Out of the Ashes by Valerie Sherrard Read Free Book Online Page A

in the washroom and threw the cigarette butt in the garbage without properly extinguishing it. You all know that there is no smoking permitted in this building. If I so much as smell a hint of smoke anywhere in this school again this evening, the dance will end immediately.”
    There were no further incidents, but after all the other fires we’d had through the fall I couldn’t help wondering if it had really been accidental. Still, we were all having a good time, and it didn’t make sense that anyone would deliberately ruin the dance.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    In spite of everything else, it turned out that the dance was awesome. In fact, I was still walking on air the next Monday morning when I got to school. Even though I hadn’t been able to dance with Nick, what happened was the next best thing. The high point came when I was standing alone while Greg went to bring us back some raspberry punch from the tables along the wall.
    â€œHaving a good time?”
    I turned to see Nick standing to my left with this incredibly adorable smile on his face. He was leaning toward me a little, and I could smell cologne on him.
    â€œYes, thanks,” I managed to stammer, then thought to add, “Sorry to hear about Jane.”
    â€œYeah, well,” he shrugged, “what can you do?”
    â€œI guess.”
    â€œI’d really like to dance with you. Think Greg would mind?” He winked, and my stomach flip-flopped all over the place. I frantically hoped I wasn’t turning red.
    I wanted to tell him that I’d love to dance with him, but my throat had constricted and I couldn’t get any words out right away. I pictured what it would be like to have his arms around me, my face pressed to his shoulder. If I’d had another minute I might have found my voice, so it’s probably lucky that Greg came back then and saved me from my own weakness. I’d promised myself I’d do the right thing and be really nice to Greg while I was his date, and there I’d been, on the verge of breaking my promise.
    â€œHey, Nick.”
    â€œGreg, you lucky dog. You’ve got yourself quite a babe here tonight.”
    If Greg answered him, I sure didn’t hear it. Nick thought I was quite a babe! His words echoed in my head for the rest of the night and on through the weekend.
    There was no doubt in my mind that Nick was going to ditch Jane and ask me out. I played the scene over and over in my head, how he’d call me up or maybe come right up to me at school and tell me he was through with her, that it was me he wanted. In my imaginings, I accepted him with grace and poise. I blocked out the fact that the few short conversations I’d ever had with Nick had left me blushing and tongue-tied.
    But at lunch on Monday he was sitting with Jane as usual, touching her hands and smiling. My only consolation was that she looked awful from when she’d had the dizzy spell and fallen. There was a dark bruise on her cheek, and though she’d obviously tried to cover it with makeup, I could still see the shadow from across the cafeteria.
    Of course I realized then that he couldn’t just up and dump her after she’d hurt herself and missed the dance and all. Obviously he was waiting for the right time. But there was only another day and a half of school before the winter break. It was clear that I was going to have to bide my time.
    I was just congratulating myself on my patient and mature attitude when Greg slid in beside me at the table. Betts was having lunch with Graham and I could have joined them, but you know what that would be like. I’d have felt like an outsider — watching them smile at each other and hearing everything they said.
    â€œHey,” Greg greeted me. He looked happy.
    â€œHi,” I answered without enthusiasm. I silently willed him away.
    â€œI was wondering if maybe you’d like to take in a movie over the holidays.”
    â€œUh, I don’t