Free Robyn by Jade Parker Page A

come watch the fireworks. Maybe we’d see each other.”
    “What am I supposed to do if he shows up?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, won’t it be a little awkward?” Two is company, three is a crowd? That sort of thing?
    “No, absolutely not. I just wanted to spend a little time with him. Get to know him better. This way, there’s no pressure. Just friends having fun, and who knows? Maybe we’ll get to know each other well enough that he might ask me out.”
    But I couldn’t help but think that if he was there, I would really be alone. Caitlin would be giving all her attention to him. And Sean always went with us, but he never hung around with us. He usually ran into friends and would go off with them, and we’d always meet back up after the fireworks.
    I guess what really surprised me was how bold Caitlin was being this summer — - trying to get a boyfriend. Or a date. Or at least that first kiss.
    Me, I figured it would all happen when it would happen. I couldn’t force it.
    Of course, Caitlin was in an area where there were a lot more guys — both lifeguards and guests. Me, kid city. Except for Nick. But he hadn’t really shown any interest in me. We just rotated our positions around the slide and when he and I were at the top together, he didn’t have much to say. Then there was Jake, but I really thought he was interested in Whitney.
    “Anyway, I just wanted you to know so you wouldn’t do that deer-in-the-headlights thing you do,” Caitlin said.
    “I don’t do that.”
    “Sure you do,” she said. “When something happens that you’re not expecting, your eyes get really big and round. Like someone jumped out and said ‘surprise!’”
    “Great, Caitlin, thanks a lot. Now I’m going to worry that I have bug eyes.”
    She laughed. “Don’t be silly. It’s cute, really. Even Sean thinks so.”
    “You and Sean talk about my bug eyes?” I was amazed they’d talked about anything at all, but especially me.
    “No, of course not. And they’re not bug eyes. They just get big and round.”
    Sounded like bug eyes to me. I swung around and looked in the mirror. My eyes were brown. A deep brown. Like chocolate. When I’d gotten my restricted driver’s license I’d asked the clerk to say my eyes were chocolate brown — but all she put was brown. So boring.
    Big, round, brown, and boring.
    “What are you doing?” she asked.
    “Worrying about my big eyes.”
    “Well, don’t. Everyone looks surprised when they’re surprised. I just told you so you wouldn’t look or be surprised. I want Tanner to think it’s no big deal — having a guy meet up with me. And I’m nervous about tonight, okay?”
    I turned back around. Caitlin wasn’t usually a babbler. Her brow was furrowed. Maybe my eyes widened when I was surprised, but hers narrowed when she was worried.
    “I really like him. I want him to think we’re cool,” she said. “If he even shows up.”
    A loud bang rattled the door. We both screeched. I figured my eyes got big, too.
    “I’m leaving,” Sean called out.
    “Wait! We’re not ready,” Caitlin yelled.
    “Too bad.”
    “He has no patience,” Caitlin growled, grabbing her tote bag.
    I snatched up my mine. I’d brought a quilt that my grandma had made. “Well, we were taking a long time.”
    “I wanted to be perfect.”
    “You are.”
    She opened the door. “You are, too. We both are.”
    It was odd to see Caitlin nervous.
    When we got to the ballpark, Tanner was already there, waiting at the entrance. Caitlin immediately skipped to his side, leaving Sean and me to catch up.
    It was strange. Until that moment I hadn’t realized that it might look like Sean and I were together.
    I’d done lots of things with Caitlin’s family. Sean was usually there. Caitlin was always there. Sometimes it was the three of us. Mostly it was two of us: Caitlin and me. It had never been just Sean and me.
    Sean and Tanner did a guy kind of greeting. I figured they knew each other. Made