Studying Boys (17 page)

"Seriously. Let's go." He pulled back from me and took my hand to lead me across the yard.

"What?" I yanked my hand free. "You want me to sneak out again?"

"Of course." He stopped and looked confused. "How else are we going to see each other?"

"Theo. I'm already grounded. I can't sneak out."

"Why not? What more can they do to you?"

"They could never trust me again."

"So?"

"So?" I walked over to him and poked him in the chest. "I'll totally admit I've had fun with you, but I can't throw my life away over it anymore."

"Spending time with me is throwing your life away?" He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Nice."

"No, it's not you that's the problem." Yeesh. Boys could be so sensitive. "It's the fact that I have to get my parents to trust me again. I don't want to be grounded for the rest of my life. I have to rebuild that trust."

"Just keep blowing them off and they'll figure out eventually they have no control over you."

I snorted. "Said by the boy who never misses a Waller family dinner. You're all talk, Theo. You never go against your parents."

He lifted a brow. "I don't need to rebel. My parents let me do what I want."

My amusement faded, as I realized he was actually serious about wanting me to sneak out. "Well, I have parents I have to deal with, which means not pushing them to the point at which they handcuff me to the computer."

He ran his hand through his head, looking frustrated. "So, we aren't going to see each other?"

"Theo! What do you want me to do?"

He met my gaze. "Fight for me, Frances."

Fight for him? But this was Theo. He didn't need anyone to fight for him. Everyone loved him already. "By lying to my parents yet again?" I shook my head. "No way. I'm not doing that anymore." Even though I'd been grounded, it had been somewhat of a relief to be done with the charade. Lying just didn't suit me.

Only, there was still one big lie out there. The Homework Club. Not that I'd ever tell my parents about that one. They thought me dating Theo was the only deception, and they'd get over that as soon as I brought home a few good grades. But if I blew them off again, I'd be in serious trouble for the long haul. "Give me a couple weeks, and I'll get it sorted out."

"A couple weeks?"

"Yes."

Theo shook his head. "Come out with me tonight."

I stomped my foot. "Stop asking me to do that! I can't!"

"Oh, come on, Frances. I thought you were starting to lighten up."

"And I thought you were starting to respect me for the way I am."

He glared at me.

I scowled back.

"So you aren't coming tonight?" he asked.

"No." Why couldn't he acknowledge what I had to do?

"Fine."

"Fine.".

He turned and left.

He left? Just like that? Just because I wouldn't destroy my entire future to have a date with him? Tears burned in my eyes, so I swung around and marched back into the house. I would not cry over him. As soon as I got released from my grounding, I was going to call George Moon and have a date with someone who actually understood what I was about.

In the meantime, I still had an article on The Homework Club to write. I might be grounded, I might have just been ditched by the guy I'd thought was my boyfriend, and I might be locked down in my house, but I still had a job to do, and I was going to do it.

* * *

Two weeks later, I was still grounded, despite bringing home three A's. According to my parents, the big issue was the lying. They said they might have eventually adjusted to me dating Theo (gee, thanks for telling me now) seeing as how he was Blue's brother and they'd known him for so long. But the fact that I'd deceived them about the nature of my relationship with him, including when I'd gone out with him that Friday night? Total betrayal of trust.

They said it could take years to rebuild trust.

Great.

I was sitting at the computer in the library, reading e-mails from Blue and Natalie, who had totally forgiven me and were planning ways to kidnap my parents so I could see all my friends again. And there was even an e-mail from George, who had seemed immensely relieved that the pressure to date was off, and was much happier just being study pals.

All was good.

Except I hadn't heard from Theo since the night at my house, and I was debating with Allie on whether to e-mail him—the same debate we'd been having for the last two weeks.

Allie was sitting next to me. "You know, we did warn you that Theo was too different from you."

"But he's not that different." Sure, he had a wild side, but he did study, got The Homework Club to work, and made me laugh. I liked that he got me to loosen up. Of course, I didn't want to be any more fun than I currently was, and that was the problem. I wasn't quite enough for him.

Sigh.

"Blue told me he hasn't gone out on any dates for the last two weeks."

I glanced at Allie. "Really?" I opened Blue's latest e-mail, and sure enough, same message. "Wow."

"Uh huh."

"That's unusual for Theo."

"That's what we think too."

We. That would be all my friends except me. "I miss you guys."

"We miss you." Allie was sitting backwards in her chair and leaning on it. "Have you tried talking to your parents again?"

"Sort of. Every time I try to bring it up, I get shut down."

A girl walked by us. "Nice job, Frances."

I looked up. "What?"

But she was already gone.

I eyed Allie. "What was that about?"

She shrugged. "I think you should e-mail Theo."

"No. Why should I? He's the one being the jerk."

"But he's not dating anyone else. He's staying home every night, Frances. That says a lot." She shrugged. "My bet is that he just doesn't know how to apologize, and all he needs is an opening. Give it to him. You don't need to declare your love. Just open the door."

I bit my lip. I wanted to, I really did. But what if they were wrong? What if he wasn't into me anymore? I didn't want to lose what little pride I had left by emailing him and then having him not reply.

Another girl walked by and patted me on the shoulder. "Way to go, Frances."

I stared after her. "What's going on?"

Allie twisted around to look at the girl, too. "Did you do something amazing? Burn down the science wing or something?"

"No."

