The Perfect Guy (Books We Love Young Adult Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

hour earlier. Pres was busy, so I ran to open the front door.
    Josh was leaning against the doorframe, his finger jammed against the doorbell. "Hi. Ready for the long uphill climb to the salt mines?"
    I saw Celeste behind him.
    "Don’t you think you’re exaggerating? The half-mile walk to school probably has less than a ten-degree incline."
    "Here," Pres said, suddenly handing me a small brown bag. "Let’s get going. Josh may not like getting to school any earlier than necessary, but it wouldn’t do for the kids of the English Department chairman to be late."
    "Thanks," I said as I took the bag. "What is it?"
    "Lunch. Now you won’t have to suffer with cafeteria food."
    " Thanks again," I said. Why couldn't I think of something more original to say? Something to show how much I loved that he made lunch for me.
    "Hey!" Josh protested. "What about me? You didn’t fix me a lunch!"
    "Me either." Celeste pouted.
    "Sorry," Pres said. "This service is provided for family only."
    He put his arm around me. I caught Celeste’s eye and smiled.
    "Hmmm," said Celeste. "Would you consider adoption, Pres?"
    "Great idea. Adopt us both," Josh exclaimed. "Then I’d have two sisters to wait on me hand and foot and fulfill my every need."
    "You wish," Celeste said.
    "Besides," Pres said, "you’d have to share them with me."
    "I’m a generous person ." Josh removed Pres’s arm from my shoulder and replaced it with his. "I’d let you have Celeste."
    "It would never work," I said, dancing away from Josh’s grasp. "I’m not used to taking orders."
    "I’m not used to giving them," Pres confessed.
    Celeste grinned. "Now that I could live with."
     
    ****
     
    At school I floated into my first class still clutching my lunch bag. I couldn’t bear to just stick it in my locker. At lunch I found Celeste waiting for me, a look of anticipation on her face.
    "Well," she said. "What exotic goodies have you got for lunch? I’m dying of curiosity."
    I opened the bag and pulled out the contents. An egg salad sandwich, an orange, and three oatmeal cookies.
    "Not terribly exciting," Celeste pointed out.
    "It’s the thought that counts," I said. "It shows he was thinking of me."
    "It shows that he’s thinking of you as a sister." Celeste ripped the wrapper off her straw. "You heard him. He said the lunch service was for family only. I don’t think it means he likes you."
    "Gee, thanks."
    "I didn’t mean it that way," Celeste said. "I don’t mean he dislikes you, just that he doesn’t like you in a special way, as a girlfriend. Look, I just don’t want you to get your hopes up and then get hurt, that’s all."
    I sighed. "It’s nice of you to worry about me, but don't. I may look on the bright side, but I’m not blind."
    "Not totally."
    "Please! Don’t worry." I contentedly chewed my egg salad sandwich. If only Pres had first lunch, so I could tell him how great it was right away.
    After school I met Celeste by her locker.
    "I can’t walk home with you this afternoon," Celeste said as she shoved one book into her locker and pulled out two others. "I have to stay after to finish an experiment in chemistry."
    "That’s okay. I’ve got a ton of studying to do anyway. See you in the morning."
    At dinner that evening I was pleased when Mom slid into her chair and said, "It’s so nice to come home and not have to fix dinner."
    I realized the sacrifice on her part, since she loved to cook. But seeing Pres look flustered but proud, I could understand why she did it.
    "By the way," Pres said, still blushing, "you should have seen the homer Josh hit in practice today. It flew way over the centerfield fence. Celeste cheered so loud I thought she’d break the sound barrier."
    "Celeste was there?" I put down my fork.
    "She stopped by near the end of practice and waited to walk home with Josh and me."
    "Is Josh still dreaming of playing major league baseball?" Bill asked.
    "Yes," Pres said. "But he’s being practical about it. He’ll go to college