Free Holly's Heart Collection Two by Beverly Lewis Page A

is fine, thank you.
    “One day at a time,” I said softly in his ear.
    But deep inside, I was worried. Who in Dressel Hills could I convince to adopt my adorable cat? True, he wasn’t the prettiest cat around. But beauty comes from within, after all.
    Mom beeped her horn. I kissed Goofey good-bye and headed outside into the cold mountain air.

    At home, Carrie was waiting. Her bright eyes danced with delirious delight as she informed me of the numerous phone calls I’d missed. From guess who.
    “Andie’s dying to talk to you, Holly,” Carrie said. “It’s gotta be important.”
    “Yeah, well, that’s too bad,” I retorted, sticking by my vow.
    “If she were my best friend, I’d at least ask my sister to take a message.” Carrie’s eyes danced with mischief.
    “Look,” I said, sitting her down. “Andie’s not your best friend, and you can forget about lecturing me. Okay?”
    “Mommy!” Carrie shouted, running out of the room.
    “Fine, go tell Mom,” I muttered, disappearing into my room. I slammed the door shut.
    Settling on my window seat, I grabbed two pillows and leaned against the wall. The sun’s rays made me drowsy as I relived the birthday-suit nightmare….
    I was in the shower again. At school. Reaching for a towel, I searched for my clothes.
    “Put your clothes on,” one seventh grader called.
    The girls began to laugh. Echoing into a mighty roar, the laughter hurt my head, my ears. I cupped my hands over them, forgetting about the towel. It slipped away as I ran, naked, up the stairs.
    At the top of the steps, I hid behind the door. I could see the math classroom just across the outside courtyard.
    It was snowy and cold out there. I cringed. And then I saw her—Andie—my best friend in the world. She was waving something at me across the courtyard. “Hurry, Holly,” she called. “You can still make it!”
    I struggled to see what she had in her hands. Squinting, I peered through the snowy brightness. Then, for a moment, she stopped waving and I could see clearly.
    My clothes! Andie had my clothes.
    Whoosh! A blast of arctic air ripped through the courtyard, snatching them out of her hands. They flew at me, icy and hostile, sticking to my body. Covering me with their freezing, unfriendly fabric.
    I looked down at the expensive clothes stuck to me. Labels and brand names I’d never heard of leaped up. M. A.D. Collection, Angry Jeans Co., and Bonjealous. I tried desperately to remove the tags, but my fingers were frozen.
    Again, I struggled, clawing at the hideous labels. Anger…jealousy…

    “Holly-Heart, wake up!”
    I opened my eyes. “W-wha-at?” I mumbled, still half asleep.
    “Where am I?”
    “You’re right here in your room, darling,” Mom said, kissing my head.
    I looked down. The tags on two throw pillows were pulled off. One of the heart-shaped ones had a hole in its seam.
    My fingers must’ve gone to sleep. I let the pillows roll onto the window seat as I made a fist with both hands, limbering up my tingling fingers, still numb from the dream.
    “You missed a long-distance call,” Mom said, a hint of a smile playing around her lips.
    “I did?” I yawned.
    “It was Tyler, your stepbrother.” She sat down beside me on my window seat, holding a cup of tea.
    “Tyler? Oh yeah. In California.”
    “He asked when he should call again.”
    I stood up, stretching my legs. “What did you say?”
    “That you’d be expecting his call around five-thirty our time.”
    I hugged her. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
    “You looked so peaceful in here, I just couldn’t.”
    “But I was having a nightmare!”
    “Well, you looked peaceful,” she said, sipping her tea. “Are you anxious about going skiing?”
    “What about you? It’s your first time, Mom. Aren’t you scared?”
    “Oh, but Jack will be there,” Mom said, a flush of color dancing in her cheeks. “He’ll teach me just fine.” And by that, I knew the honeymoon was still going strong.
    When Mom left