Kiss with Cherry Flavor (Grover Beach #4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

that expecting too much from him?
    With anger rising inside me, I wanted to turn in my seat and shout that he was a jerk and that I refused to deal with his crap any longer. Luckily, Caroline Jackson walked into the room after him, and my impulsive idea was cut short. I knew I would have regretted it for the rest of the year if I really had given him that piece of my mind.
    Instead I came up with something different, and no less stupid. I tore off the corner of a sheet and wrote two words on it: You suck! Then I scrunched it into a tiny ball and tossed it to the back of the room, where it landed right in front of him on his desk.
    Tony gave me a funny look, then unscrewed the paper. Slowly, his gaze returned to me, his right brow arching in question. I said and did nothing other than try to kill him with a lethal scowl.
    He seemed untouched by it. All he did was scrunch up the paper again and toss it in the trash can in the corner. Then he concentrated on Mrs. Jackson, totally ignoring me for the rest of the hour.

CHAPTER 3
     
     
    BACK HOME, I slipped through the door, not wanting to talk to or even see anybody. If I had learned one thing from all the crap with Tony it was that my every e motion was apparent to everybody, written on my face for all to see. And that sucked.
    Trudging upstairs, I hung my head, ready to spend the remainder of the day in bed, wallowing in my misery or maybe playing music to blast all thoughts of Anthony Mitchell out of my mind. But then I remembered I had cheerleading practice later this afternoon, and the prospect of dancing and trying to look like I was having fun when I only wanted to bawl made me heave a deep sigh.
    Dropping my schoolbag to the floor, I flopped onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow. A little later, a knock on the door pulled me out of bed again. I opened it and found Chloe standing on the threshold with a pile of laundered clothes in her arms. She took an aggressive step toward me, which had me backing off.
    Her face in mine, she hissed, “This is my house, my school, my town, and you’re hanging out with my soccer team. I told you not to get between me and my family. But getting involved with Anthony Mitchell was your worst mistake so far.” She pushed at me until I felt the edge of the desk at the back of my thighs. “I swear I’ll find a way to get rid of you, little cousin .”
    I could only stare at her mad face, speechless.
    She turned around and headed toward the door, then spun on her heel once again and tossed the laundered clothes at me. “Here’s your stuff.” A moment later, she was gone and the door banged shut.
    A mess of c lothes lay scattered at my feet. I couldn’t bring myself to pick them up right now. With the heels of my palms pressed to my temples, I glanced helplessly about the room. Why couldn’t I have my old cousin back? The one who loved to play Alice in Wonderland and who would never accuse me of stealing her parents or her friends. What had happened to Chloe to make her turn into this monster? And what did I have to do with it?
    I didn’t know how to cope with this any longer. If only the four months could be over and I could move into my new home with my family. Starting to hate this house and the room I was trapped in, I grabbed my gray hoodie and shoved my arms through the sleeves, then I rushed downstairs and out of the Summers’ mansion.
    Unsure where to go, I walked down to the beach, where I tossed stones into the waves for what seemed like hours. Not a very productive task. The need to talk to somebody grew inside me. Susan had soccer practice today, so my next best option was Lisa. With my hands tucked in my pockets, I ambled off to her place.
    Saratoga Avenue was quiet , not many cars and next to no pedestrians at this time in the afternoon. The tree in Lisa’s front garden came into view long before her house did. I slowed down when I reached it, but instead of crossing the street and ringing the bell, I stood