The Stillburrow Crush (6 page)

This was where it'd all ended, where the dramatic climax of the war came to a head. If Lee hadn't surrendered or if 51

The Stillburrow Crush

by Linda Kage

Grant hadn't been civil, things would've turned out differently.

The country might not have been united as one any longer.

If I'd been alive, I would've gone to Mr. McLean himself, and quizzed him till his throat was raw. I would've inspected every inch of his farm and the whole town. I mean, it was nothing major, not a capitol or even booming with population.

It wasn't an important city at all. It was a "nowhere" just like Stillburrow. And look at what it had become.

It made me think all the nowheres and even the nobodies of the world might stand a chance after all. Suddenly, I felt an uncommon connection with the town in which I lived. It was like I
was
Stillburrow...in a way.

I barely noticed the phone ringing in the other room—

maybe because it only got in one ring before Mom snatched it up. I flipped the page of my history book and stared at the picture of the two-story red building where papers had been signed to end the Civil War. I wondered what it would feel like to flip through a history book and see my childhood home on one of these pages were I to ever become famous.

"Carrie?"

I looked up as Mom entered my room with the telephone in her hand. "It's for you," she said. Her eyes held a strange glow.

I wasn't a socialite. I didn't waste time on the telephone and I didn't have any close friends who would bother calling. I knew it couldn't be Marty. He wouldn't want to talk to me. It might be my cousin, Jordan, on the Burke side. She lived with her mother in Paulbrook and we sometimes hung out when she visited her dad every other weekend. But she wasn't 52

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around this weekend. I figured it might be my buddy, E.T. But I didn't know what he would want. I only talked to him at school.

Before I could ask though, Mom put her hand over the speaker end of the phone and mouthed two words:
Luke
.

Carter
.

I could feel my thoughts drain as the blood rushed out of my head. I took the phone. It felt heavy in my hand, weighing like bricks. I stared at the phone as if it were some kind of UFO. This had to be a mistake. But then Mom was pushing it to my ear. She gave me the go-ahead wink. I sent her a
Well, leave me alone
look and she nodded, quickly backing out of the room. When the door quietly clicked shut behind her, I licked my dry lips. My mouth was so close to the receiver, I could almost taste the plastic it was made of.

I sat up and quickly brushed my hair out of my face. I glanced down at my clothing and then stopped, realizing he couldn't see what I looked like.

Finally, I decided I could talk.

"Hello?" I heard my own voice echo along the fiber optic wires. It sounded weird and distant, like I hadn't said it at all but like some kind of echoing radio speaker had spoken for me.

Why in the world was he calling me? I thought I'd never hear from him again after what happened in the park. When Luke spoke, I knew this was really happening, though. It was definitely his voice.

"Did he bring the groceries home?"

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I could tell he was smiling by the amused inflection in his voice. He was relaxed, probably on his bed, leaning back against the pillows with his feet stretched out in front of him, legs crossed at the ankles. He wouldn't be wearing his gray church suit anymore but maybe some windbreaker pants and an old cleaned-up practice shirt—white with grass stains on the elbows and a red brave printed across his chest.

"What?" I asked. I shook my head and tried to get the image of Luke Carter sprawled across his bed out of my brain.

"Your brother," he said. "You told him to bring the groceries home. I was just wondering if he ever got around to it."

"Um." I sucked in a breath, hoping it would help bring oxygen back to my brain. "No. He never did."

"Really? And here I was certain he would. I know I definitely would've if you'd laid into me like that."

My mouth fell open. Had Luke Carter just said what I heard him say? Of all the rude things.

"I did not
lay
into him!"

"Oh, yes you did." I could hear him laughing. "I felt sorry for the poor guy. If that's how you usually treat him, I can't blame him for moving out."

Stunned motionless by his words, I instantly retorted,

"Marty deserved everything I told him."

