Take Heart by Lauren Smith Read Free Book Online Page A

pure undulated joy. I was safe and loved.     
    Eventually, that record player stopped working, and my mom bought a stereo. My dad was against that. He always believed that vinyl sounded better, but he couldn’t say no to Mom. The record player sat in the basement collecting dust until my dad left. Mom eventually threw it out because it reminded her too much of him. She also got rid of his collection, but not before I could snag one very important album off that shelf—Pink Floyd’s, The Dark Side of the Moon. That record is so valuable to me that instead of hiding it in my house and running the risk of my mom finding it, I asked Hadley to keep it safe at her place. Now, that beloved record sits in one of those unopened boxes across the hall.
    I choose some Maroon 5 to kick start this dreadfully mundane task. I steal some hangers out of Raven’s closet, accidentally ruining her precious “one-inch rule.” Shhh, please don’t tell her! The one-inch rule is one of Raven’s weird OCD things. She is insistent that each hanger must be exactly one inch apart from the next. I should also mention that her entire closet is color coordinated, too. It’s like a big, magical rainbow that can transform you into whoever you want to be. No matter what you’re looking for, I can guarantee she has the perfect outfit for the occasion in there.
    Feeling overwhelmed with all this perfectionism, I seek out refuge in the comfort of my own room. Sighing, I drop to my knees and begin peeling the boxes open, one by one. I focus on hanging up all of my clothes and organizing the few pairs of shoes I was able to bring. Since I drive a small car, selections had to be made carefully.
         
    After emptying every last box, I decide to shower and run to the mall to buy a new outfit for my date tonight. I didn’t bother to bring any of my fancy clothes to Austin. It didn’t make any sense to when I hardly ever wear them. Instead, I planned on doing some shopping after I settled in and lined up some job interviews. Looking back, I should’ve packed them, but the possibility of going out on a date with someone had never crossed my mind, not this soon, anyway.
         
    By the time I get back to the apartment, Raven’s all done with her classes for the day. I can’t wait to show her my new outfit. I ended up deciding on a pair of dark jeans and a black, off-the-shoulder shirt. To finish off the ensemble, I bought some knee-high faux leather boots embellished with silver buckles on the sides. It was exactly what I was aiming for—dressy casual. I figure it’s a safe bet since I have no idea where he’s taking me. 
    I set my shopping bags down on the dining room table and swiftly remove my shoes. Raven would have a cow if I tracked mud in here. Snatching the bags off the table, I sashay down the hallway towards her room. Her door is partially open; she’s sitting crossed-legged on her bed doing homework. I can feel the intensity of the study zone.
    Sensing my presence, she immediately looks up from her textbook and pulls her reading glasses onto her head. “Ooooh, what’d you get!?” she exclaims. She notices the shopping bags in my hand and gasps. “Wait a minute, you went shopping without me?”
    “Sorry, but you were in class and I didn’t want to wait until the last minute,” I shrug.
    “It’s not last minute,” she glances down at her phone. “Your date is still three hours away. You couldn’t wait for me to get home?”
    “No, I couldn’t. I was too excited. There, are you happy now?”
    “Happy that you copped to the truth? Yes. Happy that you still went shopping without me? Uh...no, bitch. Now show me what you bought,” she huffs.
    I plaster on the biggest smile I can muster. This is my way of calling a truce. She flips her hair over her shoulder, as if to reject me, and looks away, feigning disgust. It only makes me smile harder and I have to fight back the urge to laugh. My mom used to say that if you have a