Roadside Assistance Read Online Free PDF Page B

profile and stay anonymous, which would be better than being known as Whitney Richards’ Cousin with the Cream Cheese Stain.
    At the front of the room, I spotted Whitney giggling and flipping her ponytail back while chatting with a group of cheerleaders. I bit back a groan at the sight. Whitney was so pretty and made friends so easily that it made my stomach roil. And even if I wanted to, there’s no way I could make myself fit into her group. Her eyes met mine and she waved. I forced a smile as she approached.
    “How did it go?” she asked, leaning over my desk.
    “Fine,” I said, ignoring the curious looks her friends threw our way.
    “Let me see your schedule.” She lifted the piece of paper from the desk and studied it. Looking up, she smiled. “I’ll see you in gym and at lunch.”
    “Cool,” I said.
    The bell rang, followed by a scramble for the door with bags and backpacks flying. Whitney rushed back to her desk, and her friends continued to watch me, causing my cheeks to flare with embarrassment. I hated how I blushed so easily.
    The halls were packed with kids that bumped and nearly tripped me on my way to my English class. After checking in with the teacher, I took a seat all the way in the back. My thoughts turned to Zander and the Dodge, and I busied myself with doodling a Challenger on my spiral notebook. I was adding details when a girl dropped into the seat beside me.
    “Hi,” she said.
    I kept shading, certain she wasn’t speaking to me. She leaned over. “Hi,” she repeated. “I’m Chelsea.” I looked up and found her grinning in my direction. I glanced behind me to see if she was speaking to someone else. She snickered. “Yeah, I’m talking to you. You’re new, right?” I nodded.
    She held out her hand. “I’m Chelsea. And you are …?” “Emily.” I gave her hand a quick shake. “Nice to meet you.” I turned my attention back to my drawing. “Where are you from?” she asked. “Up north,” I said. “Where up north?”
    I looked up at her and she smiled. She wore a colorful peasant-type shirt with splotches of primary colors on it. A matching headband held her deep red hair back from her pale face. Her makeup was perfect — as if a makeup artist had spenthours on her face. The colors brought out the gold in her brown eyes, but it wasn’t overdone.
    “Outside Philly,” I said, placing my pencil onto my spiral notebook.
    “Then this is a change for you, huh?” she asked.
    “Yeah.”
    She pressed on. “Where did you move to?” “Castleton,” I said.
    “Wow.” Her eyes were wide. “That’s a nice part of town. Huge houses. I’d love to live there. I live on the other side of town in Rock Creek.”
    I nodded, even though I had no idea where that was.
    “My best friend, Eileen, lived in Castleton and moved to Philly last year. Kinda funny, huh? Her dad’s in banking. Is your dad a banker?”
    “No.” I twirled my pencil in my fingers. “He’s in the automotive industry.”
    “Oh.” She smiled. “Cool.”
    I nodded, not sure what to say next.
    “I moved here in the middle of seventh grade,” she began, “so I know what it’s like to be new. It’s a total drag. Let me know if you need anything.”
    “Thanks,” I said, overwhelmed by her welcoming smile.
    Chelsea opened her mouth to say something, but the teacher interrupted, calling the class to order and handing out a syllabus.
    When class was over, I gathered up my books and started for the door.
    “Emily!” Chelsea came up behind me. “Where are you headed?”
    “Gym,” I said, following the line of students out to the hallway.
    “Cool,” she said, falling in step with me. “Me too.”
    She made small talk about the weather as we weaved throughthe cramped hallway to the gymnasium. I scanned the area hoping for a quick look at Zander, but he was nowhere in sight.
    I pushed through the double doors of the gym, and my stomach clenched when I spotted Whitney in the corner surrounded by a group