"Sure. Just like I deserved your attack yesterday, right?" I could hear him sigh. It sounded like he was stretching out in a hot tub. "You know what I'm beginning to think about you, Carrie Paxton? I think you just like to fight."

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I gave a little cry of denial. "You're the one that called and attacked me."

"But it was way too easy to egg you on. So, thank you."

"If you thought that was...Huh? Thank you? Thanks for what?"

"I'll see you in school tomorrow. Bye, Carrie."

"Wait a second."

I thought he'd already hung up, but then he came back.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"You're dang right I did. What was all that about?"

"You seemed fresh full of fighting today." I pictured him shrugging and flashing his dimple. "Just thought I'd get my jab in."

Luke sounded like he was having fun. I could tell he wasn't mad or bitter. He was purposely baiting me for his own amusement. I frowned.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, and waited for an answer, thumping my foot on the carpet. Luke took his time to respond and I said, "Well?"

Just when I thought I knew what he was about, he went and changed things. My life felt like it was getting crazier and crazier. First I made the mistake of thinking I had a crush on Luke Carter. Then he came to walk in the park with me. And just when I was thinking maybe he liked me back, he hid me to make sure no one saw me with him. And now. Now he was calling me on the phone?

When he spoke, he said it carefully, "I'm not sure what you mean."

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"I mean—" I gritted my teeth as I spoke, "what do you mean by calling me?"

"Huh?"

The cry I let out was from pure frustration. Suddenly, I wished Luke Carter was standing right in front of me. So I could choke him. "Just shut up and answer me."

He laughed. It was a husky chuckle and made my stomach tighten. "But how am I supposed to answer if I shut up?"

"Oh my God." I groaned and rubbed at my suddenly aching temples. I had the urge to cry. "Why'd you call me?" I sighed, feeling defeated. "Why'd you come to my Dad's shop yesterday? Why'd you want to walk in the park with me?"

When he was quiet, I went on. "I haven't got a clue what's going on in your mind. But I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want anyone to know we're on the phone right now, just like you didn't want Jill and Liz to see us in the park together. But by calling me, you've really got my mom stirred up. She's probably already got us married off with three kids and a dog named Sparky by now. So why don't you just tell me what you want and leave me alone? Or better yet, just leave me alone."

I thought it was a good speech. I was proud of myself for staying so calm as I delivered it. And I thought it shot straight to the heart of this ever-so-confusing conversation. But what does Mr. Carter say to ruin it all?

He said, "Are you always this honest?"

I thumped my forehead against the palm of my head.

"Yes!" I'd never been able to lie in my life, something that absolutely horrified my mother on occasion. But really, what 56

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was the use of fibbing? "Now will you please answer me before I scream?"

I could almost see him gnawing on his bottom lip.

"Maybe," he replied thoughtfully. "But I can't just yet."

I screamed. I had to lie down on the bed and pull a pillow over my head so my parents wouldn't hear. But I'm sure Luke got an earful. He said a few choice words as I let loose and he probably had to jerk the phone away from his ear and wince.

Afterward, I sat up feeling a little dizzy, but much better.

"That's it," I said, and stuck my nose in the air. "I don't have a crush on you anymore, Luke Carter." And for emphasis I sniffed out a little "Humph."

His eyebrows must have shot up on that one because he sounded startled when he said, "You have a crush on me?"

"No," I replied regally. "I just said I didn't."

"But you did before?" I had him completely baffled. "I thought I heard your brother say you had Rick Getty's picture all over your wall."

I cringed. Just how much had he heard in the store? Oh well, I'd worry about that later. "That was last year," I said.

"You're the hot topic this year."

"
Me
?" I didn't think he was trying to be vain and draw compliments out of me, because the poor boy honestly sounded confused.

I loved it.

"But why?"

"Please." I gave the word two syllables as I snorted it.

"You're good looking, rich, unattached, popular, and fairly intelligent. Why wouldn't every girl dream about you?"

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"But why do you? You don't seem like the type to follow the pack."

