
    “Yeah. Me too.”
    “Hey!” Evelyn perks up. “Maybe I should switch into Drama.”
    “No,” I blurt. “I mean . . . You don’t want to do that, because . . .” Because you’ll find out I was lying to you when I hand the drama teacher my transfer slip. “Web Design is . . . it’s going to be a great class. I
so
wanted to learn about that. You don’t want to miss out because of me.”
    “Yeah, I guess,” Evelyn says. “Oh, hey, wait a minute. I have a good idea. Why don’t I be your private tutor?” She beams at me. “You could come over after school and I could teach you the stuff we learn in Web Design. Then it’d be almost like we were taking the class together. How’s that sound?”
    “Uh, yeah.” I nod. “That sounds . . . good. Definitely. For sure.”
    “Great.” She leans over and gives me another soft kiss on the cheek. “It’s a deal. Well, I better get to class. Later, gators.” Evelyn gives us all a little wave and then strolls off down the hall.
    “I thought you said she was a nutcase,” Matt says, snapping his lock shut.
    I blink once hard, watching Evelyn go, looking as normal as can be. “She
was.
I mean, she was
acting
like one at the rink.”
    Matt shrugs. “Seems pretty normal to me.”
    “Yeah.” I nod. “I guess it’s like she said. She was just overeager.”
    Coop grins. “That’s one of best qualities to have in a girlfriend, dawg. Right after being a gymnast.”

“O KAY, EVERYONE,” MR. NESTMAN , the drama teacher, says, walking with long purposeful strides toward the door. “I think we can get started.” He kicks away the wooden doorstop and lets the door swing shut. “Let’s all sit in a circle on the floor.” He makes a circular motion with his finger as if he’s not entirely convinced we know what shape he means. “Girl-boy if we can manage it.”
    There are no chairs in the room, and so the twenty of us arrange ourselves — alternating guys and girls where possible — on the scuffed-up