Access Denied (and other eighth grade error messages) (28 page)

“You keep saying that,” I said, pressing Play before flopping down on the couch next to her, “but so far they aren’t.”

“Well, there isn’t a lot you can do about it so why keep stressing?”

I groaned. “You sound like Mr. F.”

Rosie smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The phone rang. Mark.

“Aren’t you at the party?” I asked.

“It kind of blows so far,” Mark said. “What are you and Rosie doing?”

“Watching
Twilight Zone
and eating popcorn.”

“Sounds like more fun than I’m having.” He sounded wistful.

“I wish I could invite you over but you know the rule about having evil boys over when my parents aren’t home.”

Mark laughed. “Yeah, I know. I could sneak in the back, though. They’d never know.”

He was probably right. So why wasn’t I telling him to come on over?

“What about the girl you went with?”

“She’s off with her friends. Hasn’t talked to me all night.”

“Ouch.”

“Not really,” Mark said. “I mean, she’s nice and all but it’s not like we’re going out or anything.”

There was silence on the phone between us.

“So, I’ll come in through the back.”

I groaned silently. “How will you get here?”

“I’ll find a way.”

I glanced at Rosie. She was giving me the eye:
Just tell him.

I shoved the phone at her and scooted over on the couch.

She shoved it back. “Don’t even think about handing off your dirty work,” she whispered, covering the mouthpiece of the phone
with her hand.

“But I don’t know what to say,” I protested.

“If you don’t want him here, you need to tell him.”

“I can’t tell him I don’t want him here,” I whispered, hoping Mark couldn’t hear me. “That’s mean.”

“You know what I mean.”

I bit my lip.

Rosie put her hands under her armpits and flapped. “Bawk, bawk.”

I scowled at her.

“Fine,” I said, snatching up the phone. “Are you there? Sorry. I dropped the phone.” I took a deep breath. “I’d really like
you to come over but I don’t want to blow it with my parents. I’d like to be able to go to the next concert everyone goes
to and stuff. You know?”

Silence.

“Yeah,” Mark said finally. “You’re right.”

After I’d hung up, Rosie shook her head. “You make things too complicated, Erin.”

“Let’s just watch the show.”

But we had barely gotten past Rod Serling’s doom and gloom introduction when the doorbell rang. I pressed Pause and jumped
up.

“We’ll get it,” I shouted up to Chris, who was probably trying to wrangle his wild hair. I picked up the bowl of candy from
the table in the foyer while Rosie opened the door.

“Do a trick or be my treat.”

Jeff Massey was leaning against the brick wall, arms crossed.

“What exactly would that involve?” Rosie asked.

Jeff smiled his easy smile. “I can’t reveal that unless you agree.”

We laughed.

“Want some candy, little boy?” I asked, holding out the bowl of treats.

“Hmm,” Jeff said, wiggling his fingers above the bowl before plucking a Snickers from beneath several Pops. “Thanks.”

“Massey.” Chris appeared next to us in the doorway.

“Christopher. Ready to roll?”

“Where are you guys going?” Rosie asked as Chris stepped past us onto the porch.

“Some party Chris knows about.” Jeff cocked his head. “What about you two?”

“We’re hanging out,” Rosie said.

“Yeah,” I said. “No parties here. My mom has already called twice to make sure we’re”—I made quotation marks in the air with
my fingers—“ ‘okay.’ Besides,” I said, “Chris was already caught twice, ruining any chance I might have. The neighbors are
all spies now, thanks to him.”

Jeff laughed. “I’ve got an older sister and she did the same thing to me.” He looked over his shoulder across the street.
“Should we give them something worth spying on?”

“Nah,” Chris said. “Let’s get out of here. Bethany will wonder where we are.”

“You’ll have your chance at a party,” Jeff said to me, nudging my arm.

I could still feel the nudge after we closed the door and headed back to the family room.

“Wow,” Rosie said as we plopped back down on the couch. “He is one hot tamale.”

“I know,” I sighed. “What am I going to do?”

“Whatever you can,” Rosie said, grinning at me before turning up the volume on the TV.