Free Chasing Butterflies by Terri E. Laine Page A

hon,” the older woman said. She stared at me. Finally, I turned my attention to her and stared back. Turned out she wasn’t exactly that much older than me. Maybe two or three years at most, and she had a decent smile. I was used to older girls. They liked me, and I liked them back. They didn’t play the games girls my age did.
    “I’ll have a Sprite,” Lenny said, gaining the woman’s attention.
    The cute waitress shifted her focus back to me. “Shake, vanilla.”
    “Coming right up.”
    She sauntered off with swaying hips. I watched in appreciation.
    Lenny’s finger snapped in front of my face. “Are we going to study or what?”
    “I didn’t bring any books.” When she started to frown, I added, “It’s not like you gave me any time to get to my locker.”
    “I thought that was your locker.”
    “No, that was her locker. You know, how you interrupted us.”
    “Interrupted. You should be thanking me. She’s been passed around the entire football team.”
    With an arched brow, I said, “I thought you knew better than to believe rumors.”
    She sagged in her seat. “You’re right. That was mean. I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know why I said that.”
    “I know why,” I tossed out.
    Straightening, her eyes challenged me, and I liked it. “Why’s that?”
    “Because you like me. Jealousy was written all over your face.”
    “I…I…” she sputtered. “I’m not jealous.”
    “Snapping your finger in my face so I wouldn’t check out our waitress.”
    “That’s not true.”
    “Lie to yourself. It’s okay.”
    “I have a boyfriend.” Though she was grasping at reasons.
    “Yeah, where is he?”
    She closed her mouth and good thing. I imagined all kinds of things as our waitress materialized with piping hot food in record time. Then again, we were the only customers. The smells made my stomach stretch. It totally beat the school lunches I forced down unless I wanted to starve.
    After the waitress set down our food, she placed the bill face down with her number face up near me. Lenny snagged it like a snake strike.
    “I’ve got this,” she declared.
    I smirked because she was so jealous. Bad thing was, her declaration that had nothing to do with me couldn’t have been truer. She had my complete attention like no other girl had ever before. I couldn’t resist needling her.
    “Sure you do. But I’m pretty sure that phone number is for me.”
    Her mouth dropped open. “She’s like too old for you. You’re like sixteen, right?”
    “Soon to be seventeen.”
    “Then I’m doing you a favor. She could go to jail.”
    The paper crumpled in her hands. And I decided not to point out that the waitress not going to jail was a favor to her and not to me.
    “Are you going to catch me up with school or what?” I asked, shoving a fry in my mouth.
    “You said you didn’t have your books.”
    “So, tell me all I need to know about my teachers. What they expect and shit. Who’s the hardest...yeah, that kind of stuff.”
    And she did while we ate. She made me laugh as she gave me the lowdown, giving me rumors and pointing them out as unsubstantiated. Her use of a word like that made me wonder more about her. She was smart and beautiful, which only made me more interested when I shouldn’t have been.
    “And don’t ever mention Mr. Wilk’s cowlick in his presence if you want to pass the class. I swear the guy could use plaster and it still wouldn’t stay down. And that’s so mean to say because he’s a great teacher.”
    I chuckled, enjoying whatever she had to say.
    “Your turn. I’ve done all the talking.”
    “What do you want to know?” I asked, curious about what she would say next.
    “Where did you move from? What brings you to our sleepy little town?”
    There were a hundred things she could have asked, yet she’d given me an easy one.
    “Galveston and my mom. She’s sick.”
    “You don’t talk much.”
    “Nope.”
    By the time I made it home, it was well past