Free The Next Full Moon by Carolyn Turgeon Page B

school when Ava’s father, who was in an unnaturally good mood for some reason, dropped her off.
    â€œNo hoodie?” she cried out as Ava approached.
    Ava swung her hips from side to side, in an exaggeratedly sexy walk. An Ava Gardner walk. For once in her life she didn’t care who was watching. She could just be herself. Let them all laugh if they didn’t like it! AVA LEWIS, she imagined, in sparkling lights.
    â€œI am much too fashionable for a hoodie,” she said, stretching out her bare arms and flipping her hair. Not only was she not wearing a hoodie, she was wearing a pretty sleeveless blouse and a short skirt rather than her usual jeans and T-shirt.
    â€œOh my god,” Morgan said. “You’re... They’re gone.”
    â€œYou look great, Ava,” George Kutz said as she walked by.
    Out of the corner of her eye, Ava saw Jeff Jackson standing with a group of his friends. She turned and waved, smiling brightly at him.
    For some reason, she didn’t feel nervous the way sheusually did. She didn’t feel nervous at all.
    â€œAva!” he called out, and he rushed up to her, leaving his friends gaping at them both. Jennifer was there, Ava could not help but note with an unusual feeling of satisfaction. Standing, as usual, with her hands on her hips and that mean-girl look on her face. Ava raised her hand and waved.
    â€œHey, Jennifer!” she called, smiling as Jennifer lost her cool and looked away awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.
    Ava glanced up at Morgan and winked. Her friend raised her eyebrows and both thumbs.
    â€œDork,” Ava mouthed.
    She turned to Jeff, who was just walking up to her. “How have you been, Ava?” he asked. He stood towering over her, his head bent down, his blue eyes seeming to crackle like a turning kaleidoscope.
    â€œI was sick for a few days,” she said. “I’m sorry if I was kind of a freak at the lake. I didn’t know I was sick, but I’m better now.”
    â€œYou seem better,” he said. “You look really pretty.” A slight blush spread over his cheeks.
    Jeff Jackson—blushing! And calling her pretty! This was definitely the best day of her life, ever.
    â€œThank you,” she said, feeling the blush creep into her own cheeks as well. Why couldn’t she be the cool one, just this once?! “How are you?”
    â€œGood,” he said. “Will you be at the lake again next weekend, you think?”
    â€œI think so,” she said. “I mean, it’s summer now. I love it there.”
    â€œMe, too.” He paused. “Maybe we could get a lemonade again, walk around some.”
    â€œRide the carousel,” she said, smiling.
    â€œYeah. Okay well. So we’ll talk more then.”
    â€œSure. That would be great.”
    He looked down, and then up again. “Okay. Bye.”
    â€œBye.”
    She watched him walk off, back to his friends. A second later, Morgan was beside her, staring at her with huge green eyes. “Ava Lewis,” she said. “You NEED to start returning my text messages.”
    â€œDid you see that?”
    â€œLike, the whole school saw that,” Morgan said. “What did he say?”
    â€œOh, just that we’ll get some more lemonade at the lake next weekend. You know, hang out.” She grinned. “Me and Jeff Jackson!”
    â€œHe so likes you.”
    Smiling, Ava looked over again, saw Jennifer and her friends looking her up and down over their shoulders as they headed into school.
    They were just trying to intimidate her. What did shecare? Her mother was alive. And her mother was a swan maiden.
    â€œI’ve got something amazing to show you,” Ava said, turning to her friend.
    â€œI just saw something amazing, Ava. You and Jeff Jackson! Do you realize what this means? It gives hope to all of us. Anything is possible!”
    â€œThanks a lot.”
    â€œYou know what I mean. You’re not