THE BREAKABLE VOW
Kathryn Ann Clarke
Avon Books
Fiction
ISBN: 0060518219
480 pages

Chapter One

For the next three years, Annie and Kevin dated. Like most couples, they occasionally disagreed. Annie sometimes worried that their relationship was unlike that of other high school couples. Kevin could be jealous. He once pushed a boy for talking to Annie. While he said he trusted her, he was often suspicious. The fact that Rene was dating a delightful senior did not help matters. Annie felt that Rene's romance had shined a bright light on her own. She did not like what she saw.

In mid-July, Rene called Annie with a proposition. Rene's older sister, Patty, was attending a camping weekend sponsored by her college. It was being held at a campground two hours from Chicago, and Rene thought it would be a great chance for them to get away together. They would not have to socialize with her sister's friends but could put their tent close enough for safety. The girls could swim, read, talk, and eat. It sounded great to Annie. The McGowan family had never taken expensive vacations, but they had gone camping every summer, often at this very campground.

Briefly thinking of Kevin, Annie sighed. A year ago he would have been furious at the very idea. Thankfully, when she called to relay her plans, he said he would miss her but it was only for three days and the change would do her good. He made her promise she would not let any college boys flirt with her.

Annie laughed. "Kevin, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not half as appealing as you like to think."

"Give me a break, Annie. Those guys are vultures, and you are the most attractive girl I've ever seen."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said lightly. "I'll be the most conceited one there anyway."

On the day of their departure, Rene picked up Annie in high spirits. Patty was driving with her friends, leaving the car to Rene. Their parents assumed the two sister were driving together, and the girls had not enlightened them. It was a great adventure. Rene had been driving for a year but was currently allowed to use the car only for trips to the grocery store.

The girls loaded their gear quickly into the car. Rene surveyed the McGowans' large tent with misgivings.

Annie noted her friend's apprehension and said confidently, "I've watched my Dad put it up a thousand times. It's easy. It looks ghastly, but it will keep us dry, and if we want to invite the whole campground over for a party, we'll have enough room."

Annie ran in and said good-bye to her father. Mr. McGowan assumed Patty was the driver. When they were pulling away, Annie noticed him looking out the window.

"Annie," Rene said tersely, "does he know it's me driving?"

Annie thought quickly. "Smile, Rene. Smile and wave. Pretend we think he is waving."

The two girls waved and smiled. As they pulled out of sight, Annie noticed her father was no longer waving but shaking his fist. She gave him a huge smile and continued waving. "C'mon, Rene, move. Bye-bye, Dad." When they were out of sight, the girls burst out laughing. "Rene, I swear I'm going straight to hell," Annie said, wiping her eyes. "I'll call him tonight and let him know we got there okay. He might call your parents."

"Don't worry, Annie. We're already gone. This is something they haven't covered. Patty and I will act innocent and basically say, ‘Oh, now we get it. This is, like, a new rule, right?'"

"Well, Rene, I will say this. It's nice to know you guys are as evil as we are!" "Annie, all kids are like that with their parents. It's just your family that feels so guilty about it."

"I know, but my dad has enough to worry about. We really don't like to add to his problems. That sounds funny, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. When my dad was gone for a month, it was that way with my mom. We felt like we had to take care of her or something. And he was only on a business trip. I can't imagine how it would be if he was dead like your mom." Rene always understood. This was going to be a great weekend. The girls headed for the expressway and merged into traffic.

"Let's open the windows and smoke in the car," Rene said recklessly.

"Rene, you're dangerous today," Annie said laughing.

"I'm not that crazy, Annie." Reaching under her seat, she pulled out a can of air freshener. "I have a true criminal mind and have planned everything down to the last detail."

The girls settled in to enjoy the ride. Rene was not confident on the highway and alternated between speeding in the right lane and creeping along in the left. They ignored the honking horns and discussed everything from funerals to boy-friends. After what seemed like a short time, they spied their exit. At the campground, they cheerfully greeted Patty and agreed to set up their tent just up the hill from the crowd. After two hours their temporary home was "viable" as Annie put it.

"It looks like a circus abandoned it," Rene said with a chuckle.

"A very sad and depressed circus," Annie agreed. "Let's get our stuff inside, make the beds, and go swimming. We should also stop at the campground store and buy some wood. We want to have our own fire tonight, don't we?"

"Definitely," Rene answered with a shudder. "Can you imagine sitting with that group all night?"

Annie glanced down the hill and concurred. Patty's friends had set up volleyball nets and a huge scoreboard. "Too collegiate for me."

Excerpted from THE BREAKABLE VOW © Copyright 2004 by Kathryn Ann Clarke. Reprinted with permission by Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.