Rachel's Valentine Crush Read online

  “Can you even believe it?” Taylor asked in an excited whisper so that she wouldn’t wake up Rachel’s dad and brother. “Can you even believe it?”

  “I’m sorry, am I dreaming?” Rachel asked. “Did that really just happen?”

  “It did!” Taylor exclaimed. “It so did! Rach, do you know what this means? Brody’s crushing on a girl from our school! It might be—it might be you!”

  “No, it’s not me,” Rachel said automatically. “And just because the concert is going to be here doesn’t mean she lives here. They could bring her in for the concert.”

  Taylor shook her head emphatically. “Then why would they move the concert to Archer? They could just keep it in Houston.”

  “That’s a good point,” Rachel replied.

  “Ugh, why did I spend all my birthday money already?” asked Taylor. “I really want to go to the concert, but I just know the tickets are going to be insanely expensive.”

  “Probably,” Rachel said. But for her, it wouldn’t matter how much the tickets cost. She couldn’t imagine that her dad would ever give her permission to attend an actual pop concert. He hadn’t even let Rachel go to the pool party Brody had thrown during his one visit to Archer last August. “Maybe the concert will be on TV or something. We could have a sleepover!”

  “That would be cool,” Taylor replied. “Definitely better than last year’s Valentine’s Day. That was the worst, just sitting in class all day wishing that somebody would send me a candy-gram. I can’t believe it’s a whole year later and I’m still totally invisible to every single boy at school.”

  “You don’t know that,” Rachel argued. “Maybe somebody likes you and he’s too shy to say it. Besides, there isn’t anybody you like right now . . . is there?”

  “Not really,” Taylor admitted. “But it would still be nice to know that somebody likes me. You’re so lucky, Rachel—I mean, what if you really are Brody’s crush?”

  “That’s doubtful,” Rachel replied. “But I still can’t wait to hear ‘Secret Crush.’ I’m totally staying up till midnight to download it!”

  “Me too,” Taylor agreed as she reached for her coat. “I want to hear the secret message that Brody has for you!”

  “Whatever,” Rachel said, but she couldn’t stop smiling. “I wish you didn’t have to go. I wish we were having a sleepover tonight so that we could listen to the album together.”

  “I know!” Taylor said. “Stupid Monday night release. Who thought that was a good idea?”

  Rachel and Taylor were extra quiet as they walked down the hallway. At the front door Rachel whispered, “Thanks for coming over. And thanks for the cookies!”

  “If you figure out the secret message, text me immediately,” Taylor whispered back. “I don’t even care if it’s three o’clock in the morning. I want to know.”

  “You got it,” Rachel giggled as Taylor walked outside. Rachel watched through the window while Taylor trudged home in the swirling snow. Once again she was grateful that her best friend lived next door—and even more grateful that her best friend was someone like Taylor.

  The freezing air seeped in through the windowpane, making Rachel shiver. As soon as Taylor walked into her own house, Rachel went to the kitchen to make a cup of hot chocolate. In just a few hours, she would be listening to Brody’s new album and maybe—maybe—finding out if he liked her, too.

  And Rachel could hardly wait!

  chapter 2

  JUST BEFORE TEN O’CLOCK RACHEL heard the sound of Grandma Nellie’s car pulling into the driveway. A few moments later there was a soft tap at Rachel’s door.

  “Come in,” she said quietly.

  “Hi, peach pie,” Grandma Nellie said from the doorway, using the nickname she’d had for Rachel since she was a baby. “I saw your light on. What are you doing up?”

  Rachel glanced down shyly. “Brody’s new album comes out at midnight, so I wanted to stay up to download it,” she explained.

  Grandma Nellie smiled knowingly. Rachel had never explained her feelings for Brody, but somehow Grandma Nellie seemed to know all about them. But Grandma Nellie always followed Rachel’s lead—she never made a big deal about it or teased Rachel about her crush.

  “How was your scrapbooking club?” Rachel asked, changing the subject.

  Grandma Nellie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, we had the best time,” she said. “And I finished two new pages! I’d show them to you right now but the glue is still wet. I barely got them home without wrecking them.”

