More than Friends - Monica Murphy Read Online Free PDF Page A

for being a supposed cheater when you’re the one who—”
    “Don’t say it!” she pleads, cutting me off. “Please. You’re right. I know you’re right. I’m a total hypocrite, but I was so furious at Ryan and Em. The minute Dustin left, I cried. I felt so bad for using him, but I was still angry at Ryan too, you know? I’ve ruined everything with Dustin. And Em. Maybe even Ryan.”
    “You always jump to conclusions.” She’s way too spontaneous. I plan everything so her spontaneity blows my mind on a regular basis.
    “So did you,” she points out. “Now you won’t even talk to Tuttle and he practically beat up my boyfriend in defense of you.”
    “Right, because your boyfriend called me a bitch,” I remind her.
    “I'm sooo sorry he said that.” Liv sighs. “This is all a total mess.”
    “I know. That’s why I’m staying out of the drama. No more boys. I just got a part-time job. Between school, yearbook, filling out college applications and working at Yo Town, I’ll be too busy for boys,” I say, desperate to believe every word I say.
    “Wait a minute. You got a job? At Yo Town? What’s that?”
    “A frozen yogurt shop,” I explain. “Blake Stephens’ parents own it.”
    “Who?”
    Of course she doesn’t know who Blake is. Poor dude. He pretty much keeps to himself. “He goes to school with us. He’s in our class.”
    She’s already forgotten about him. “I love frozen yogurt. Can you get me a discount?”
    “I don’t know. I didn’t ask about that.” Sometimes my friend can be a tad selfish.
    “When do you start working there?”
    “Tomorrow after school. I’ll also work this Friday night and Saturday afternoon.”
    “Friday night? But you’ll miss the homecoming game and dance! Can’t you tell them you already have plans?”
    Like I want to go to the homecoming game and dance now. Not when I know it’ll just be one big Tuttle fest. I love football. I love how our team is slowly turning themselves around—and a lot of that is because of Tuttle.
    Ugh, stupid Tuttle and his gorgeous face and perfect lips and irritating, smug personality. He is nothing but trouble. Trouble I don’t need. I always thought he was gorgeous, but he’s just a mythical creature. Someone who was in my advanced classes these last three years, though I never really talked to him. Someone I watched play out on the field while I sat in the stands wearing hideous, itchy polyester and an awful hat with a feather plume.
    He wasn’t real.
    Well, now he is. And he’s ruined everything. I can’t watch football anymore, not if I have to work every Friday night. No more band, no more football and no homecoming dance.
    There are worse things to deal with in life. Or so I tell myself.
    “I already said I’d work the Friday night shift,” I explain. “I can’t back out now. I need this job.”
    “I’m going to miss you, Amanda. Who will I sit with during the game?”
    My friend is so wrapped up in her own drama, all she can ever think about is herself. She really needs to work on that. Become a more thoughtful person.
    “You’ll find someone,” I reassure her. “I’m sure you’ll survive without me.”

“H ey Amanda.”
    I brace myself, my shoulders tight, my entire body tense. I’m afraid to turn and see who just said those two words. It could be anybody. Worse, it could be Tuttle. Considering I’m in English and he’s in this class with me, I almost expect it to be him. Pushing his luck. Pushing himself on me.
    I don’t know if I have the strength to make him stop.
    But here’s the thing: when you want something bad enough, you start to believe it can be true. Like having Tuttle talk to you—you start to believe it’s going to actually happen, even though you claim you don’t want it to. I know Jordan’s dreamy voice anywhere, and the voice that just said my name was definitely not Jordan Tuttle.
    Turning, I blink in shock when I realize it’s Blake Stephens standing in front of me.