"Martin, Ann M - BSC070 - Stacey And The Cheerleaders" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin Ann M)

Well, Mom did. "Oops," she said. "Let me get the scissors and cut that."
"Oh! I can't believe I left it there!" I yelped.
Robert laughed. It was a friendly laugh, not judgmental. "Don't worry. No big deal."
I could practically feel Claudia groaning in the kitchen.
Mom returned with the scissors and my coat. She cut the tag, we all said good-bye, and Robert and I left.
Mrs. Brewster was waiting in the car. "Hi, Stacey," she said, and I saw immediately where Robert got his beautiful eyes. We chatted a moment, and she asked, "Where to?"
"Well," Robert said. "I looked at the movie
listings, and ... I don't know. What do you think?"
He handed me a carefully cut-out piece of newspaper. His mom turned on the overhead light.
I looked down the list of movies at the cine-plex. Mall Warriors II was playing on two screens now, and the rest looked pretty boring.
"Not such a great selection," I said, giving the sheet back to him.
"Yeah." Robert stuffed it in his coat pocket. "Maybe we should just get something to eat. You know, talk, maybe take a walk. . . ."
Take a walk? In twenty-degree weather?
It sounded like a wonderful idea.
Mrs. Brewster drove us to a coffee shop called the Argo in downtown Stoneybrook. Her last words to us were, "Take your time. Call me when you're ready."
"Your mom's really nice," I said as we walked inside.
"Yeah," Robert agreed. "For a mom."
"Two?" asked a harried-looking waiter. He grabbed a couple of menus and led us to a cozy booth by a window.
As we sat, Robert asked, "Did you have dinner?"
"Yes," I replied. "But go ahead and eat, if you want. I can order a salad or something."
"I ate, too. I figured we'd be going to a movie." He scanned the menu. "These desserts look great! How about this 'Brownie Ice Cream Delight for Two'?"
"Uh, no ..."
"Pecan pie a fa mode? Or maybe carrot cake?" Suddenly he looked very solemn, as if he knew he'd made a mistake. "Or maybe something lighter, like yogurt?"
I took a deep breath. He seemed so caring and earnest. He hadn't made fun of me for being a "girl" on a "diet." Somehow I didn't feel like dancing around the truth. I'd promised myself not to say anything about my diabetes, but I thought he deserved to know.
So I told him. He listened carefully, nodding and asking questions. He didn't gag when I mentioned my injections.
And when I finished, he didn't automatically change the subject, or look at me as if I were dying. He just said, "Wow, I'm glad you told me that. Otherwise you might have felt uncomfortable."
Now, Robert could have said a lot of things. He could have told me how gorgeous I was. He could have compared my hair to a cascade of satin (well, kinked satin) and my eyes to sapphires.
But what he had just said was the most romantic thing I could have imagined.
I was loosening up. My hair did not bother me one bit.
"Are you ready?" The waiter was now hovering over us with pad and pen.
"Uh, a vegetable soup and a small salad," I said. "Oil and vinegar on the side."
"I'll have the double bacon cheeseburger," Robert ordered.
The waited nodded and whisked away the menus.
"I thought you ate," I whispered, trying to hold back a giggle.
"I did," Robert replied. "That's why I didn't order fries."
To him, this made perfect sense.
Boys.
We talked and talked. I felt so at ease with Robert. I even found the nerve to tell him the saga of The Kink. He thought it was pretty funny. He was funny, too. And charming and smart Ч and a great listener.
I thought we'd never run out of things to say. But almost a half hour later I realized we'd missed one incredibly important topic Ч basketball.
I felt so rude for not bringing it up. "So," I said, "how does it feel to be on a first-place team?"
I figured he'd light up, the way RJ had when I'd mentioned basketball to him. But Robert
grew very quiet and thoughtful.
"I like it," he said, nodding. "I mean, I like the playing part of it. I've liked basketball since I was a kid."
"Well, what other part is there?" I asked.
"You know, the status stuff."
I looked at him blankly. "Meaning what?"
He seemed disappointed in my reaction. "How can I say this. Do you know Jason Fox?" he asked.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Well, he's a very smart guy, and pretty friendly. But have you ever noticed the way he acts when he's around the team and the cheerleaders?"
I shrugged. "Kind of excited." I didn't want to say dorky.