Free Solo by Sarah Schofield Page B

went to bed, I grinned because my day had gone so well. I'd figured out a way to get through the rest of the year.
    The next few days followed the same routine. Avoiding Sasha was getting easier and Casey kept me entertained during our classes together. At lunch, I'd sometimes see Lucas, but he wasn't in study hall. The weather had been lovely and sunny for over a week, so I enjoyed my haven everyday after school. Everything was going so well.
    Friday morning, I awoke to dark gray clouds. While I dressed for school I listened to the weather channel to get the seven day forecast. The announcer said rain and wind would last throughout the weekend and into next week.
    "That sucks."
    "What's wrong?" Mom heard me.
    "Oh, the weather." I started to feel depressed.
    "Well, you know what they say, April showers bring May flowers."
    "I know, but I wanted to hike this weekend."
    "You've been hiking a lot lately; it might be a good idea to take a break." She put her arm around my shoulders. "Why don't you call your friends and go shopping or something."
    "Yeah, maybe." I kissed her cheek and walked out the door.
    "Bye, honey."
    The raindrops started falling when I drove into the school parking lot. I watched the other students run between the buildings and pulled my hood over my head, but it didn't help. My long thick hair wouldn't fit underneath. When I reached an overhang, I took my hood off and pulled my hair into a ponytail. Another bad hair day. I watched the rain pour and realized I'd have to eat lunch inside. How could I avoid Sasha's table?
    Like normal, Casey waited at my locker wearing a super-sized smile. Unbelievably, her smile got bigger. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself.
    "Good morning, Eliana."
    "Hey, what's up with the grin?" I opened my locker and hung up my wet hoodie.
    "So, Jack asked me to the prom yesterday after baseball practice," she blurted.
    "Wow, that's great." I tried to match her enthusiasm. "I didn't realize you liked him."
    "Oh, we've been flirting back and forth for most of the year." Casey's ear-to-ear grin wouldn't go away. "I'd hoped he'd ask me, but I wasn't sure."
    "I'm happy for you. When's prom?" I tried to look interested.
    "In about four weeks."
    "I'm sure you'll have a great time. I can't wait to see the pictures."
    On our way to class, I started thinking about my friends in California. I really missed them. I kept thinking that if I were there, I'd be going to prom, too. Half my friends were juniors or seniors and one of my guy friends would have asked me.
    At lunch, I bought a peach and a bottle of water. I figured I'd roam the halls so Sasha wouldn't be tempted to harass me. I walked to the large common area near the office where all the bulletin boards were located. I ate my peach while I read information about upcoming activities. There was a spring talent show flyer with a signup sheet, softball and baseball game schedules, and the junior-senior prom flyer.
    "Are you planning on going to the prom?"
    My heart stopped. I did a double take; it was Lucas. "Well, I'm a sophomore, so no. I don't plan on going to the prom."
    He looked surprised. "I didn't realize you were a sophomore."
    "Yep."
    "So, what's so interesting?" He stepped closer, looking at the board.
    "Nothing, really. I'm just killing time. I figured I'd see what's going on around here."
    "Oh, okay," Lucas grinned.
    "So, you're not in study hall anymore?" I asked, still staring at bulletin board.
    "I'm in study hall. I've just been helping Coach with assigning baseball uniforms and getting some extra practice in. Don't worry. I'll be back in the library next week."
    I quickly turned my head toward him. "I wasn't worried!" Lucas had a smirk on his face when he turned and walked away. I couldn't even get out what I was trying to say. He's impossible.
    The warning bell rang and I headed to Spanish class, still frustrated with Lucas. Casey sat next to me.
    "What's wrong?" she asked.
    "Nothing. I'm just