No Use For A Name by Penelope Wright Read Free Book Online Page A

wasn't coming to me.
    "Come on in and meet everybody," Grady said. He took my hand to lead me into whatever that big room was called. His long, warm fingers felt surprisingly nice wrapped around mine.
    About thirty other teenagers milled around, chatting and laughing. I didn't recognize any of them, but Grady assured me that they all went to our high school. Since the church was on the Hilltop side of town, I assumed a lot of the kids must have gone there, which would explain why I didn't recognize any of them. No one here would blink when Grady introduced me as Mary. I was about to breathe a huge sigh of relief when Grady burst my bubble. "Oh look, some of your friends from the squad are here."
    I turned around, and the floor fell out of my stomach. Standing in the doorway were Amy Yates and her henchmen.

 
SIX
    Grady dropped me off at home right around six. He gave my hand a squeeze as I moved to get out of the car. "Are you still upset?" he asked.
    "Me? No. But you'd better get out of here quick before your car soaks up too much tacky from my yard."
    Grady caught my wrist. "Don't say things like that. I don't care what kind of house you live in or how much money your parents make. I like you, Mary. For you. "
    God, he was so nice .
    "Will I see you again?" he asked.
    "Of course. You know where to find me."
    "No, I mean, well, you know what I mean. Will you come back to youth group again sometime? We meet every Monday and Wednesday."
    "Oh." Of course I'd known what he meant, I just hadn't felt like answering that question. "I don't know, Grady. Some of the people there … " My mind searched frantically for something to say that wouldn't sound totally lame. I had nothing.
    Grady helped me out. "I should have taken better care of you, I should have introduced you to some other people. I just thought you'd be happiest hanging out with the cheerleaders. I should have known better. Not everybody's there for Jesus. For a lot of people it's nothing but a social thing. I hate that. I'm sorry it affected you so much."
    "Oh, Grady." He'd thrown me the lifeline, I might as well go ahead and take it, but I didn't have to be a total liar. "I just don't feel comfortable discussing my beliefs with any of the people there tonight." Damn right. If I told them I was an atheist who knows what they'd do?
    Grady's face fell and he released my wrist.
    I felt terrible. "We can still be friends, right?" I said hopefully. I couldn't believe it, but Jesus freak or not, I liked Grady.
    "Yes. Of course. And I'll work on the group Mary. I'll make it something we both could be proud of."
    Erg. This was headed off in entirely the wrong direction. "I'd better go."
    "Goodnight Mary."
    As soon as I walked in the door, my eyes shot over to my mom's desk. No one there. I threw my backpack in the corner of the room and loaded instant messaging on my mom's computer. There was a little ball icon next to Kaia's name. I clicked on her and typed furiously.
    "YOU ARE AN EVIL BITCH"
    Seconds later, her reply popped up. "Baby forgive me for I have sinned."
    "I WILL DESTROY YOU"
    "Are you going to smite me?"
    "Dammit Kaia," I typed back, "do you know who was there?"
    I waited a few seconds for a reply, but when one didn't pop up immediately, I started typing again. "Amy Yates. And all of her backup dancers."
    She responded immediately. "Oh shit. I really am sorry. I had no idea."
    I'd been hunched over the keyboard, typing like a monkey on crank. Now I sank into my mom's swivel desk chair. "Grady thinks I had a bad time because the group's not pious enough," I typed.
    Kaia sent back a smug looking emoticon with a halo over its head. I started to type the sordid details when the back door smacked open and my mom came in, freezing when she saw me at her desk. I quickly X'd out of the instant messenger, losing my story in progress.
    My mother's nostrils flared. "What are you doing? Get off my computer."
    "I have to check my email."
    "I'm sure you do, now that you're