The Stillburrow Crush

176

The Stillburrow Crush

by Linda Kage

I reached my locker in record time and tore off the lock, throwing open my door. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I just started pulling things out, stuffing them into my bag. At that moment, I believed I'd never return to this blasted place. I would drop out before I stepped one foot inside Egghead's school. There was another small town between Stillburrow and Paulbrook. It had a high school as well. I could enroll there, borrow one of Dad's cars off the lot and drive to school every morning.

I didn't realize I'd started to hyperventilate until I heard an alarmed voice call my name.

"Carrie? Carrie!"

I was grabbed by the shoulders from behind and spun around. Luke's worried gaze was all I saw. It was hard to distinguish anything else about him, because he looked blurred through all the tears.

"What are you doing out here?" I managed to ask. My breathing shuddered as I tried to regain some oxygen.

"I saw you pass my class and asked if I could go to the bathroom." His fingers bit down. "What's going on?" My shoulders collapsed and I hiccupped. My head fell forward and my entire body trembled. I dived against his chest and fisted my hands around the cloth on the back of his shirt.

"I thought he was going to kill me," I rasped. "I was so scared, I thought..."

I couldn't talk. I can say now—since it's all over—I was acting completely irrational. But at the moment, I was petrified. I started blubbering all over Luke, not bothering to 177

The Stillburrow Crush

by Linda Kage

check my uncontrolled behavior. He kept saying, "Who," and

"What," but it didn't register.

He was warm and safe and his arms were wrapped around me, rocking me. That's all that mattered. I felt so secure in his embrace I almost passed out. My legs even started to give.

But then Luke shook me. "Stop it," he said. His voice was panicked. "Talk to me, Carrie."

I looked up at him through my tear-stained lashes.

"Egghead just suspended me."

"What?" His mouth dropped and he took a step back. The step not only put distance between the two of us but it seemed to put a little distance between the situation and me. My head cleared and I began to feel in control of my limbs again. I concentrated on settling my breathing. Luke took a breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"Why?"

I sniffed and wiped at my wet cheeks. "Because Abby's not pregnant."

"Huh?" He moved closer and lowered his head. "I think you need to tell me what happened this weekend." I wiped back hair that had fallen in my face, trying to gain a little decorum. Luke lifted a hand to help. He tucked a strand behind my right ear. Our fingers brushed.

"I've been hearing the rumor all morning about her being pregnant," he said. "So it's not true, then?" I shook my head. "I, ah..." I looked down, trying to ignore the queasy feeling in my stomach. "Marty told us she was 178

The Stillburrow Crush

by Linda Kage

pregnant on Thanksgiving Day. Right before you showed up, actually."

Luke nodded. "I could tell something big had just happened."

"But I guess she's not." I looked up to Luke and searched his eyes for a little faith. "I didn't tell anyone she was, though."

He snorted and gave a short laugh. "Of course you didn't. Why would I think..." His words died away as my meaning seemed to sink in.

"Her dad thinks I did," I said, and bit my lip. "I'm being suspended a week for defamation."

Luke's look said he didn't believe me. He laughed. "Yeah, right." But when I didn't join in, he stopped and stared at me dumbfounded. "But that's crazy."

"Get back to class, Luke."

We both jumped at the commanding voice that boomed from behind us. I spun around and so did Luke. The principal loomed in front of us with his arms held stiffly at his sides. My ears started to buzz and I shrank back, bumping into Luke. He took my arm and stepped in front of me, blocking me from the older man.

"Mr. Eggrow," he said, and his voice shocked me. It sounded so formal and rational. He was definitely the banker's son, his respectful courtesy layered over a thick air of authority. "I think there's been a misunderstanding. Carrie couldn't have started the gossip about—"

"Did you hear what I said?"

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The Stillburrow Crush

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Luke backed down. At least I thought he had. "Yes, sir," he said. "But I'm telling you it's not possible that she could've started any gossip. I've been trying to get a hold of her all weekend. I wasn't even allowed to talk to her on the phone because she's been grounded. And she arrived to school late this morning. You see, there wasn't any time for her to spread—"

"Return to your class...now," Mr. Eggrow commanded. But Luke's shoulders were stiff. "Do you have any proof the rumor was started by her?"

"Mr. Carter—" Mr. Eggrow's voice rose and echoed down the hall. I caught sight of a few teachers glancing out of their classrooms. And what a sight they must've seen...Luke Carter squaring off with the principal and Carrie Paxton hovering behind her brave defender.

"This is none of your concern. Now go back to class before I give you an after-school detention." The breath rushed out of Luke. He glanced at me and then back to the principal. He licked his bottom lip. "I think I'll see her safely to the door first," he said, and took my arm. He turned us toward the first available exit and started dragging me down the hall.

"What are you doing," I said. "Are you crazy? Go to class." I glanced over my shoulder at Mr. Eggrow, whose silhouette was quickly becoming smaller and smaller.

"Shut up," Luke whispered back. "I wasn't about to leave you alone with him." At the door, he pulled me around to face him and tilted my chin up with his hand. "I'll take care of this. 180

The Stillburrow Crush

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Don't worry about it." Then he pulled me onto the toes of my shoes for a quick yet hard kiss and pushed me out the door. If I hadn't been so distraught about everything, I would've laughed. He'd acted like some knight in shining armor who'd just ridden up on his white stallion to rescue me and now was shooing me back into the castle (even though he'd actually sent me outside) while he set forth to save the day. But at that moment, I couldn't think about it. I stopped at the top of the school steps and wondered what I was going to do next. I couldn't go home. I refused to go home. There was no telling what Mr. Eggrow had told Mom of my suspension. She probably thought I'd been caught in the halls doing the nasty with Luke. If I went home and told her why I'd really been suspended, she and Dad would get upset and charge toward the school. And that would really stir things. The real problem was with Marty and Abby. If my parents stormed the building and confronted Egghead, they'd only bring a personal problem onto school grounds where it most certainly didn't belong. Nope, I definitely couldn't go home. Over on the east side of the building, I could hear the grade school kids playing at recess. I glanced over and watched three children chase each other. Suddenly I wanted to be that age again, where I didn't understand so much, where I didn't have to be responsible for anything, and no one could blame me for such huge catastrophes. A teacher blew her whistle and the children made one last frantic circle around the jungle gym before they reluctantly ran toward her and lined up into sloppy, uneven rows. As they filed inside, I started down the steps. The first place I 181