Heart's Reflection by P R Mason Page A

target."
    "Okay, what
if the target—"
    "He has to eat lunch inside. If he doesn't,
we're walking the halls with the brownie until we find him. The dance is
tonight. This is the last chance."
    Gracella frowned,
and her lips formed a pout. "How do we sell these things?"
    Pushing past her
with a huff, I swiped one of the trays from the table and put two brownies on
it before thrusting the tray at her. "Just hold this out and say, 'Would
you like to buy a brownie? Only a dollar to support the lacrosse team.' Can you
remember that?"
    "Maybe I
should write it down." She glared at me, hands on hips. "Of course, I
can remember that."
    When the bell for
lunch period rang, we were inundated with customers. We quickly got down to our
last dozen brownies.
    "Crap,"
I said when we reached a lull. "I didn't think we'd sell this many. What
if we run out of cover brownies before he shows up? Sell slower. Let's raise
the price."
    Nodding, Gracella
got out a sharpie and was drawing a line through the dollar price when Nathan
sauntered up.
    "Poison Ronny
yet?" he asked with a chuckle.
    "Shhhhh."
Scanning the nearby students, I didn't see anyone who seemed to have heard him.
I grabbed his arm. "I'm warning you, Nathan. Shut the frig up or else.
Don't mess this up for me."
    "Okay,
okay," he said, twisting out of my grip and throwing his arms up in
surrender. "I'll be good."
    He walked over to
the table. "Can I have one of these things?"
    "Oh all
right," I said, waving in his direction.
    I began to worry.
What if Ronny didn't show up? I'd discounted Gracella's comment earlier, but we
were getting to the end of the lunch period and he still hadn't come in.
    "I'm not
gonna get a tainted one am I?" Nathan picked a brownie with a blue ribbon
and eyed it.
    "No, of
course not. Those are hidden."
    At my answer,
Nathan opened the wrapping and stuck the entire thing into his mouth.
    Just then, Ronny
entered through the cafeteria's swinging doors. My heart leaped into my throat
before racing as if I'd started a fifty-meter dash. Whirling on my heel and
giving an excited hop, I ran to the table and opened the basket.
    "He's
here," I whispered to Gracella as I got out the two yellow ribbon brownies
and put them on my tray. "This is it. Keep Nathan busy so he doesn't
interfere."
    She nodded, and I
turned back only to see the target had passed us and was on his way toward the
lunch line.
    "Ronny,"
I called in a panic. "Fundraiser for the lacrosse team?"
    He glanced over
his shoulder. Tossing his blond hair back and out of his eyes with one motion,
his brows converged in confusion. "Fundraiser?"
    "We're
selling brownies."
    "Brownies?"
He smiled and crossed to me as he inspected the contents of the tray. Then he
examined my face. "Do I know you?"
    "Yeah."
    "You aren't
on the girls' team are you?"
    "Team?"
    "Lacrosse."
    "No. I'm in
the science club."
    He frowned.
    Stupid, Tina. He can't understand why you're
doing this.
    I hastened to add,
"But I love to go to the games and it's a real shame about all the funding
that was cut."
    "Yeah."
Nodding, Ronny thrust a hand in each of his pockets. After digging around, he
shrugged. "Sorry. I don't have any money today."
    He started to walk
away. Damn, damn, damn.
    "That's
okay," I said before he could take more than two steps. "Brownie's on
me."
    He turned back.
"Really?"
    "It's for a
good cause."
    "Hey," he
said, taking one brownie and appearing to toast me with it. "Thanks."
    "You're more
than welcome." Relieved, I smiled and placed the tray on the table.
    He pulled off the
yellow ribbon, opened the plastic and took a bite. After making a yummy sound,
he swallowed. "I love brownies."
    "I
know."
    "What?"
    "I mean
that's good."
    After he finished
off the brownie, he gave me a half smile.
    Woohooo. The love potion was already
working.
    "I know where
I've seen you before," Ronny said. "Math class. You're the girl who always
knows the answers."
    Better to be known
as the beautiful one, but at least he'd noticed me. No need to