“Shh!! Keep your voice down,” Tamara scolded, “It doesn't look bad on you at all. It looks bad on Mr. O'Bannon for being such an asshole.”
“Please never say that around my dad,” Amber thought to herself.
“I know. It's just, well, I acted like a total wet noodle. I mean I didn't even look up when Mr. O'Bannon was doing the lecture,” Amber sighed.
“No, you'll be fine. If he doesn't mention it, don't bring it up either,” Tamara said.
“Will that work?” Amber asked.
“Usually does,” Tamara laughed.
Chapter Six
“Amber!” her dad shouted from downstairs.
She forced her eyes open and looked at the clock.
“It's only eight,” she muttered, shoving her head under the pillow.
“Amber,” her dad said again. He was closer this time, maybe right outside the door, “Tamara's on the phone. She wants to know if you want to hang out today?”
“No,” Amber said, “I want to sleep!”
“I'll tell her you'll call her when you wake up,” her dad chuckled.
Amber had been up late the night before reading the newest book in her favorite fantasy series. She rolled over and closed her eyes and waited for sleep to reclaim her. Twenty minutes later she groaned and forced herself from bed. She stumbled into the bathroom, silently cursing her bladder for being so demanding.
“Breakfast?” her dad asked when she arrived in the kitchen.
“Chocolate milk,” Amber muttered and sat down.
“Sorry to wake you up, kiddo, I thought maybe you two had made plans or something,” her dad said pouring her a glass of milk and adding the chocolate syrup into it.
“Not your fault,” Amber muttered, “Tamara knows not to call me before noon on a Saturday unless we have plans.”
“I think she was just bored,” her dad laughed, “or trying to get out of a shopping trip with her mom.”
“More likely wanted to drag me along,” Amber rolled her eyes, trying to blink away the morning fog that wouldn't release her brain.
“Misery loves company, kiddo,” he chuckled.
“Misery deserves to be alone,” Amber muttered and took a bite of the buttered toast that had appeared in front of her, “Thanks for the toast, Dad.”
“Not a problem, kiddo,” he said, “I'm going to lunch with the guys today. Will you be okay here by yourself?”
“No, I'm going to throw an epic house party,” Amber chuckled.
“Are you going to invite Joshua Nelson?” he asked.
“Maybe,” Amber rolled her eyes.
Amber didn't call Tamara back on Saturday. She had forgiven her BFF for stealing her precious weekend sleep, but wasn't in the mood to chat. Amber spent most of the day lying in bed staring at the ceiling.
“If the spell didn't make him notice me, nothing will,” she sighed to herself, “Maybe I really should go be a nun. Should I start going to mass? Do we even have a Catholic mass in this town? Maybe Greg will take me to the dance? No, not after he accused me of leading him on. Which I sort of did, because I didn't know how to tell him I wasn't interested in being more than friends.”
Tamara called twice while Amber's dad was out. She ignored the ringing of the phone.
“Leave me in my cesspool of pity!” she shouted out, thankful that she was home alone and her dad wasn't around to see how pathetic she was acting.