Attempting Elizabeth Read Online Free Page B

wasn’t even like he was ignoring me. That implied effort. He just honestly didn’t seem to notice my presence. For some reason that bothered me more than Rick’s obvious staring. Even though being ignored was what I wanted. Why should I care if Mark didn’t give two cents about me? I didn’t give two cents about him. The non-caring was mutual...as evidenced by the fact that I spent the entire rest of the afternoon sneaking glances at him and wondering if he thought I was a total jerk, or if he was really just not thinking of me at all.

~ Chapter Three ~
     
    “Sorry about the mess.”
     
    Fun fact about hiking: Going down the hill is so much easier than going up. Who knew? Another fun fact about hiking: It was not something I should participate in again. Ever. If someone had a gun to my head and ordered me to hike up another dusty, hot, steep trail again I would offer to take the gun from them and finish myself off so they could be spared the residual guilt and possible life sentence.
    It seemed, however, that I was the only one in our party who was convinced that hiking was a tool of Satan. Everyone else was laughing and talking and looking like they’d done nothing more strenuous than take a leisurely stroll. I wanted to toss the lot of them off the nearest cliff. My feet hurt, my legs hurt, my head hurt, and all I wanted to do was see the parking lot and Charlie’s stupid, ugly, yellow sedan. I’d probably kiss it. I might even be persuaded to marry it. If God had wanted us to walk straight up mountains he wouldn’t have invented Henry Ford.
    Rick and Charlie were walking in front of me and their conversation was getting louder and more animated. I glared at their backs.
    Rick turned back to look at me with a smile. “What do you think, Kelsey?”
    “About what?”
    “ Star Wars . Special Edition or not?”
    I narrowed my eyes at him. They were not seriously trying to get me to discuss this now, were they?
    “I don’t know, Kels, I’ve been thinking about it and I’m wondering, why not watch the Special Edition.” Charlie shot me an evil grin over his shoulder and I had the sudden urge to smack him. Hard. He had to know that my inner geek would not fail to rise up in protest at the thought that anyone would prefer that travesty of computer animated crap George Lucas had foisted on an unsuspecting movie-going public.
    “Theatrical release. Only. The end,” I managed to huff out.
    “But if the director had a vision—a vision that couldn’t be adequately met in 1977—why can’t he go back and modify it? It’s his piece of art, his call.” Charlie was really doing his best to sound serious.
    “Once a movie, or a book, or any piece of art has been part of society for that long, it’s stupid to go back and modify it.” I argued, knowing full well that he was baiting me. “Especially when you’re changing the way a character behaves. Han Solo would never have let a bounty hunter get off a shot at him. The fact that Han shoots Greedo in the original with no warning demonstrates his character. In the Special Edition he’s no longer sexy and swashbuckling, he’s just careless enough to let a bounty hunter get off a shot at point blank range.” I felt a little light-headed after this speech. It had taken a lot out of me.
    “Exactly. Totally great points, Kelsey.” Rick flashed me a smile that was a bit more warm than I preferred. I should have just kept my stupid mouth shut. I’d probably just cemented myself as Nerd Queen in his mind. I didn’t want Rick harboring a geekery-induced crush on me.
    From behind me I heard Tori say to Mark, “Kelsey has very strong opinions on the whole Han-shot-first controversy, but we love her anyway.”
    Mark laughed in response, and I gritted my teeth and turned my head to look up at them.
    “It’s Han-shot- only , not Han-shot-first,” I said sweetly, hoping my eyes conveyed the “you are dead as soon as we get home, sister” message I was trying to