  “Can I see them in the morning?” Rachel asked.

  “Absolutely,” Grandma Nellie said, nodding. She sat at the foot of Rachel’s bed. “How did Robbie do tonight?”

  “He was great,” Rachel said, stifling a yawn. “No trouble. He even ate the broccoli.”

  “Impressive!” Grandma Nellie said. “Of course, he’d do anything for the world’s best big sister.”

  Rachel’s father appeared in the doorway, looking sleepy. “What’s this? A slumber party?” he asked.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Carl,” Grandma Nellie said. “Did we wake you?”

  “I heard voices . . . ,” Mr. Wilson began. Then he turned to Rachel. “It’s past your bedtime, young lady. Why are you awake?”

  “I was—there’s this thing I need to do—to download,” Rachel began. “An album. But it isn’t available until midnight, so I thought I’d stay up.”

  Mr. Wilson shook his head. “Midnight? On a school night? No way,” he replied. “Time to shut down that computer, kiddo. Lights out in five minutes.”

  He didn’t sound mad, but his voice was firm. Rachel knew that she didn’t have a choice. “Okay, Dad,” she said. “Sorry if we woke you up.”

  “That’s okay.” Mr. Wilson crossed the room and gave Rachel a kiss on the forehead. “Good night, sweetie. Come on, Mom, let’s let Rachel get some sleep. It’s a school night, after all.”

  “Night, Dad. Night, Grandma Nellie,” Rachel said as she watched them leave. In the doorway, Grandma Nellie paused for a moment to mouth Sorry! to Rachel. Rachel smiled and blew her a kiss. It wasn’t Grandma Nellie’s fault that Dad had woken up . . . or that he was so strict.

  After she shut down her computer, Rachel made sure to set her alarm for five a.m. She wasn’t going to disobey her father and stay up late to download Brody’s song . . . but he hadn’t said anything about waking up early!

  Usually the first thing Rachel did on a winter morning was check to see if she had a snow day. But when her alarm started beeping, Rachel leaped out of bed and rushed over to her laptop. Using a gift card that she had been saving since Christmas, Rachel immediately downloaded Songs from My Heart. She drummed her fingers on her desk impatiently. Even though it was still dark outside, Rachel was already wide awake—in fact, she was so jittery it was hard to sit still. In just moments, she would be listening “Secret Crush”!

  While she waited for the album to finish downloading, Rachel got up and started pacing around her room. She peeked out the window and saw that the snow had finally stopped falling. Since her dad’s truck was gone, Rachel figured that he and all of the other plow drivers were still working to clear the back roads. But the street in front of her house was clear. From the look of it, school would definitely be in session today. When Rachel’s computer started beeping, though, she forgot all about school: The download was complete!

  Rachel rushed over to her laptop and put on her headphones so that the music wouldn’t wake Robbie or Grandma Nellie. A grin spread over her face as she looked at the screen. There were twelve brand-new Brody Warner songs waiting for her! And Rachel knew exactly which one she would listen to first. As the opening notes of “Secret Crush” swelled through her headphones, Rachel closed her eyes and listened carefully.

  I have a secret

  It’s hidden in my heart

  And it’s only getting bigger

  Since we have been apart

  Maybe it’s crazy

  To feel the way I do

  But
you’re my secret crush

  And I wish you liked me, too

  Walkin’ in the springtime

  You shine just like the sun

  And when I think about you

  Girl, I know that you’re the one

  Maybe it’s crazy

  To feel the way I do

  But you’re my secret crush

  And I dream you like me, too

  I think about the best times

  Making music together

  And how much I miss you

  Want to hold your hand forever

  Maybe it’s crazy

  To feel the way I do

  But you’re my secret crush

  And I hope you like me, too

  Oh, Brody! Rachel thought giddily. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees, beaming with happiness. Rachel was so impressed by “Secret Crush”—and even more impressed that Brody had written it himself. He was obviously so talented. There was no question that “Secret Crush” was a great song. It was different from most of the songs on Brody’s first album—a little slower, a little softer. Rachel listened to it again and could tell, without a doubt, that the song really had come from Brody’s heart.

