Marianne Elizabeth Hammer (top young adult novels TXT) 📖

“Which question?” Marianne was pretty sure that her stalling wasn’t fooling anyone, but what the heck else was she supposed to do? He still hadn’t said exactly why he wanted to go out with her. She was afraid, plain and simple.

He just crossed his arms and frowned again. Waiting. Not buying her confusion for a second.

Marianne blushed. She moved her hair out of her eyes. She shifted her feet on the mat in front of the sink. She came up with the following plan: Agree to go out with him. But do it reluctantly, so as to have an out, if needed. Her one last measure of protection. Marianne didn’t possess a whole lot of self-respect to begin with, and she wasn’t prepared to bet it all on the fact that Patrick was finally telling the truth about his motives. She nodded the tiniest of nods.

“What?” He squinted, leaning toward her. “Was that an answer?”

“Mary?” said Mom, suddenly appearing at the kitchen door. “What’s wrong?”

Dad stepped up behind her, taking in the scene in which Patrick was leaning over his blushing, watery-eyed daughter. “Oh, I think she’s all right,” said Dad, smiling. He turned and extended his hand. “Patrick! I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m James; this is my wife, Sophie.”

Patrick shook his hand, comfortable as could be. “Nice to meet you, sir.” He nodded at Mom. “I was just in the middle of asking out your daughter again.” He glanced over at Marianne. “I think she was trying to answer me, but it’s hard to tell with her.”

Did he really just insult that man’s daughter to his face? Marianne opened her mouth to stop Dad from defending her or kicking him out, but there was no need. Dad just snorted and smiled benignly.

At least Mom looked outraged. She was glaring at Patrick, but then, suddenly, she turned and directed it at Marianne. “Again?” she said. “Mary, what is wrong with you?”

Marianne gaped. “What?”

“Well, go ahead, sweetie,” said Dad, still smiling his annoying smile. “You should give the boy an answer.” He almost laughed again. “You’re being rude.”

Humiliation. Murderous anger. More humiliation. Marianne lifted her chin, looked straight at all three of them, and said, “No.” There was no way she was going to agree now.

“No?” said Mom and Dad together.

“Honey,” Mom whispered to her, tilting her head to indicate Patrick. “Have you looked at him?”

Dad cleared his throat. “Well, that’s neither here nor there.”

Patrick was looking distinctly uncomfortable at this point.

Mom put her hands on her hips, still glaring. “Why won’t you go with him?”

“B—because,” sputtered Marianne, finding her voice at last. “No! This is none of your business. And anyway, Patrick’s not serious; he’s just joking with you.” Everyone looked at Patrick.

He lifted his hands. “I don’t know where she got that idea. I’m not joking.”

Now everyone looked back at Marianne. “Well… Maybe he wasn’t joking, exactly. But,” she blew out a breath, “but he doesn’t really mean it.”

Dad lifted his eyebrows above his glasses. “He’s lying?”

“No!” Marianne looked to Patrick for help before she remembered that she would get none there. She let out a little moan of frustration. “It’s just that he feels bad for me, and he’s trying to be nice.”

Dad looked politely puzzled by this information and turned to Patrick. “Why don’t you like her?” he asked. “Is there something wrong with my daughter?”

Oh. My. Word.

“I do like your daughter,” replied Patrick, just as politely. “And there’s nothing at all wrong with her, except maybe a freakish level of modesty, I think.”

Marianne’s cheeks burned hotter.

“Ah. I see,” said Dad. “Mary, at this time, I would recommend that you stop being freakishly modest and give your answer.”

“And it had better be a yes,” Mom stage-whispered. “Have you seen him?”

Patrick covered a laugh and looked at Marianne. He shook his head, smiling, and then winked at her.

Unbelievable. But you know, she could play the polite and insolent game, too. She stopped glaring abruptly and smiled instead. “Well, in that case, I’d better do it,” she said in a falsely sweet voice. “Sure, I’ll go out with you, Patrick, since you’re so good-looking and all. I’d love to.” She gave her cutest shrug and just smiled.

Patrick blinked.

Mom rolled her eyes.

“Uh oh,” mumbled Dad. He took off his glasses and started to clean them on his shirt.

“What, Dad?” said Marianne, tilting her head. “Is something wrong?”

He didn’t look up.

Mom tisked at him, then looked back to Marianne with a satisfied look on her face. “I, for one, am thrilled you’ve finally seen sense.”

“Well,” said Marianne, gesturing towards her, “you are always right, after all..”

“Thank you,” said Mom in a gooey way, clasping her hands in front of her.

“You’re welcome.”

Dad sighed, giving his wife a look. “If you want to go out with him, Mary, that’s fine. If not, well…”

“Well what?”

“Then you don’t have to, of course.”

“Oh, no.” Marianne shook her head. “You guys were right before. I shouldn’t trust myself to make up my own mind.” She turned her attention toward Patrick. “It’s better if people pressure and humiliate me into decisions.” She gave him a nod. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Patrick almost grinned. Almost. Then he put on a politely pleasant expression and said, “Sometimes that’s best.”

Dad cleared his throat. “All right, you three,” he said wearily, glancing between Patrick and Mom. “We shouldn’t have teased her. It’s up to you, Mary.”

“I didn’t say anything,” said Marianne innocently. She turned her wounded look on Patrick. “A little defensive, isn’t he?”

“Maybe,” said Patrick, glancing over at Dad and back again. “Or maybe he’s just afraid of the temper tantrum he sees coming.”

Mom snorted.

Dad smiled at the floor, trying to hide it.

“I see,” said Marianne, glaring at Patrick. “Then you think I’d be out of line to be offended, do you?”

“Not at all,” he said in a disgustingly breezy type of way. “I only meant to compliment you. That level of drama takes skill.”

Marianne narrowed her eyes, trying to ignore the positively gleeful look Mom was