Twice As Nice Read Online Free PDF

them, I turned to follow Ryan and Sammie into the kitchen. I hadn’t even taken two steps, when I heard Lauren say.
    â€œHey, Charlie, can you hang back for a few minutes?” Lauren asked. “We want to talk to you.”
    I felt my heart leap.
    â€œSure,” I said.
    Sammie stopped and took me by the arm.
    â€œDon’t do it, Charles,” she whispered, shaking her head. “You know what they’re after.”
    â€œI don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered back. “Listen, you guys go inside. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
    As soon as they left, I dropped my tennis bag and pulled one of the red cushioned deck chairs up to the table.
    â€œWe’ve missed you,” Lauren said, putting her hand on my arm.
    â€œWe have?” Jillian asked.
    â€œJills, let me talk,” Lauren said to her. Lauren is in charge of the SF2s, and when she talks, everyone listens. Turning back to me, she went on. “I was just about to say to the girls that we should ask you to come back to the group.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œUh-huh. As we were filling out this application, I was thinking how cool it would be if you were in the Junior Waves, too. You know, all of us together.”
    â€œI’d give anything to be a Junior Wave, Lauren. It sounds so fun.”
    â€œWe’re going to get to go to the Friday night football games at the high school and sit with the real Waves,” Jillian said.
    â€œOnce I sat in the high-school section at a basketball game,” Brooke added, “but I only got to because the General’s brother is on the team and he snuck us in. Everyone there thought I was really in high school. It was the best.”
    The General is Brooke’s boyfriend, and if I do say so myself, they make a great-looking couple. Of course, his real name isn’t the General, but everyone calls him that because he always wears camouflage cargo pants to school. It’s his look. Her look is blonde, tan, and gorgeous.
    â€œWho else are you asking to be in the Junior Waves?” I asked.
    â€œMe, Brooke, Lauren, Lily, and you,” Jillian said.
    â€œWhat about the guys?” I asked.
    â€œAt the high school, most of The Waves are girls,” Brooke answered, “except for a few weird dudes. I don’t think Ben Feldman or Spencer want to be Junior Waves. And I one hundred percent know that the General would say no.”
    â€œAnd we can’t even ask Jared and Sean,” Jillian said. “Since they’re on probation, they’re not allowed to do anything . . . after . . . well . . . you know.”
    She looked at me, and I lowered my eyes, shifting uncomfortably in my chair. Was I ever going to stop getting blamed for what happened to them?
    â€œListen, girls, let’s not get into that again,” Lauren said. “There’s no point in holding a grudge, is there, Charlie?”
    â€œNo, there isn’t. I’ve been hoping you would come to see it that way.”
    â€œWell, the point is, I think you’d make a good addition to the Junior Waves. Do you want to be included on the application? If you say yes, Charlie, we’ll put everything that happened behind us and go back to being friends.”
    I couldn’t believe it. It was perfect. This is just the way the conversation between us had happened in my imagination the day before. But before I could answer, Ryan came galloping back from the kitchen, a plastic cup of orange juice in his hands.
    â€œNothing like GoGo’s guacamole followed by a cool OJ,” he said. “Best snack in the world.”
    He went to leap over the back of his chair, but one of his flip-flops got caught and he stumbled. The orange juice flew out of the cup and spilled all over Lauren.
    â€œOh no,” she squealed, jumping up and trying to shake it off of her white T-shirt.
    â€œOops,” Ryan said. “I