Four Summers Read Online Free PDF Page A

flip Nathaniel’s hat off, but he dodges him.
    “I was just being nice. I don’t mind if we all hang out.” Sadie’s smile is forced and I feel a little guilty for embarrassing her.
    Brandon and Sadie walk in front of Nathaniel, Alec and I. One of the boys flanks either side of me and it’s impossible not to accidentally bump against them. Alec here, Nathaniel there. A brush of an arm, the touch of a hand.
    We show them a few of the shops. There’s this ridiculous Lakeland Village Museum, which is really nothing more than an old, white house stuffed with Lakeland Village history. The boys walk through like they care and Alec and I pretend we haven’t seen it all a million times before. It was our first field trip in Kindergarten, then again in third grade.
    We go to the ice cream shop where Brandon buys Sadie ice cream. Nathaniel turns to me and says, “What do you guys want?” And as stupid as it is, it makes me swoon a little. A boy has never offered to buy me ice cream before.
    “It’s cool. You don’t have buy it,” Alec replies just as I opened my mouth to answer. “You want your usual, Charlie?”
    Nathaniel shrugs like it isn’t a big deal and steps forward to order his ice cream. I try not to let it bother me, and nod at Alec.
    We sit at the little tables with ice creams painted on them. One of the girls in Sadie’s grade did it. She’s planning on leaving Lakeland Village as soon as she graduates to pursue art school, and I envy her that.
    Soon, we’re all piled in the car again and heading back home. I’m stuck between the two boys again and I’m kind of bummed I can’t make myself enjoy it. They’re both cute, super cute, but Alec is my best friend and Nathaniel’s only here for the summer.
    “Anyone around here play ball?” Brandon looks toward the backseat. I actually feel Alec’s body go haywire.
    “Football?” Alec asks, excitement in his voice. And I know, as much as he didn’t want to like these two boys, he’s just found a new best friend.
    “Is there any other kind?” Brandon asks.
    “Baseball. Anyone can tackle someone else,” Nathaniel says from beside me.
    Brandon and Alec start rambling about teams and the next season and blah blah. It’s not that I don’t like to play around. We get together and have tons of games. It’s fun. Alec always picks me for his team and most of the other girls sit around watching, but I don’t care. I like being involved. But it’s different liking to play sometimes and being in love with it.
    Alec is in love.
    I wish he would try to leave this town one day to play somewhere.
    “You want to get a game together when we get back?” Alec asks.
    Brandon’s eyes glow with excitement. “Really?”
    “Yeah. I’ll call a few people.”
    Sadie Ann has a cell phone, but I don’t. “You’re only fifteen, Charlie Rae. You don’t need one,” Mom told me when Sadie got hers. I don’t really care. It’s not that I would call anyone but Alec anyway.
    Alec pulls his out and starts texting a few people. Since he gets paid for helping out at The Village, he actually has money sometimes.
    “You going to watch us play?” Brandon asks Sadie.
    “Sure. I guess.” Even thought her words sound nonchalant, I can tell she’s happy he asked her.
    “You’re down to play, right, Charlie?” This from Alec. He would never ask me to watch. He knows better than that.
    “Yeah. Sounds cool.”
    “You play?” Nathaniel asks, but it doesn’t sound like he’s making fun, just curious.
    “Yeah, sometimes.”
    “All the time is more like it,” Sadie says. “She likes playing with the boys.”
    I hate it when she says things like that. It makes my gut twitch, but part of me doesn’t blame her. It’s true and I don’t think she’s always trying to be mean. She just doesn’t get me, and she likes to make sure everyone knows that.
    “Cool,” Nathaniel replies.
    “Her and I are awesome together. We kick ass out there,” Alec says.
    No one