The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney Read Online Free PDF Page B

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    “I’m back!” Lexi declares, plopping into the chair across from me. She looks at the menu Kim has spread out on the table in front of us. “Did you guys order yet?”
    “I don’t even want ice cream,” Jared says, looking bored. “I want to get over to the arcade and try out the new Modcon Five game.”
    “I heard it was sweet,” Luke says.
    “You guys are so corny,” Kim says, rolling her eyes.“We’re getting ice cream. I saved up all my carbs just for this.”
    “Come on, Kim,” Jared teases. “You can play Dance Dance Revolution just like you love.” He looks at Lexi. “She loves DDR, but she pretends she thinks it’s lame.”
    “I do not!” Kim screeches. She reaches across the table and tries to hit Jared on the top of the baseball hat he’s wearing, but he blocks her arm and they fake wrestle for a second. Lexi raises her eyebrows and shoots me a look across the table. I can tell what she’s thinking:
Why is your boyfriend flirting with another girl right in front of you?
    Before I can think of an answer, Luke stands up. “Come on,” he says. “We can get ice cream after, if you still want it.” Kim rolls her eyes, but she gets up too.
    As we walk to the arcade, Lexi pulls me behind the rest of the group. “So what’s the deal with Kim and Jared?” she asks.
    I swallow. “What do you mean?”
    “Why was he flirting with her so bad?”
    “Was he?” I ask. “I didn’t notice.” Then I realize that if Jared really were my boyfriend, I would be more upset, so I backtrack. “I mean, they’re good friends andeverything, and they’re always around each other, so maybe I just don’t—”
    “Hey” Jared says, dropping back to where we are. “Are you going to play DDR?” It’s obvious that he’s talking to Lexi, but she’s looking down at the ground for some reason (I think it’s because she’s wearing these completely ridiculous shoes, and so it’s hard for her to walk—the heels are seriously five inches tall), so I make it out like he’s talking to me.
    “Of course,” I say, acting like Jared should obviously know this. Since, you know, he’s my boyfriend and all.
    “Cool,” Jared says. He smiles and heads back up to the rest of the group, where Luke and Kim are fighting over what time Kim’s mom is supposed to pick them up.
    “I hate these shoes,” Lexi mumbles.
    “Then why did you wear them?” Katie asks, twirling around us. I almost forgot she was there.
    “Because they’re hot, Katie-Kate,” Lexi says.
    “Lexi has a boyfriend, Lexi has a boyfriend!” Katie sings. More glitter falls out of her “warm-up” and onto the floor. Katie mistakenly thinks that if you get dressed up, use the word “hot,” or hang out with boys, that means you have a boyfriend.
    “I don’t have a boyfriend,” Lexi says.

    “Lexi and Jared, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Katie sings.
    Lexi looks horrified. “Oh, no, honey,” she says. “I would never move in on Devi’s boyfriend. I’m not that kind of friend.”
    Katie stops twirling and looks at me, interested. “Devon, you have a boyfriend?”
    “Yes,” Lexi says. “Jared is Devi’s boyfriend.”
    “No, he isn’t,” I rush on, but it’s too late.
    “Devon and Jared, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Katie amends her song, but keeps up with the twirling. I look fearfully ahead, trying to gauge how much distance is between Katie’s voice and Jared.
    “Oh, Devi, I’m so sorry!” Lexi says. “Your family doesn’t know?”
    I’m about to start crying. Deep breaths. What would Devi do? “My mom would flip out if she knew Jared and I were together,” I say, rolling my eyes. “She’s way overprotective.”
    “That sucks,” Lexi says, nodding. “I hope I didn’t get you in trouble.”
    “Nah,” I say, “Katie will forget about this by the time we get home.” I’m not sure if that’s true, but I have bigger problems right now, i.e., shutting Katie up before someone hears her