Girls Acting Catty Read Online Free PDF

said, “Okay.” Then I dropped my backpack off in my room, changed into jeans, and headed across the street.
    Jackson answered the door a minute after I knocked, asking, “What do you want?”
    For once, I didn’t blame him for being rude. He was probably still mad about Halloween. “Hey, Jackson. I just wanted to see if you needed to borrow my shampoo.”
    â€œHuh?” he asked.
    â€œSo you can wash all that rotten egg out of your hair. Remember? Or did Claire hit you too hard and give you amnesia?”
    â€œVery funny,” Jackson grumbled, and tried closing the door in my face.
    I held it open. “No, wait. Sorry. I’m just kidding. Is Rachel home?”
    Jackson rolled his eyes, but still turned around and yelled for her. “Hey, pizza face!”
    I cringed. Poor Rachel. It was bad enough having bad acne, probably, without having some mean older brother making fun of her all the time.
    Not that Rachel was going to sit there quietly and take it. “Shut up, egghead,” she said, running downstairs. “Don’t call me that.”
    â€œWhy, are you going to tell on me?” Jackson asked, in a fake-whiny voice.
    Rachel pushed past him. “Hey, Annabelle. Come on in.”
    She grabbed my arm and led me upstairs to her room.
    â€œYou are so lucky you’re an only child,” she said, slamming the door so we could have some privacy.
    â€œExcept I won’t be for long. Pretty soon I’ll have a stepbrother.”
    â€œBut he’s not going to live with you,” said Rachel.
    â€œHe is for six weeks,” I said. “Dweeble bought new sheets for the bed in the extra bedroom. In fact, he doesn’t even call it the extra bedroom, anymore. Suddenly it’s Jason’s room. And guess what else? When mini-Dweeb stays with us, I’m going to have to share a bathroom with him.”
    â€œMini-Dweeb?” she asked.
    â€œThat’s his new nickname. It’s easier to say than ‘son of the Dweeb.’ ”
    â€œGood point.” Rachel nodded. “But I really don’t think you have to worry. Mini-Dweeb is in college, which means he’s too grown up to make fun of you.”
    This made sense, but I hadn’t come over to Rachel’s house to talk about brothers—real or step. “Hey, do you shave your legs?” I asked.
    â€œYeah,” said Rachel. “I started to this summer. How come?”
    She sounded so casual about it, I almost regretted bringing it up. But it was too late. I had to know. I took a deep breath and asked, “Does everyone shave their legs? All our friends, I mean.”
    â€œUm, I know Emma does, but I don’t think Claire and Yumi do. How come?”
    â€œNo reason,” I said. “I was just wondering.” And since she was looking at me kind of funny, I told her about what happened in PE.
    Rachel freaked. “I can’t believe Taylor said that to you! She’s so horrible!”
    I nodded. It felt good, having Rachel leap to my defense so quickly. But at the same time, I didn’t want to make too big a deal out of it.
    â€œThe thing is—I’m not positive she said it to be mean. She just sort of asked me, like she was wondering, but I don’t know. It was weird . . .”
    â€œOf course she said it to be mean,” said Rachel. “That’s what she’s all about. Other people play instruments, or collect puffy stickers. Taylor’s favorite pastime is making people feel bad about themselves. It’s, like, a hobby for her. As if she’s so perfect. Did you see her jeans today? They probably cost two hundred dollars, because she only wears designer clothes. But they look terrible. She should not be wearing low riders with her body because when she sat down, her shirt rode up and she had a total muffin top.”
    â€œMuffin top?” I asked.
    â€œIt’s when your hips sort of swell and hang out of your