Dare to Love (Young Adult Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

devilishly at me and I resumed staring at the menu.  He took it from me
and folded it closed.  “Man, Laura, you’re a fake,” he declared.
    “What?” I asked, thoroughly confused
by the remark.
    “You try to play such a tough girl
but you’re really shy.”  He nudged me in the ribs.  “You’re a marshmallow.”
    “I am not,” I huffed.
    “Yes, you are,” he said smugly.
    “I am not!” I insisted.
    “You may be a thrill seeker, but
you’re a marshmallow.”
    Exasperated, I declared, “I am
neither a thrill seeker nor a marshmallow...”
    “But you are a lawbreaker,” Courtney
said importantly as she slid into the booth. 
    The remark caught me off guard and I
could only stare at Courtney, who was watching me haughtily.
    “Don’t mind her,” the other explorer
said as he sat down.  “She sometimes forgets that she’s only an explorer.  We
have to keep reminding her she doesn’t have any real police powers.”
    “Oh, shut up, Keith,” she said,
shaking her head.  “I don’t mean to be rude, but really, you and Dare know as
well as I do that we’re not allowed to associate with lawbreakers.”
    “Ah, give it a rest,” Keith said, and
smiled apologetically at me.  “Hi, I’m Keith.” 
    “I’m Laura.” 
    I liked Keith immediately.  He really
knew how to put Courtney in her place.
    “I hear you’re going to be joining
our ranks soon,” he said with a grin.  Turning slowly toward Courtney, he
watched her reaction with a self-satisfied gleam in his eye.
    “ What ?” Courtney shrieked.  “ She
can’t !”
    Dare smiled crookedly at her.  “Why
not?”
    She glared at me.  “I really don’t
mean to be rude, Laura, but you have had several traffic violations.  And I
really doubt that anyone has conducted a background check...”
    Dare laughed and Keith shook his
head, amazed.
    “Are you for real, Courtney?  She’s
the sheriff’s daughter,” he reminded her.
    “Well, just because she’s the
sheriff’s daughter, does not mean she should get preferential treatment.”
    “Okay, Court,” Keith said tiredly,
“just chill out.  What kind of pizza do you want?”
    “Do not call me Court,” she said
angrily.  “My name is Courtney.”
    “Yeah, yeah,” he said as he stood
from the table, “pepperoni or Canadian bacon?”
    “Neither,” she replied as she
followed him to the order counter.
    Dare turned to me.  “We’ll have to
get right to that background check,” he said smiling.  “But first, how about
some pizza?”  He slid out of the booth.  “Pepperoni or Canadian bacon?” he
asked me.
    “Half and half.”
    “Good idea,” he said, then turned and
headed for the order counter. 
    I remained seated but watched as Dare
moved to stand beside Keith and Courtney, who were in line to order.  I
continued to watch the threesome, who were quite animated as they spoke to one another.
    Soon, they returned.  Dare carried a
tray with a pitcher of soda and four glasses full of ice.  He slid into the
booth beside me and Courtney and Keith took their places across from us. 
    Dare began pouring our pop into the
glasses.  He passed me my soda and our eyes met.  “I was just telling Keith and
Courtney about your question earlier about D.A.R.E.,” he said.  “When you
mentioned the D.A.R.E. program, it sort of got me to thinking.”
    He passed Courtney and Keith their
sodas, then turned his attention back to me.  “Every year, each explorer club
takes part in some community service activity.  Last year, for example, my old
club sponsored a toy drive for needy kids at Christmas time.” 
    “We haven’t figured out what we’ll be
doing this year,” Keith told me. 
    “That’s right,” Dare agreed, “but I
think it would be a good idea to do something with the D.A.R.E. program.”
    I watched him curiously.  “You mean,
like visit schools and talk to little kids about drugs like my dad does.”
    He nodded enthusiastically. 
    “I think it’s a