Page 70 of The Surprise Play

I jolt, whacking my elbow on the table as I come out of my reverie.

“Ouch.” I give it a rub while wrestling the device out from the front pocket of my bag.

Only just catching the call in time, I whisper a quick “Hey, Mom. I’m just in the library. Can I call you back in a sec?”

“Yes, of course, sweetheart. Talk to you soon.”

She hangs up, and I hurry to gather my things. Rushing down the steps, I slip on the second to last one, catching myself against the railing and forcing a tight smile at the woman who saw me.

“You okay?” she asks.

I nod and rush past her, my cheeks burning as I bolt out the glass doors and into the cold air outside. It feels good against my skin, and I suck in a deep, crisp breath before calling Mom back.

“Hey,” I greet her. “How’s it going?”

“I’m good. I was just missing my girl and thought I’d check in.”

I smile. Missing me. We spoke yesterday… although that was about the diner and the fact that Dad has to hire a new cook because Ralph is finally retiring. It’s about time—the man is like seventy-nine or something—but he’s been an institution at our family diner since my parents opened it twenty-eight years ago.

They’re going to miss Ralph so much, and all I can hope is that his replacement is a perfect fit. I’m not sure my dad will cope if the kitchen’s not running smoothly.

“I’m doing well.” I give my standard response.

“Yeah? Still acing all your classes?”

“I’m trying.”

Mom laughs. “Of course you’re acing them. You’ve always been the smartest girl in the room.”

I cringe. I should be smiling. Being the smartest is awesome and a great compliment.

But for once, it’d be cool to be the prettiest girl in the room… or the most popular.

That is never going to happen. Let it go!

Logically, I know being smart is better than both those things, but?—

“What else have you been up to?” Mom asks. “Please tell me it’s not all study, study, study.”

“No,” I lie.

“So, you’re getting out there? What social events have you gone to?”

Aw, crap. Why does she always have to ask for specifics?

“Well, I watched a football game today.”

“Really? Did you know what was happening?” She laughs.

I grin and admit without thinking, “Someone explained the rules to me, so I was able to follow along.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. So, did you go to a sports bar with them to watch it? Who is this football tutor of yours?” She laughs again, and all I can do is wince.

I’m so not ready to tell her about Wily. She’ll go ahead and ask a million questions about him, and who knows what will come out of my mouth.

No, it’s better just to play it safe.

Scuffing the sidewalk, I tell her, “I watched in the library.”