Andrea and the 5-Day Challenge by Cindy K. Green

little strained. Then Luke suggested playing some music and now we were listening to one of his favorite bands, Requisition Believer . They were a local California band on some new independent Christian label. Luke knew the drummer. They’d attended the same church in California. The group was pretty good.
    With the wind in my face and my eyes closed, I felt fairly relaxed when I should have been a collection of nerves. I mean, I was in Luke’s car. Oh, good Lord! I was in Luke’s car! He was driving me home—home where my parents might see us and ground me permanently. Maybe I’d been on too much of a high when I hopped inside his vehicle. All I could think about at the time had been my triumph and the astonished face of Stephanie that I hadn’t submitted to her will.
    It now dawned on me that Luke was sitting right next to me. My hands started to sweat. I hoped he didn’t try to hold my hand. Not that he would. That’s all I needed—a reputation as a hand sweater. My hands didn’t normally sweat. It must just be the stress of worrying that my hands would be sweaty should Luke try to hold my hand that had made my hands start to sweat. I placed one hand out the window to dry it off, hoping it looked like I was just enjoying the tunes.
    And why would I even entertain the thought that Luke would hold my hand? It must be due to Stephanie’s intimidation about homecoming. She saw me as a threat to her gaining Luke as a date. Could it possibly be true?
    Luke’s silence had me a bit worried. I knew I should check on him. After opening my eyes, I veered my gaze to the left without moving my head. He had his hands at ten and two just like they teach you in driver’s ed. At the light, he tapped his hands on the steering wheel in tune to the music, looking totally at ease.
    My movement of resting back in the seat caught his attention. He turned his head more toward me and smiled. “So, what do you think?”
    “The band’s great. I really liked the last song.” I moved my head in time to the music.
    “Yeah, that’s my favorite.” He turned to face the streetlight. “Cool. Glad you like it.”
    Just then, loud music poured into the car, overpowering our song .
    Luke and I both looked out the driver side window to see who the rude creep was. Some people think it’s cool to blast their music so loud that they drown out whatever anyone else is listening to on the road. Really, where is the common courtesy?
    I shouldn’t have been surprised that the culprit turned out to be Stephanie. She was with Josh Renault, in his cherry-red convertible. How had she gotten off campus with Josh so quickly?
    Josh, I’m sad to tell you, is my friend Alisha’s older cousin. He’s a senior at Elton High School, a private all-boy school only a couple miles from Aubrey. As Alisha has invited Josh to several school activities over the years, we’ve all gotten to know him. Let’s just say that my thought of the rude creep a minute ago wasn’t all that far off. Josh wasn’t a total creep, but sometimes he could be—especially when he’s accompanied by those who bring it out in him. Those like Stephanie Ruiz. She must have called him just after our exchange in the hallway.
    Stephanie rolled her window down and smiled at Luke. “Hey,” she said to him in that way where she lowers her eyelashes and looks all beguiling.
    Luke nodded, but didn’t say a word.
    Josh revved his engine and smiled at us. “Hey, Beanpole,” he yelled over Stephanie to me. “Who’s your friend?”
    Beanpole . My nickname from fifth grade when I sprang up four inches practically overnight. He knew I hated that name, and still he insisted on using it.
    Luke glanced at me. “A friend of yours?”
    “He’s no friend. That’s Josh, Alisha Andrews’ cousin. He can be a…well, a real jerk.”
    Luke nodded. “Yeah, I can see that.”
    Josh revved the engine of his car even louder this time. What? Was he planning to race? How juvenile was he, or had he