“Orange,” I said to Bobby under my breath, by way of explanation.
“Come on,” he said. “Walk me to my car.”
He opened the Celica’s door, gave me a hug, held me close.
As we stood there, a whirring noise caught my attention. I looked up just in time to see a golf cart whizzing down the street, Boom-Boom at the wheel, Mr. Cabrera next to her.
Brickhouse was going to kill him.
Boom-Boom beeped and waved at us as she swerved into her driveway.
“If you change your mind . . .” Bobby said, leaving the offer dangling.
“I’ll call.”
He gave me a quick kiss, ducked into the car. The engine purred to life. “Nina,” he said.
“Hmm?”
“We really do need to talk,” he said.
My heart backpedaled.
Talk? Talk was never good.
“Why? About what?”
His eyebrows dipped. “I’ve got something important to ask you.”
“Me?” Oh. My. God. He had something to
“Yes you.”
91
“Oh.” Panic set in. My stomach churned.
“Maybe tomorrow?”
I nodded and closed the door. He waved as he backed out of the driveway. I watched him drive away, then turned toward my house.
Orange.
Ugh.
Instead of going in, I headed straight into my backyard, cut through it, and took refuge in Mr. Cabrera’s gazebo. I fished in my backpack for my cell phone.
“Help,” I said to Ana when she answered. “I need to be rescued.”
“How do you know I’m not on a date?”
“Are you on a date?”
“No. S and I had a falling out.”
“About?”
“His name. Besides, he never liked my mother, anyway.”
“That’s when she was going to be living with you. If I were him, I wouldn’t like that either.” My aunt Rosa had recently changed her mind about moving to town and living with Ana. Ana hadn’t quite decided whether she was relieved or hurt by the decision, even though she really hadn’t wanted her mother living with her.
I sympathized.
“Whose side are you on?” she asked.
“There’s no sides! I’m just saying. Look, you can tell me all about it when you pick me up.”
“You have perfect timing, Nina. I’m about to go on a mission. I’ll be there in ten minutes. And I’m bringing the wigs.”
“Oh no. Not the wigs!”
“We have to use the wigs!”
“Well, all right. But I want to be a blonde this time.”
92
Heather Webber
I hung up, closed my eyes, replaying what Bobby had said.
I prayed he wasn’t going to propose.
I didn’t know how I was going to tell him no.
Eleven
“Why not marry him?” Ana asked as she drove I-75 south, toward the city.
