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“Anyway,” I mumble in a lame effort to quash the moment. “What’s the verdict?”
She looks at me with a stoic expression that always drives me crazy, and an unpleasant shimmery feeling slithers in my stomach.
“What do you think?” A tiny twinkle ignites in her eyes, and all my nerves explode at once.
“Did I do it?” I cry, clapping my hands over my mouth in excitement. “Did I get an A?”
“A-plus,” she says, pride washing over her. “Congratulations, Abby. Your GPA should be a lock.”
Fireworks go off in my skull, and I let out a whoop that catches the straggling students nearby off guard—and Mrs. Pace too, by the look of her. Just five minutes ago, I would have been embarrassed to draw that kind of attention, but at the moment, I’m too thrilled to care what other people think. Well, most other people.
“Thank you so much,” I babble. “I just… Oh, my God.”
“It’s alright.” She chuckles. “I didn’t do you any favors. You earned it.”
“Thanks just the same!” Wheeling on my heel, I take off like a shot for the exit, calling, “I’ve got to tell my dad,” over my shoulder.
The fresh air feels completely different as I explode into the open, sprinting like a crazy person across the grass. Weaving between my loitering classmates, every inch of me tickles with joyous life.
I made it. I’m going to Danver.
Chapter Two
ABBY
A nasty little stitch in my side kicks up. I clamp a hand over my ribs and don’t let up until I skid straight into the back bays of Williams Automotive. Sure as anything, my dad is there hunkered under the hood of an SUV, covered with grease all the way up to his elbows.
“Dad,” I shout a little louder than I should have, and he whips his head up from the task at hand, as does one of the other mechanics across the shop.
“Hey, Abby!” Before he can even straighten all the way up, I fling myself into his arms. He leans back with a “Woah, careful! You don’t want to get grease on…”
“Really?” I ask, drawing and holding my arms out so he can get a look at me. We both know good and well I don’t own a bit of clothing that doesn’t have some kind of smudge or stain on it. Besides, I’m in far too good a mood to let worrying over my clothes keep me from hugging my dad.
“What’s going on?” We both turn to where Jack Williams hangs halfway out of the front office, a big coffee splotch on the front of his cheap shirt.
“I did it,” I say, looking directly at my dad. “I aced the test. It’s done.”
“Yes!” Dad pumps his fist and yanks me into a powerful hug, lifting me off the ground and spinning me in a circle. “I knew you could do it.”
“A test?” Mr. Williams is clearly unimpressed, but then he’s unimpressive himself, so I don’t let him dampen my spirits. “What’s the big deal?”
“This was the last piece of the puzzle,” my father says, planting me on my feet again and turning proudly to his boss. “Jack, you are looking at Danver University’s newest Journalism major, with a full ride to back her up.”
“That’s great,” Ronnie, the other mechanic, grins and claps his calloused hands. “Good for you, Abby.”
“If you say so.” Mr. Williams frowns. “Too many kids going to college and racking up debt. That’s what’s wrong with this country.”
“No debt for this one,” Dad shoots back, giving me a hearty nudge with his elbow. “Full ride.” Then he turns to me and drops his voice. “Give me a second to get cleaned up, and I’ll take you over to the diner to celebrate.”
“Like hell, you will,” Mr. Williams grunts, stepping fully out of his office and grinding his fists into his flabby waist. “I told Janet Craig she’d have her car back by the end of the day, so you’re not moving until that thing is purring like a cat.”
My father knows he’s right, and his shoulders visibly slump.
“Yessir.”
It makes me furious, but I bite my tongue to keep from causing more trouble. As soon as Mr. Williams is gone, I lean into my dad and hiss, “What’s his deal, anyway? The way you work, you should own this place instead of him!”
“Maybe,” Dad says, turning his attention back to the spot where the timing belt should be with a resigned breath. “But it is what it is.”
