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Chasing Lightning
Excerpt 2: Chasing Lightning by Rachel York y Rachel York

Scarlett tried out for the school play her senior year and got the lead. The play was just one more distraction from all those Norma-June thoughts that sneaked up on her every now and then and got her thinking about girls. One week before the play was to open, the girl playing Mary Queen of Scots got sick. It looked like the production might have to be cancelled when a new girl at school said she would take the part. A girl called Gina Jamison.

Gina Jamison was what they called an army brat. Her dad had just been reassigned to the military base near Tullis City a few miles away. It must have been hard on her leaving wherever she was before, thought Scarlett, and coming to a new school just before graduation. But if she were sad or upset about the change, Gina never showed it.
The new girl learned her lines right away. Not that she had that many mind you. Most of the time she was locked up in the Tower of London, wasting away, accused of treason. Since there was no money in the school budget to actually build a set for the Tower, the director improvised and had Gina speak her lines on a dark stage with a spot on her. It was effective. It showed off every curve Gina had.

As Scarlett sat out in the auditorium watching Gina rehearse as Mary Queen of Scots, it dawned on her how attractive the new girl was. She was tall but not too tall with large, blue eyes and long, dark hair. Gina's pedal pushers fit her just a tad too tight, as did her white cotton blouse. She dressed like many of the other girls did at Dillinger High these days, the tighter the clothes the better. It guaranteed the boys' attention.

It finally occurred to Scarlett that was why all the boys were showing up at rehearsal. They had come to look at Gina's body, every square inch of it they could ogle. Scarlett presently caught herself staring at Gina too. She couldn't believe the way the new girl's nipples stuck right through her thin, cotton blouse, plain as day for the whole world to see. Gina was not the least self-conscious about her body. If anything, she was proud of it.

Over the next several days Scarlett tried to keep her eyes off Gina but couldn't. The girl was an eye-magnet. Then, much to Scarlett's delight, the two ended up in the same dressing room the play's opening night.

"Can you help me with this dress?" Gina asked. "The zipper's acting up."

"Sure," said Scarlett, swallowing hard. She went over to Gina and studied the zipper. "A little material's stuck in it." Scarlett nervously picked it out and zipped up her dress.

"That was fast," remarked Gina. "You're good with your hands."

"Not really," said Scarlett. "You should see the way I tie bows."

Gina laughed. "You probably don't care about tying bows."

"Well, I... I..." stammered Scarlett and then she stopped talking. For some reason her tongue wouldn't mind. She glanced at Gina and finally managed to finish her sentence. "I... I guess I never thought about it that way."

Scarlett must have blushed because she felt her cheeks get warm. She could not understand why a compliment from this girl embarrassed her so much. She quickly changed the subject.
"What's that smell you have on?"

"Scent," Gina gently corrected. "White Shoulders. Do you like it?"

"Yes," said Scarlett. Any time Gina had been near her the past week, that scent had announced it. "I like it a lot."

"Then you can have some," said Gina. She took a small perfume bottle out of her purse and walked over to Scarlett.

"The secret," instructed Gina, "is to apply it right. Not on the clothes, where it picks up other odors, but directly on the skin."

Gina opened the bottle and put the perfume on her fingers. She rubbed some behind Scarlett's ears and then glazed her neck with a little more. Her touch was so soft it gave Scarlett goose bumps. Gina felt the reaction beneath her fingertips and smiled.

"It makes you feel good, doesn't it?" she said, putting the cap back on the bottle.

Scarlett nodded. She didn't know what she was feeling but she suspected it might not have a whole lot to do with perfume.

"What are you doing after the play?" Gina suddenly asked.

"I've got a date with Skeeter Boyd."

"The football player?"

"Yeah," answered Scarlett.

"Too bad," said Gina. "I thought it might be nice to take a drive. I've got my older sister's car tonight."

Scarlett liked this idea just fine. "Why don't I bring Skeeter?"

"No," said Gina. "Why don't you just tell him it's girls' night out? He'll understand."

Scarlett was momentarily at a loss for words. She finally managed, "Jeez. I don't know. What about the cast party?"

"We are the cast," said Gina, meeting Scarlett's eyes. "Aren't we?"

Excerpts courtesy of Rachel York

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Chasing Lightning

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rachel York was born in a small town in Texas and educated in the United States and Europe. While at the University of Madrid studying languages and anthropology, she supported herself doing commercials for Spanish television. She currently resides in Los Angeles where she ghostwrites for others. This is her first novel and she is working on a sequel. For media inquiries contact Sherry Stinson at (918) 336-7927 or via email. You may also visit Rachel's Web site, where she has a blog that she occasionally updates.

Chasing Lightning Author: Rachel York Category: Romance, coming-of-age Paperback: 384 pages Published: March 2003 ISBN: 0758203683 Retail: $10.50 Publisher: Kensington Click here to buy CHASING LIGHTNING

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