  On her second listen, Rachel noticed something new. At the very end of “Secret Crush,” Brody said . . . something. Rachel frowned with concentration as she listened to the ending for a third time. But the recording wasn’t very clear. All Rachel knew for sure was that Brody was speaking. Could that be the secret message? she wondered. No, it has to be in the lyrics. Brody was talking about how much writing the lyrics meant to him. That’s got to be where he put the clue about his crush.

  And that made hope stir in Rachel’s heart as she listened to the song again and again. Most of the lyrics were pretty vague; Rachel hated to admit it, but they could be about anyone. Brody didn’t even get specific about his crush’s hair or eye color. But there was one part of the song that caught Rachel’s attention:

  I think about the best times

  Making music together

  Those lines made Rachel think of singing in the church choir with Brody. Sure, the songs they sang in choir were nothing like the pop songs that had turned Brody into a superstar. But the melodies were achingly lovely, and sometimes when the choir practiced in the sanctuary, all their voices seemed to spiral up toward the steeple, mingling with the colored light that streamed through the stained-glass windows. In those moments Rachel felt like singing was the most perfect, most meaningful, most beautiful thing she could do.

  Maybe Brody had felt that way too.

  And if he did—if he did!—then maybe Rachel really was Brody’s secret crush!

  The thought made Rachel so giddy that she could hardly stop smiling as she listened to “Secret Crush” on repeat. The more she listened to it, the more Rachel was convinced: The secret message was for her. It made perfect sense!

  Rachel jumped when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Grandma Nellie standing behind her.

  “Morning!” Rachel exclaimed as she pulled her headphones off.

  “Sorry to barge in—I knocked on the door, but I guess you didn’t hear me with the headphones,” Grandma Nellie said. Her eyes twinkled. “How’s the new music?”

  “Perfect,” Rachel sighed happily. “It’s really, really good.”

  “What a talented young man,” Grandma Nellie said. “Later, you’ll have to play your favorite song for me. But right now it’s breakfast time, peach pie. You don’t want to be late for school.”

  “Whoops,” Rachel replied. “I almost forgot!”

  “See you in the kitchen,” Grandma Nellie said as she left, closing Rachel’s door behind her.

  Rachel dressed in her most comfortable jeans and an indigo sweater that had been her favorite Christmas present. She was so happy today that she wanted to look extra nice at school. After pulling her hair back with a skinny silver headband, Rachel hurried off to breakfast. There was a big pot of oatmeal steaming on the kitchen table, next to a pitcher of maple syrup and a jar of cinnamon. Robbie was already hard at work on his oatmeal. He even had some in his hair! Rachel grabbed a wet paper towel to get it out before it dried.

  “It stopped snowing, but it is freezing outside,” Grandma Nellie said as she ladled some oatmeal into a bowl for Rachel. “So eat a nice big breakfast today, Rachel.”

  “You got it, Grandma Nellie,” Rachel replied. “Hey! Weren’t you going to show me your scrapbook pages?”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” Grandma Nellie teased as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel. Then she carefully brought two bright-aqua sheets of cardstock over to the table. “What do you think?”

  “Grandma Nellie! They’re awesome!” Rachel exclaimed. And she really meant it too. The scrapbook pages chronicled a cross-country road trip that Grandma Nellie had taken right after high school. Grandma Nellie had pasted several grainy-looking photos of her trip onto the pages and written short descriptions about each one. She’d also added post cards, souvenirs, and an old map that she had saved for more than fifty years. “I can’t believe how long your hair was back then.”

  “Neither can I,” Grandma Nellie said, laughing. She reached up and ran her fingers through her short gray curls. “It used to take me hours to style it like that. These days, I figure I have more important things to do.”

  “Like scrapbooking?” asked Rachel.

  Grandma Nellie nodded. “For my whole life, I’ve been saving my mementos in shoeboxes,” she told Rachel. “I never quite knew what to do with them. But gosh, honey, it sure is fun to unpack those boxes and have all these memories come rushing back. And speaking of rushing . . .”

