Page 47 of Anytime I Want

“No, no, Ginger Cole.” There is a light knock at the door before a man about my dad’s age walks in, followed by none other than Ginger Cole.

“Hey, Mabel,” the man says. “I brought Ginger over. She needs help picking a song for the school talent show.”

“Hi, Gary. Hi, Ginger. Come hug your grandma. Do you know Julia Pritchett?”

“Oh, hey Julia?” Ginger raises an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing here?” she asks, with as much enthusiasm as someone heading to the dentist. Her dad elbows her in the side, and she gestures toward me. “Dad, this is Julia Pritchett. She lives next door to Graham.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” He shakes my hand and gestures to the door. “I need to make a few calls and return an email. I’ll be waiting in the car. Take your time, sweetheart.” Ginger and I stand awkwardly while Mabel starts digging around in the papers again.

“Hmm, a song for Ginger. Not this one, hmm, not right, oh! This would be good for Julia,” she murmurs.

“What’s this one?” Ginger asks, picking up the discolored sheet from the piano.

“Oh, one that Grandpa wrote for me. Julia is going to sing it next month at the variety show.”

“You’re singing in the variety show?” Ginger asks, with so much disgust even Mabel notices. She looks up from the sheets in her hands and narrows her eyes.

“Is that a problem, Ginger? I’ve been asking you to perform for my friends for months. If Julia says yes, what does it matter to you?” Mabel asks sharply. Ginger takes a step back in surprise.

“It’s not a big deal. I just didn’t know. Can I sing too? It could be a good rehearsal for the school talent show.”

Mabel claps her hands. “That’s what Julia said! Great minds think alike. I bet the two of you have a lot in common. Why don’t we have some lemonade and chat?” I make eye contact with Ginger, cringing a little.

“Uhm, sure. That sounds nice,” I say. Ginger snorts and pulls out her phone, her fingers flying over the keypad. I follow Mabel into the kitchen and help her find the pitcher and cups. She has a container of fresh squeezed lemon juice and some simple syrup in the fridge, so she quickly mixes up a pitcher of lemonade while I grab some cookies from the cookie jar on the counter. We place it nicely on a platter, and I carry it out for her. Ginger is sitting on the couch, still texting on her phone. She looks up and glares when she sees that I’m helping.

“Thanks, Grandma,” she says, helping herself to some food.

“Thank Julia, dear. She was the one who really did it,” Mabel comments pointedly. Ginger scowls and shoves a cookie in her mouth.

“So, Julia. Tell me more about your friends. Chloe was so lovely at Halloween.”

“Halloween? Seriously? How often do you hang out with my grandma?” Ginger’s practically shaking in anger.

Now, Ginger is not my favorite person by any stretch, but she’s normally relatively pleasant. She is downright delightful when she’s around Graham, a little less interested in me but still, this is weird.

“Oh, hush. I told your parents to tell you that I needed help handing out candy. No one ever responded, so I figured it out myself. And Julia and I have become great friends. She is lovely and I think you two could also be friends.”

“Graham.” Ginger says quietly.

“A boy?” Mabel gasps. “Wait, Graham? The dreamboat from your phone?” She glances at me with a sympathetic look.

Ginger is sitting with her arms folded tight across her chest, legs crossed, bouncing her foot. Her mouth is pinched with eyes locked on mine.

I turn to Mabel, trying to avoid the hate being thrown at me from the other side of the room. “Yep, that’s him.”

“You know Graham too?” Mabel peers at Ginger.

“I’ve told you about him. I want to ask him to the Winter Formal, remember? I’ve liked him for so long. He flirts with me until Julia shows up, and then I’m chopped liver.”

“Well, you should find a new boy to flirt with. You don’t want someone who wants someone else, anyway.” Mabel flaps her hands in the air.

The conversation continues around me, but all I can hear are the words Winter Formal over and over again. Ginger Cole is going to ask Graham to the Winter Formal? Why would she do that? Doesn’t she know that we’re dating?

“We’re dating!” I blurt out.

“Who is dating, dearie?” Mabel asks.

“Me and Graham. He’s my boyfriend. We’re going to the Winter Formal together.” I am practically yelling at this point.

---