Dare to Kiss (The Maxwell Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

baseball.
    Dad opened one side of the double glass doors of the main entrance. The building stretched out on both sides. I wasn’t sure how many students attended. I knew from registering that the senior class alone had two hundred kids.
    As soon as I entered, I bumped into a girl with bluish-black hair, wearing skinny black jeans, a yellow V-neck sweater that hugged her curves, and black patent leather flats.
    “I’m sorry,” I said.
    She scrunched her perfectly manicured eyebrows at me, adjusting her backpack on her shoulder.
    “Cat got your tongue?” I asked.
    She stood frozen in the hall, sizing me up as if I was some idiot that dared to bump into her.
    Dad had gotten stuck holding the door open for a few other students that trudged in behind us.
    “You’re the new girl. The one that’s here to play baseball,” she said.
    Ooookay. How did she know that?
    “Hi, I’m Becca. Becca Young.” She extended her hand.
    I checked on Dad, who hadn’t moved, then turned back to Becca.
    “Don’t worry. I don’t bite. I’m one of the few girls in this school that doesn’t.” Her pink lips stretched into a smile.
    “Hi, I’m Lacey Robinson.”
    We shook hands. Hers were colder than mine.
    “How did you know who I was?” I asked.
    “I didn’t. I took a wild guess, since you’re wearing an LA Dodgers T-shirt. And who comes to the first day of school with their father, anyway?” She tossed a handful of hair over her shoulder.
    I loved the Dodgers and had several T-shirts with their logo. “Nice guess.” God. I hoped she wasn’t going to be like the girls at my last school, berating me for my appearance.
    Dad finally abandoned his post as temporary doorman.
    “This is my dad, James Robinson. Dad, Becca.”
    “Nice to meet you,” Dad said. “So, Becca, can you point us toward the principal’s office?”
    “Sure. I’ll walk with you.” Becca’s shoes clicked on the tile floor as we headed to see the principal.
    “I’m so glad girls are trying out for baseball again,” Becca said.
    Dad and I exchanged a perplexed look.
    “Oh, you don’t know,” she said. “We haven’t had a girl play since Mandy Shear was killed two years ago.”
    I stopped in my tracks, Dad and Becca walking ahead. She was killed? How? I had just freaked out over my battery cables coming loose. Don’t freak. Breathe.
    Dad turned, holding out his arm. “What happened?” he asked, waiting for me to join them.
    “Hey, Becca,” a boy’s voice came from behind us.
    “Yo, Scott. How goes it, dude?” she yelled over her shoulder.
    The exchange between her and the boy allowed me to take a few deep breaths.
    “We should keep walking. The halls will be crowded soon. And we’re not allowed to talk about Mandy’s death on school grounds,” she said in a hushed tone.
    “Why?” I asked, even though she’d just said the topic was all but closed. Dad placed his hand lightly on my arm.
    She glanced up at the wooden sign above the frosted-paned door. “Here’s your stop.” She waved me off. “I’ll see you around. You’re a senior, right?” she asked, backing away.
    “I am,” I said.
    “Then I’m sure we’ll have a class or two together.” She bounced on her feet and sauntered over to Scott, a short blond wearing black-rimmed glasses.
    “Why do you think the topic of Mandy is off limits on school property?” I asked Dad as we stood in the admin office. A counter separated the room into halves. Behind the chest-high glass counter stood a metal desk. Three windows separated by thin pieces of wood were built into the gray walls that overlooked a small grassy area outside with decorative trees.
    “It’s probably still a sensitive subject. You should know that, Lacey.” Dad sauntered up to the counter.
    Even though Dad was right, I couldn’t help my curiosity or my trepidation.
    The red-haired lady behind the counter was busy with paperwork.
    Dad cleared his throat. “Excuse me.”
    “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said