My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours Read Online Free PDF Page B

Daphne calls from her locker down the hallway, and Bella, who is waiting for her, waves.
    â€œLater,” I echo. I sling my backpack over my shoulder. It’s heavy. It’s only the start of the school year and the teachers are already loading on the homework.
    â€œThere you are,” Sienna says, coming out of the bathroom.
    â€œI was coming to look for you,” I reply.
    â€œI was doing a quick makeup check. You need to stop?”
    I shake my head. I’m not wearing any makeup, so nope.
    â€œGreat, let’s go out and meet them,” Sienna says.
    We walk outside and Lauren and Anica are leaning against the bike rack, waiting for us. Lauren is wearinga purple top, short pink skirt, and long purple slouch boots, and Anica has on almost the same outfit but reversed colors. It’s like they just swapped skirts once they got to school.
    â€œHey,” Sienna calls, and the girls smile sweetly. I nod. They’re so popular that it feels like coming face-to-face with Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. The only phrase that comes to mind is “I love your music.” But that obviously isn’t appropriate for this situation.
    We start the four-block walk to the public library, and I’m doing more listening than talking. Lauren is asking Sienna questions about where she stayed this summer. It seems Lauren went to the Keys with her family last year, so they have loads to compare.
    When we get to the library we take a seat at a rectangular table in the teen zone. Our library was rebuilt last year, so it’s totally decked out. The teen section doesn’t only have books—it has a ton of computers, a little café, a media center, and a small stage for performances. It’s
the
place to be. Everybody comes here. Even when it wasn’t the hot spot, Sea and I came to the library all the time over our summer breaks. One of our favorite things to do was sneak into the adult section and grab a romance novel. They were really easy to spot—we just had to look for covers with guys with long greasy hair and big bare chests, and bingo. We’d stuff them intomore age-appropriate books like
Little House on the Prairie
and sit in the children’s section reading. We’d giggle and point out the funny parts to each other, like “her heaving bosoms” or “his arched muscular back.” It kind of makes me laugh even thinking about it now. I should ask Sea if she remembers.
    â€œSo do you miss Antonio?” Lauren asks Sienna.
    Or not.
    â€œOh, so much. It’s really hard not being able to see him,” Sienna replies.
    Uh-huh. I have a hard time not seeing make-believe people too.
    â€œI know what you mean,” Lauren commiserates. “Well, not totally, but I only get to see Pete once a week on Saturdays.”
    I must have a confused look, because a second later Sienna tells me, “Pete is Lauren’s boyfriend. He goes to the Catholic school.”
    â€œYeah,” Lauren pipes in. “Our parents only allow us one movie a week on Saturday afternoons. My mom drops off and his mom picks up.”
    â€œOh,” I say, nodding.
    â€œAnd I don’t even get that,” Anica remarks. “I’m going out with Pete’s best friend, Evan, but we don’t actually ever
go
anywhere. We’re allowed one ten-minute phone call a night. But all the time online that we want,”she quickly adds. “As long as my mom doesn’t catch me, that is.”
    â€œSo we
all
have boyfriends here,” Sienna concludes, smiling.
    Yeah. We’re a regular boyfriend club. Except Lauren’s and Anica’s boyfriends sound more real than Sienna’s and mine.
    â€œHave you kissed Antonio yet?” Lauren asks Sienna.
    Sienna’s cheeks actually flush. I’m impressed. I don’t think I could make myself flush on the spot like that. Wait, I’m going to try. Nope, nothing.
    â€œWell, yeah,” she answers