Nicole, a friend of ours from homeroom, ran up to us, waving something. "Oh my gosh, Frances. You're a star!"

I grabbed her wrist so she couldn't take off. "What are you talking about?"

"This!" She thrust a paper into my hand. "Everyone is talking about The Homework Club. There's a delegation from the school newspaper meeting with the heads of both schools at the end of the week to talk about an exchange program. You're a hero!" She grinned at me, then glanced at her watch. "I gotta go. Good job!"

She sped away, leaving Allie and I staring at each other.

After a moment, she took the newspaper out of my hand and opened it.

There was my article, spread across the entire front page. And my name was right there under the title. Frances Spinelli.

Oh, wow.

Allie sat there and read the entire article aloud.

Including the editorial at the end about the proposal for the exchange program and how my article was the first step.

She set it down and grinned at me.

Then we both screamed at the same time, grabbed each other and started dancing around the library. Even getting shushed by the librarian didn't shut us up.

I'd done it!

How cool was that!

The euphoria lasted all day. Kids were telling me "good job" everywhere I went, and even some of the teachers pulled me aside to quietly mention the quality of my article.

I was in!

This was it! My parents see how responsible I was and fall at my feet, begging for forgiveness for not trusting me. And maybe I'd forgive them. Or not.

And if Theo came crawling back, wanting to hang with me because I was famous? Forget it. Unless he asked really, really nicely. And even then… God, I wanted him to want me back. But I couldn't be the girl he wanted me to be. What chance did we really have?

I burst through the front door right after school, the paper in my hand. "Mom!"

It was too early for Dad to be home, but Mom should be there.

"In the kitchen, Frances."

I ran through the house and exploded into the kitchen. My mom and dad were sitting at the table. "Dad! You're home!" Sweet!

"Sit down, Frances."

I suddenly noticed their somber faces. Omigod. Had something happened? "What's wrong?"

"Sit."

I sank down into a chair. "What's wrong?"

"This." My dad pointed to the table. There sat a copy of the newspaper with my article.

What? They were upset about my article? I looked up, confused. "My article?"

"Care to explain?" My dad folded his arms across his chest and my mom gave me this look like I'd totally let her down.

Wow. Nothing like taking away my excitement. Did parents suck or what?

"Frances. Explain."

Fine. "Because of this article I wrote, there's a delegation meeting with the administration of each school to create an exchange program between Field School and North Valley. I've been hailed as a hero all day. Your daughter is a star."

I thought I caught a hint of pride in my dad's face, but my mom was heartless. "That's not what we're talking about!"

I sighed. "What's the problem, then?"

"We banned you from The Homework Club, yet according to this article, you went ahead and did it? Lied to us repeatedly, every time you went?"

Oh. They're upset about that. Guess I forgot about that little detail. "You're right."

"So you admit it?" My mom sounded so triumphant I wanted to scream.

Why couldn't she be proud of me? What else did I have to go to make them realize that I was good enough? "Of course I admit it. I did The Homework Club anyway. It's your fault I had to lie."

"Our fault?" My mom's voice was heavy with foreboding.

I glanced at my dad. Why wasn't he saying anything? Usually he was right there with my mom, tag-teaming the discipline. But he was letting her rage all by herself. "Yes, your fault, Mom."

"How?"

I looked back at my mom. "Don't you get it? You're making me crazy!"

"What?" My mom stood up and leaned over the table, glowering at me like some insane woman. "Do you have any idea what we've gone through to give you opportunities we never had? And you just throw it away!"

"What you've gone through?" I jumped up. "I'm the one on scholarship. I'm the one getting straight A's. What are you doing?"

"Taking care of your siblings so you can do your homework!"

"You're my mom! That's your job!"

"Frances!" My dad stood up. "Watch it. Your mom works much harder than she should."

"Well, so do I! Do you have any idea how hard I have to work to get my grades? I have a reputation as a loser at school because I never do anything. Then I actually find an activity with other kids that pads my college application as well as gives me a chance to develop social skills, and you have so little trust in me that you won't let me do it? Haven't you noticed that my grades haven't slipped at all, even though I was doing The Homework Club and dating Theo? Don't you get it? I can do it all, and if you refuse to trust me or cut me some slack, you're going to turn me into one of those rebellious drug addicts with pierced nipples who cracked under parental pressure!"

Whew.

My throat hurt after that screaming episode. And pierced nipples? Where had I come up with that? But I felt good. Really good. It was about time I stood up to my parents.

Speaking of parents ... I eyed Mom and Dad, who were staring at each other with wide eyes and tight lips. What was the look? Shock? Horror? Mental telepathy to grab a straightjacket and haul me off to some institution?

After a moment, my mom sat down.

Then my dad sat down. "Sit, Frances."

I sat, then tucked my hands under my thighs and waited, jiggling my feet under the table. "You need to trust me."

"You lied," my mom said.

"Because you wouldn't trust me."

My mom sighed, and she didn't look so mad anymore. Deflated, almost, with her sagging shoulders and tight mouth. "We want you to succeed."

"And I am! But I have to have a life, you know. Why can't you give me the freedom until I prove I can't handle it? If my grades slip, then you can reel me in. But as long as I can keep my grades where they are, why can't I have a life too?" I leaned back in my chair. "I was so excited about my success with this story. Everyone was congratulating me all day, even teachers!"