Friends ForNever Read Online Free PDF Page B

waste! I hate it. I don’t consider that my home, and I don’t consider them my family. Yeah, he’s my father, but so what? We’re not close. At all.” Nicole turned and walked abruptly back to the platform. From the way her shoulders were tensed, I could tell she was getting upset.
    We both stretched out on the mattresses and waited for Jamie to give us the order to fire again. Once the rifles started popping, I felt like it was safe to talk without everyone else hearing us.
    â€œBut that could change. Maybe this trip, you could try to get closer to your dad.”
    Nicole kept her eye trained on the sight and didn’t look at me. She kept aiming and firing till she’d shot all of her bullets.
    â€œThink of things the two of you can do together—like maybe go out to breakfast. Or go for walks. You could even get Elizabeth in on it. Tell her you need her help to get reacquainted with your dad, so she won’t mind if the two of you do some stuff together.” Nicole stared at her target, even though it was fifty feet away and it was impossible to tell where any of the bullets had landed.
    â€œIt’s just a suggestion,” I added. “I’m only trying to help.”
    â€œI don’t need your help.”
    I sat up on the mattress and looked at her, but she was totally absorbed in putting the safety on. She wouldn’t look in my direction.
    â€œDon’t be mad, Nic.” Now I felt all tense. It was like we had a giant rubber band between us, and if she got wound up, it would wind me up too.
    Nicole made a grunting noise. “I’m not mad . What a stupid thing to say.”
    â€œOkay to retrieve your targets,” said Jamie, and Nicole jumped off the platform and had her target down before I even had a chance to stand up. I ran to catch up with her, but she was so busy staring at her target, she didn’t even acknowledge my existence.
    â€œWow. Good score. You beat me again.”
    Nicole walked just enough ahead of me so that she wouldn’t have to look at me.
    â€œYou know how sad it makes me to leave camp in July?” I said. “It’s bad enough that we have to say good-bye to each other, but it’s even worse when I think about you going to your dad’s and being all depressed and lonely. I can’t stand that.”
    Nicole spun around and glared at me. One eyebrow shot up. “I am not depressed and lonely. Stop feeling sorry for me. I said it was a waste of time. There’s a big difference.”
    Nicole and I walked down the wooded path together, but I didn’t bother to say anything. I was getting tired of having my head bitten off repeatedly. Nicole held her paper targets in front of her and studied them like a road map. When Sarah and Patty caught up with us, they immediately knew something was up.
    â€œI sense . . .” Sarah started before I gave her a look. “I sense an attack of hay fever coming on! Hurry, Patty! Help me find some Kleenex before my sinuses explode!” She rushed Patty up the path ahead of us.
    â€œI’m sorry,” I said finally. I didn’t know what else to say.
    Nicole rolled her eyes in disgust. “If anyone should apologize, it should be me.”
    â€œYou? Why you?” I asked.
    â€œI’m sorry I don’t have a perfect family who takes walks together and goes out to breakfast and chats about how great our lives are.” She swatted tree branches out of her way as she walked along the overgrown path.
    It was such a ridiculous comment, all I could do was laugh. “Nic, you have to be kidding me. If you think my family is perfect after all that stuff I told you . . . remember, you know all my darkest secrets. You’re the only one who knows that stuff.”
    â€œJust don’t give me any advice on how to deal with my family, all right?”
    â€œFine.” We didn’t say anything for several long minutes. I’d always turned to