Operation Beautiful

Chapter 41: hoping she won't stop smiling like that

“How are you kids doing?” Mrs. Hansen says with a smile. “Now, I was just about to start dinner, so why don’t you kids move to the living room?”

Emma nods and grabs her backpack.

“I’ll grab your books and stuff,” I say with a smile. She smiles back and nods. Okay, that’s a good sign. I grab the stack on the table in one scoop, hoping I didn’t leave anything behind.

“All right,” says Em. “So today we were talking about limits.”

“Ugh, I hate limits!” I groan. “Trust me, you won’t need them once derivatives come along.”

“But that’s in Calculus,” Emma reminds me. I frown.

“True. Okay, let’s do this!” But it turns out that Emma knows more about limits than I do. I mean, she’s awake in class now and I expelled the dreaded subject from my mind the minute it was no longer needed.

“Dude, you’re no help at all!” Emma protests finally, laughing at my latest question. Good. Making her laugh is good.

“I’m sorry!” I say quickly, hoping she won’t stop smiling like that.

“What?” she asks. No, don’t stop!

“What?” I ask innocently.

“You’re staring at me.”

“Nothing!” I say quickly. “I’m just glad we’re friends again.”

She just looks back down at her book. “Okay, well, I’m going to do these problems. Why don’t you go make me a sandwich or something?”

“You’re hungry?” I ask, my mind instantly thinking of her blood sugar. If her cells aren’t getting enough sugar, be it due to lack of insulin or lack of food, she gets hungry. I feel a sudden light thwack against my head.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Emmaleigh says, her homework rolled up in one hand.

“I was thinking,” I lie, “that I should go make you a sandwich.”

“Forget it,” Emma says, rubbing her stomach gently. “I’m actually not that hungry.”

“Geez!” I joke. “Make up your mind!”

She just sticks her tongue out at me before blushing and turning quickly back to her homework.

When she leaves, I knock on Jessica’s door.

“What?” she asks. “I’m trying to do some homework. Then the cheerleaders are going out for smoothies.”

“Just...” I shrug. “It just sucks that she won’t act the same around me anymore.”

“She’s just putting up a front,” Jessica says, rolling her eyes. “She has pride, you know.”

“But she said she doesn’t like me,” I say with a sigh, leaning against the doorframe.

“And you said you don’t like her,” Jessica notes.

“But she’s not lying! She has a crush on Matt!”

Jessica rolls her eyes. “Today is Friday. Go take her ice skating or to the beach or something tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Just do it!” she yells in exasperation. “I’m not going to hold your hand through winning her back. That totally kills the cuteness factor!”

“Girls,” I mutter.

“And yet you love us,” Jessica says with a grin. “Here’s all I’m going to tell you: I don’t care what you do or how you do it, but when you confess, you damn well better make it special.”

She’s about to close the door when I stop her.

“Thanks, Jess.”

A slow smile spreads across her face. “You’re welcome.”

“Corey!” Mrs. Hansen calls from downstairs.

I just smile back at Jessica and run downstairs. “Yes?”

“Emma left that,” she says, pointing to the planner on the table.

“Oh,” I say, picking it up. “I’ll give it to her on Monday or something.”

When I make it back upstairs, I suddenly remember how Haley said she had news.

“Hey, what’s up?” I ask her over the phone.

“Oh...hold on, Corey, let me just finish packing.”

“Packing?” I ask, astounded. She’s not moving or something is she?

“Don’t panic. Just hold still a second.” I hear some shuffling and the sound of a zipper. “Okay. So the big news.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to China for a week.”

“You’re what?! What about school?”

“Corey,” she says with a laugh. “It’s second semester senior year. What school?”

“Fine,” I agree. “But why China?”

“Well, my mom called again. Apparently she’s getting some weird vibes from my dad’s boss.” I can hear the skepticism in her voice.

“You don’t buy it, huh?”

“Well, the way my mom described her it sounded like a very very mild version of Christa. Apparently my dad isn’t into her at all, which is good. But, anyway, she wants moral support and a family vacation.”

“So you’re leaving...when?”

Haley laughs. “My mom totally over-reacted, so my flight is tomorrow. Anyway, that’s the big news.”

“Oh. Well, have fun, I guess.”

“I will. China sounds exciting. I’ve already made a list of all the stuff I want to do.” She sounds really excited. “I haven’t been out of the country before so...yeah. I can’t wait! Anyway, I’ll make sure to shoot you an email once I’m there, okay?”

“Okay. Bye, Haley.”

“Bye!”