I shrugged. I'd already spilled this first part. Why not let him know everything? It wasn't like I still had a crush on him anymore, right?

"Since that football interview," I said, "I kept running into you and having the oddest meetings. So you got stuck in my head, and I was forced to think about you. From there, it just seemed to grow. And let's not forget the whole park incident."

"All I did was hold your hand and push you on the swing.

Geez, Carrie. It's not that big of a deal."

"But it doesn't take Luke Carter much to charm a nobody like me."

"Don't say that about yourself. You're not a nobody." For the first time since I'd picked up the phone, I heard irritation in his voice.

"Watch what you say," I warned. "Any more compliments and you'll have my geeky heart going pitter-pat all over again."

"Cut it out."

I laughed, giving it a wicked sound. "What's wrong, Lucas?

Every other girl in school thinks you're the hottest thing since the microwave."

"They do not!" He was spitting out denials desperately.

"And don't call me that."

"Are you blushing?" I said, knowing I had full control of the conversation.

"No."

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"You are." I giggled. "Oh, this is precious. I'm making Luke Carter blush."

"Stop it, Carrie." His voice carried heat and a warning.

"This is weird."

"I take it that the reason you keep bugging me has nothing to do with romantic intentions, then?"

There was a pause. And then, "Of course not," he said with such emphasis, it suddenly had my brain whirling.

No romantic intentions, huh? It hurt. I can't deny it. But I was too curious to let a thing like that bother me. Remember, I'm an investigative journalist at heart. I was going to get to the bottom of this. If the guy was going to break my heart I was going to find out why.

"Hmm," I said, and tapped my chin.

"What?"

I smiled when I heard alarm in his voice. "I'm thinking."

"OK, now you're scaring me." He didn't sound scared, but wary. Very, very wary. "What're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of what I might possibly have that you want?"

"I don't—"

"No, no." I grinned, knowing I had him nervous. "Let me guess here." By the way he sounded, I knew I had to be getting close to his secret intentions.

"You don't want me for my body," I said, ignoring a pang of self-pity over that fact. "You showed interest in one of my Dad's cars. But it's obvious you don't really want to buy one of them. I suppose you could be somehow trying to infiltrate 59

The Stillburrow Crush

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my father's business and take it over. But that can't be it, since your dad already owns more of it than my dad does."

"Carrie, don't—" I could tell it made him uncomfortable to mention Dad's debt to his father at the bank. I hurried on, interrupting him.

"So that can't be it," I said. "But then I see you at the grocery store today and that makes me think of Abby Eggrow."

"Abby Eggrow?" He laughed. "OK, I've got to hear this one."

"All right." I cracked my knuckles. "Marty's been seen publicly with Abby lately. But wait! Luke suddenly thinks he's interested in her. He's jealous of Marty Paxton and needs to come up with some way to get Marty out of the picture. So first he goes to visit Marty's home. He talks to the dad and then to the sister to see if he can pressure some information out of them and discover some kind of weakness in Marty.

But he comes up with a blank. So he strolls into Getty's General this afternoon to put the moves on Abby himself."

I thought it was a viable solution. Granted, I'd just thought it up and I hadn't worked out any of the kinks yet. But it might be why Luke kept bugging me.

"So what do you think?" I asked.

Luke said, "I think you read too many Nancy Drew mysteries."

I frowned. "It's not Abby then, huh?"

"Definitely not." Luke seemed more adamant about his secret not being romantic intentions toward Abby than he'd been adamant about it not being romantic intentions toward 60

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me. It was a small victory for me, but it made me feel smug nonetheless.

"OK," I said. "Then how about this?"

"I'm not sure if I want to hear anymore." But I could tell he did. It was amusing him. And I was having fun myself.

I squeezed my eyes tight and thought desperately. What would Luke Carter want from me? I wasn't beautiful. I wasn't smart and I didn't have any special talents...Wait a second.