"Hey, I'm just calling to check, uh, do you guys serve something called a 'Sunday Surprise'?" I whisper.
Some pissed teenager on the other side snorts. "No, and we're not even open right now."
Dammit. "Are you sure?"
"Are you twelve? Look kid, I said we're closed. What else do you want?"
"Joshie?" I hear my dad's voice at the doorframe of my room. "Who're talking to this late?"
The last thing I need is for my dad to catch me calling Wendy's at ten o'clock at night.
"For the record, I am nearly sixteen!" I hiss into the phone, then hang up.
"...Joshie?"
"Hey dad!" I say, rolling over in my bed and plastering a smile on my face.
Dad looks at me suspiciously, then sits gingerly on the edge of my bed. "Everything okay? You seem a little...stressed."
I sigh. After all this time, I've never been able to figure out if my dad had wicked intuition or I was really bad at lying. Probably the latter. "I'm just looking for something."
"Did you lose homework again?" he says with a small smile.
I scowl. "No. I didn't lose anything, really. I need to find something."
"What is it? Let me help you out."
I hesitate. My dad's always helped me with everything, even when he didn't want to. This was my twentieth restaurant call and I was beginning to feel a little helpless. Mackenzie, in all her charm, refused to give me her phone number. I have no idea what's she's up to, but I'm already over my head.
"Well...this girl and I are going on a date. She wants to get this dish called a 'Sunday Surprise' but she didn't tell me what restuarant and..." The lie rolls off my tongue, leaving me both guilty and disgusted. Guilty because my dad is eating this up-he looks like he's already hearing wedding bells- and disgusted because never in a million years would I willingly touch Mackenzie Pallas, much less date her. I shudder.
"Who's the lucky girl?" my dad asks, making himself comfortable on my bed.
No point in lying more. "Mackenzie."
"Your lab partner? Didn't you say she was a mean know-it-all?" (That was the PG version of what I said. What I'd really called her made mom slap me with a wooden spoon.)
"Yeah, but she, you know , she changed. She's really... a nice girl." I nearly vomit.
"When will she-"
"Can we move on?" I ask, though what I really want to say is, "How desperate do you think I am?"
"Sure thing, Joshie. What do you want me to do?"
"Okay, so do you know any restaurants serve something called a 'Sunday Surprise'?
Dad furrows thick brows in concentration. "Hmmm...."
I pick up my phone and Google 'all restaurants in Goldpeak, Florida'.
"Hmm..."
There's an ice cream shop called 'Heaven on Earth' that seems like it would have a Sunday Surprise. Or maybe it doesn't. I'm tired.
"Hello? I'm just wondering if you guys serve something called a 'Sunday Surprise'"?
"Hmm..."
"I'm sorry sir, but we don't. We do have-"
I hang up and pick dial another number , barely looking at the restauraunt's name.
"Hello? I'm just wondering if you serve something called a-"
YOU ARE READING
Ten of Diamonds
Fiksi RemajaMackenzie Pallas doesn't like admitting when she's desperate, but the threat of foreclosure looming over her family has left her more so than ever. After an anonymous millionaire leaves a trail of clues leading to a hundred thousand dollars, Macken...