Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality Read Online Free PDF Page B

outfits. They usually have on the latest dresses and skirts. I don’t really need to remind him why I don’t bother dressing to impress.
    I wiggle away from Benny. “You know why …” I let the words hang in the air. Benny’s well aware that there was a time when I liked wearing pretty dresses and would even sneak into my mom’s dresser to put on some lipstick. But we both know that girl went away a long time ago.
    “But you could change all of that. You could be that girl any guy would fall for, but you don’t believe in yourself. You hide behind messy hair and no makeup.”
    “I don’t hide.” For the first time possibly ever, I find myself annoyed at Benny. “And what about you?” I give him a taste of his own medicine. “It was devastating to see you yesterday. You just think you don’t deserve happiness until we get to New York, but that’s ridiculous, Benny. You’re amazing. When are you going to see that?”
    “When are you going to stop thinking that there can only be one beautiful sister in your family?” he counters.
    “Well …” My mind races. “When are you going to put yourself out there?”
    “You first.”
    We’re both staring at each other, neither daring to blink first. Benny’s lips start to quiver and I can tell he’s about to crack. I hold my gaze a few more seconds before he bursts into laughter.
    “I’m sorry.” He holds up his hands. “I’m only looking out for you.”
    “Me too.” And I don’t know why, but I feel like humoring him. “What do you want me to do?”
    His face lights up. “Wow. So many choices. Rob a bank? No, too complicated. Shave your head? No, too dramatic. How about you go up to a guy tomorrow at school and just talk to him? That’s easy enough, although you can’t be self-deprecating or be funny. Be you.”
    “But I’m hilarious .”
    He groans. “You know what I mean.”
    Even though I feel sick to my stomach, I find my head nodding in agreement. “Okay, but if I do this, then you need to do something for me.” I reach my hand out to him. “Deal?”
    He takes a moment before he hesitantly shakes it. “Deal.”

I can’t believe I’m going to do this. It’s not like I haven’t talked to guys before, but I’m used to being the jokester. I can’t believe Benny expects me to flirt with Grant “you want me to take Lexi to Homecoming?” Christensen.
    “I heard that Grant’s throwing a huge party while his parents are out of town next weekend,” Benny whispers in my ear as we study Grant and Josh at their lockers. “He was bragging about it in class today and invited the usual suspects. So maybe you’ll get invited!”
    He’s trying to sound optimistic, but I can see in his eyes that we both know this is going to end in disaster. It’s not like I’m uncomfortable with making a fool of myself — I do it all the time. But beingself-deprecating means that you’re the one poking fun at yourself. It’s others laughing at me that’s the problem.
    But if I’m going to get Benny to talk to Chris, I need to just suck it up and talk to Grant.
    “Okay, I’m going to show you that this is so simple.” I’m sure the quiver in my voice betrays the confidence I’m trying to project to Benny.
    I decide to stop avoiding the inevitable. I can feel my heart thumping in my chest as I approach them. I don’t really like Grant, but I figure it’s way better to do this with someone I’m not attracted to, who doesn’t already have a girlfriend.
    “Hey, guys, what’s up?” I lean against the locker next to Grant and pretend like it’s the most normal thing in the world for me to be hanging out with him and Josh between classes.
    “Ah, what’s up, Lexi?” Grant gives me a little nod and waits for it. “It” is what I usually say — something funny or witty about class or a teacher. But there is nothing remotely funny about what I’m about to do. Actually, it’s pretty hysterical, emphasis on the hysterical.
    “Not much,” I