  Rachel glanced at the clock on the microwave. “7:10!” she gasped as the doorbell rang. “Aaaah, that’s Taylor! I’ve gotta go or we’ll both be late!”

  chapter 3

  RACHEL GAVE ROBBIE AND GRANDMA Nellie a pair of quick kisses and threw on her lilac parka. Then she grabbed her backpack and dashed out the front door, where Taylor was waiting impatiently.

  “You were supposed to text me when you figured out the secret message!” Taylor said accusingly. “At midnight!”

  Rachel’s hands flew up to her face. “I totally forgot!” she exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, T. If it makes you feel any better, my dad didn’t even let me stay up until midnight. So I was actually asleep.”

  Taylor looked grumpy for two more seconds before she burst out laughing. “My parents didn’t let me stay up late, either,” she admitted. “So I didn’t even get to listen to the album until this morning. How awesome is it?!”

  “The awesomest,” Rachel replied. That same involuntary smile flitted across her face before she could help herself. Taylor figured out what it meant right away.

  “You know something!” she shrieked. “Tell me! What’s the clue in ‘Secret Crush’?”

  “Well, I don’t know for sure,” Rachel said. “I just—it’s a great song, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it’s the greatest, it’s a masterpiece, Brody’s a musical genius,” Taylor said impatiently. “But why are you smiling like that?”

  They were getting close to school, so Rachel glanced around to make sure no one could overhear her. “You have to promise you won’t tell anyone,” she began.

  “Well, duh,” Taylor replied at once.

  “No, I mean really, really promise, like swear-on-your-life-and-hope-to-die promise,” said Rachel.

  “Rachel. Of course I won’t tell anyone,” Taylor said.

  And Rachel knew that she wouldn’t. “So, you know that line about making music together?” she asked.

  Taylor thought for a moment. “Um, yeah. I remember.”

  “I think that’s the clue!” Rachel exclaimed. “And . . . Taylor . . . I think it might be . . . about me—since Brody and I were in choir together!”

  Taylor squealed so loudly that Rachel grabbed her arm and shushed her. Then Rachel started giggling. She couldn’t help it—she was
just too happy to worry about drawing attention to herself.

  “But I don’t want everybody to know,” Rachel continued. “Just in case I’m wrong. That would be so embarrassing.”

  “No worries. I won’t say a word,” Taylor promised.

  But the minute the girls walked into school, it was clear that everyone else was already talking about “Secret Crush.” Excited chatter buzzed through the halls. Groups of students stood together to listen to Brody’s new album on someone’s phone. Rachel immediately noticed that a large crowd had gathered around Tammy Hemmings’s locker. Tammy was the most beautiful, popular girl in eighth grade—maybe in the whole school. Normally Rachel didn’t try to listen in on other people’s conversations, but the way everyone was clustered around Tammy made her curious. If Brody had stayed at Archer Middle School, he would’ve been in eighth grade this year too. Maybe the older kids knew something about him that Rachel didn’t.

  “I think the clue is in the sunshine line,” Amber Jones said. “Come on, that’s definitely about the seventh-grade class picnic last spring, don’t you think?”

  Becca Morrison shook her head. “No way. It was only sunny for part of the picnic. The rest of the time we thought it was going to start raining.”

  “None of those lines really seemed like clues to me,” Clarissa Chow pointed out. “Except for that one about ‘making music.’ Am I right, Tammy?”

  Tammy checked her reflection in her locker mirror. She carefully applied some shiny pink lip gloss before she answered. “Well, I think so,” she said slowly. “Because Brody and I spent a ton of time together in glee club. Especially when we were practicing for our all-state solos.”

  Rachel felt a sharp twinge in the center of her chest. Glee club. All-state solos, she thought numbly. How could I forget?

  Ever since she had started middle school, Rachel had wanted to be in glee club too. But her father wouldn’t allow it. He wanted Rachel to come right home after school so that she could focus on her homework and help take care of Robbie. And even though Rachel would’ve loved to be in glee club—especially after she started crushing on Brody—she was grateful that her dad let her be in the church choir. That chance to sing was the best part of her week.