South beach Read Online Free PDF Page A

pace the length of the kitchen. "My grandmother. She has an apartment in Florida. Josh and I visited her the summer I was thirteen." Alexa hadn't known about that trip, Holly realized, because by then, they'd stopped being friends.
    "Your grandmother?" Alexa asked incredulously. Holly could practically read Alexa's thoughts: That's the lamest plan in the history of spring break.
    "No, but listen," Holly went on, trying to maintain some dignity. "She's really cool. I mean, for a grandmother. And her neighborhood's nice. There are all these beaches, and you can take the bus down to South Beach...." What am I doing? Holly asked herself. Was she trying to convince Alexa that they should go away together?
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    "South Beach?" Alexa cut in. Now, there was tremor of excitement in her voice. "South Beach is supposed to be this amazing up-and-coming spring break spot. And I think it got written up in Elle as one of the world's sexiest getaways!" Holly heard Alexa rustling about in her room, most likely going through her giant stack of fashion magazines.
    "Here it is," Alexa said after a minute, then read aloud: '"South Beach, Florida. The land of rhythm, rumba, and rum margaritas!'"
    "Does it really say that?" Holly asked, laughing.
    "Let me finish," Alexa said. '"South Beach is a glamorous, glitzy town with an unmistakable Latin flavor. SoBe, as it's commonly called, overflows with sandy beaches for sun-worshiping, and spicy clubs for dancing the night away'" Alexa giggled with delight. "And there's this photo of the ritzy Rose Bar, in the Delano hotel. Holly, it sounds perfect! Let's do it."
    Holly was overwhelmed. South Beach did sound appealing... and very grown-up. Not Disneyland at all. Holly was still unsure about Alexa, but going to Florida with her would definitely be an improvement over staying home with her entire family.
    At that instant, both Holly's parents entered the kitchen: Her dad walked through the back door with Mia, and her mom came in from the den and opened the refrigerator.
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    "Holly, would you start breading the chicken cutlets?" her mother asked, pulling out a carton of eggs as Mia barked loudly.
    "Uh, hang on," Holly whispered to Alexa, flustered by all the commotion. She turned to her mom and said, "I'll be back in a second. I'm -- I'm having an important conversation." Holding the phone to her ear, Holly hurried out of the kitchen and upstairs to her room. She was surprised by herself. When her mom asked her to get off the phone, she usually did it immediately.
    In her bedroom, Holly shut and locked the door, then plopped down on her plaid bedspread. "Okay," she said to Alexa. "I'm back."
    "Great," Alexa said. Holly could hear the clickety-clack of her fingers on a keyboard. "I'm on Orbitz right now. I can look up flights for Miami and--"
    "Wait," Holly interrupted. This was moving way too fast for her. "I need to think about it a little. And ask my grandmother if we can stay with her. And ask my parents if I can even go." She dreaded the mere thought of that.
    "Okay," Alexa said. "You think, and take care of all the yucky permission stuff. Meanwhile, I'm going to find us cheap flights. Call me back!" Then she clicked off.
    Holly remembered her childhood nickname for
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    Alexa: "Little Miss Bossy." She wondered how that aspect of Alexa's personality might play out on their trip -- if they did end up going.
    Holly snapped her phone shut and stretched across her twin bed, hugging a stuffed panda to her chest. She looked at the framed photo that hung above the bed, of her, Meghan, and Jess. Sweaty and triumphant after a track meet, they stood with their arms around one another's shoulders. Holly's friends would probably freak if she told them she was going away with Alexa. They thought of Alexa and her impeccably dressed crowd as total snobs.
    But now that the kernel of Miami Beach was in Holly's head, she could feel it expanding and growing, taking the shape of reality. She wanted to go, she realized. With