Pretty Little Things. Jilliane Hoffman

tried to beat the rain & lost LainBrain says: I love storms, but its nasty out ElCapitan says: does that mean you’re soaking wet? LainBrain says: pretty much ElCapitan says: ooohhh. I like LainBrain says: drying my hair ElCapitan says: What happ on math? LainBrain says: don’t ask ElCapitan says: u wont be 1st to fail algebra LainBrain says: didnt fail. D ElCapitan says: (::[]::) Lainey smiled. LainBrain says: thanks 4 the pity ElCapitan says: been there. HATED trig. Got a C. LainBrain says: moms gonna scalp me. prob grounded 4 life ElCapitan says: 2 bad. I like ur hair

ElCapitan says: & ur pretty head

      She blushed, absently stroking a damp piece of hair that had escaped her towel turban. He was so easy to talk to.

ElCapitan says:

have to meet u

      Lainey stared at the screen. She totally wasn’t expecting that.

ElCapitan says:	what about Friday nite? Wanna c Zombieland?
ElCapitan says:	we can grab sum food 2

      Oh my God. He was asking her out. Wait – was this a date? She looked around the room, as if hoping to see an audience there who could corroborate what she’d just read and interpret exactly what it meant. Where the heck was Molly when you needed her? Of course it was a date … Movies meant date. Food meant date. Movies and food definitely meant date. A real date. She was just asked out! Then the complete joy that had her jumping up and down in her room, squealing like a piglet, stopped as quickly as it had come on, replaced by icy, realistic panic. What was she doing? There was no way her mom was gonna let her go. No freakin’ way. Especially if she knew Zach was seventeen. She nibbled on a nail. Shit. She didn’t want to tell him no. What if he didn’t ask again?

ElCapitan says:	hello?
LainBrain says:	Hmmm … I definitely want 2 see that.
ElCapitan says:	will ur mom b cool?
LainBrain says:	dont know. specially after today
ElCapitan says:	then dont tell her

      Lainey stared at the computer as if it were alive, watching her carefully through its blinking curser. Her stomach twisted with both unease and excitement.

ElCapitan says:

what she dont know cant hurt her

      She looked around the empty room. A strange tickle itched the back of her throat, as if something had gotten stuck halfway down and wasn’t budging any more. That could work. She could tell her mom she was going to the movies with that new girl, Carrie. It’s not like she’d ever check, anyway. Liza was the problem child, not her. And short of, ‘Did you have a good time?’ she knew there’d be no questions asked. There never were.

LainBrain says:	I cant b home 2 late though
ElCapitan says:	ull b home by 10. I have practice @ 8
ElCapitan says:	thats AM!!!

      Lainey chewed on her lip. Her brain was a mush of thoughts. What should she do?

ElCapitan says:	u still there?
LainBrain says:	ummm … thinking
ElCapitan says:	I’ll pick u up at school. weve played CS High b4. Stay late and meet me @ 5:30 in the parking lot in back by the baseball field. Ill b in a black BMW
LainBrain says:	5:30?
ElCapitan says:	cant get the car till Dad gets home. CS is a hoof

      That’s right. Zach lived in Jupiter, which, according to MapQuest was, like, an hour away. He was gonna drive an hour just to see her … Lainey took a deep breath. Her heart