The Mosts Read Online Free PDF

left yesterday,” I said, smiling. My phone vibrated. “And I think he just texted me.”
    I pulled out my phone. You’re probably at lunch. Say hi to everyone. I miss you. T
    “Thom says hi,” I said, grinning and holding up the phone.
    Fergie added exactly two tablespoons of dressing to her spinach salad. “You guys should still be on the ballot for Class Couple. I’m going to talk to the principal about that.”
    Caro tossed her long blond hair behind her shoulder. “You totally should. I mean, they’re still a couple. Right, Sam?”
    Oh, so now we were still a couple? Or was that only for Sam’s ears?
    Sam glanced at me and shook salt on his fries. He offered a half-smile nod that seemed to say I want to ask you out but I’m not sure if that’s cool and that sucks .
    “James, Reid, come sit,” Caro called out, waving over the two guys as they approached our table with their trays. They sometimes sat with us, but usually sat at the table behind ours with the sophomore cheerleaders because there was no room at our table. “Guys, you can squeeze in next to Madeline. She totally needs company now that Thom’s gone.”
    Beyotch . I shot her a look, but her attention was on James and Reid.
    I glanced up at James’s cute face. He was very sought-after. Blond, the way Caro liked. But he didn’t do anything for me. And the year before, I’d overheard him and another guy say some really mean stuff about a girl in my history class. And Reid was sort of vulgar, always telling farting jokes. No thanks.
    James smiled, his gaze traveling down to my chest. Then he sat down on my left and hit my pinky with his tray. Smooth. He started going on and on about the past week’s varsity baseball game, which his brother won for Freeport Academy. Caro shot me a look to listen. And care .
    But I didn’t. Not in the slightest. And when James’s thigh brushed against mine, I moved just enough.
    My cell vibrated again. A text from my mother.
    Dad’s invite here! XO Mom
    This was almost as good as seeing Thom’s name on the display. The invitation to my father’s wedding had finally arrived. I’d been hounding my mother for a week about whether it had come. At first my father hadn’t been sure if he and his fiancée were going to have a wedding or just do a quickie thing on the beach with a Buddhist minister and then jet off to Las Vegas for a honeymoon. But then he’d said his fiancée did want a wedding with family, which meant my sister and I were invited. Which meant I was definitely, officially going to California!
    I texted Thom: Start looking for a tux! Just got the invite to Dad’s wedding! xoxo M
    “Oh, look, Madeline, there’s your little friend,” Caro whispered to me. “You can’t tell me she’s not the front-runner for Most in Need of an Extreme Makeover. Her hair alone nominates her.” The whispering was for Sam’s benefit, since Sam didn’t participate in that kind of ragging on people. A few times, he’d gotten up and walked away, and Caro had caught on quickly.
    I looked at Elinor Espinoza. She always walked with her head down, like she was ashamed to look anyone in the eye, so she often tripped—and just did. Something from Elinor’s tray went flying and landed on the floor, and I could see that Elinor’s face was bright red under all that hair. She was fighting back tears, I realized. She just stood there; then she turned and went running, sloshing around what was left on her tray.
    Caro laughed. “Oh, she’s totally taking Most in Need. Forget Makeover. She’s beyond that.” Out came the BlackBerry.
    Mean. Mean. Mean . Another reason I couldn’t wait for my dad’s wedding was that I’d get away from Freeport, away from Maine, away from Caro.
    I glanced up and caught Sam looking at me. Caro, spearing spinach leaves, had that slightly tight expression she got when she was about to rag on something—or someone. She didn’t, though; she just stabbed a cherry tomato and bit into it.