Old Enough to Love... (Just One of the Guys) Read Online Free PDF

the summer sun, his light brown hair touched with golden highlights. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes and when he laughed, my heart fluttered.
    Ryan, Connor, Brett and Grant started walking toward the main building, which meant I had to move. Thankfully, I was positioned in the middle as we made our entrance inside.
    “So, Runt…”
    I cringed. “Stop calling me that. All of you, please stop!” I begged and it wasn’t the first time. 
    Grant tickled the back of my neck. “She’s no runt. Believe me boys; I saw Runt every day this summer at the beach. Our Runt is growing up.  Mmmm!”   
    At that very moment, every one of them looked at me as if I was just being introduced to them for the first time. A mask of confusion clouded their faces and blood crept up mine. My eyes widened then closed. Grant Meiers just said mmmm in relation to me? WTF?  I bit my lip.  By the end of summer, Grant’s blonde hair touched his shoulders and his loose curls drove girls crazy. He was last year’s homecoming king for crying out loud. Stop the madness!
    I opened my eyes in time to watch my brother grip Grant in a headlock.
    “Stop checkin’ out my sister, you freak!” Ryan shouted and shoved him playfully. Grant grinned and threw his arm around my neck.
    “Hey, Emma.”
    I heard the voice and spun around trying unsuccessfully to maneuver out from under Grant’s arm. Zach was approaching my brother from behind. I darted out from under Grant’s possession.
    Ryan glanced at me and my mile-wide smile then rotated his mammoth body stopping Zach in his path.  Zach’s eyes abandoned mine and settled on Ryan’s. I swallowed dryly.
    “EMMA!” the voices were shrill. Ali and Lauren were rushing to me. “How was the beach? When did you get home?” The warning bell suddenly sounded.
    My index finger would hold them off only for a sec, so I spun back to Zach who back stepped away from Ryan’s intense glare, but not without a fierce glower of his own. With the hint of a smile, he veered down the senior’s hall without another look my way. Thanks, Ryan . My shoulders slumped knowing my chances of seeing him again today were slim; BUT…he remembered me!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
 
 
 
 
SIX
     
    I found my first and second hours without a problem but my third period, Advanced Algebra, was clear across the school.  After snatching the book from my locker, I hoofed it past the cafeteria, up to the second floor and through the hall. The bell rang just as I stepped in. I hated advanced placement classes.
    “Hey Runt,” Grant whispered.
    I smiled. Great, this would make Ryan happy—me being in the same class as his buddies. Seriously, Grant in Advanced Alegbra? I didn’t figure him smart enough. Front row was all that was available, naturally, and I took the closest seat, in front of Grant. Mr. Bowman had written what looked like a homework assignment on the board and I jotted it down in my notebook.
    “Please open your books to page 14.”
    Math concepts. This was going to be fun.
    “I believe I recognize most of you. Some of you because you failed this class before and are attempting it again.” Bowman smiled deviously. “And some of you I just know. First row, first seat, introduce yourself.”
    Oh God!  That’s me. “Um…Emma.” My face felt hot. “Emma Hendricks.”
    “Any relation to our quarterback?”
    “Yes. He’s my brother.”  Ryan’s little sister, Runt. That’s who I was.  The quarterback’s little sis. Ryan Hendricks, star football player and his kid sister.
    “Mr. Owens. Mr. Meiers. Did you have something to add?”
    Owens?  My eyes widened and I stared down at my notebook. There was only one Owens in this school and that was Zach. Was he in this class? What had he and Grant said? I fought the urge to turn and look, hiding behind my drape of strawberry blonde hair. My chest tightened.
    Grant’s pencil eraser jabbed me in the back. “What?” I whispered.
    “You’re