What If... All the Rumors Were True Read Online Free PDF

the added pressure of junior-year transcripts, the most important grades in the most important year as far as college admissions committees were concerned, the Chens and the Willkommens had teamed up to pay for a private tutor for the artsy delinquents. Shaun’s cousin, one Xavier Willkommen, was hired for the job.
    â€œIt won’t be so bad,” Shaun said. “Xav’s pretty cool, once you get used to his—what does my dad call them?—his quirks.”
    â€œA quirky member of the Willkommen brood?” Irene asked. “You don’t say.”
    â€œYou’ll see,” Shaun said. “He goes to Tisch School of the Arts for acting. He’s a theth-pian.” As he said the word
thespian,
Shaun pranced around on his tiptoes, flapping his hands at the wrists. He was pretty graceful for a still slightly chubby guy. “He should be here any sec. Till he gets here, who’s up for banana cheese melts? With anchovies?”
    Haley, Irene and Devon exchanged glances but said nothing.
    â€œNo takers, huh?” Shaun said. “All the more for me.”
    â€œDo you have any yogurt? And maybe some granola?” Haley asked. She was a little hungry after a long day of school—just not hungry enough to stomach one of Shaun’s specialty sandwiches.
    â€œThat depends. Do you take your granola with marshmallows and wasabi peas in it?” Shaun asked.
    â€œUh, no thanks,” said Haley.
    â€œWell, I think we gots some vanilla yogurty-goop in the fridge,” Shaun said, leading them all into the kitchen. “Mom keeps all kind of weird stuff in there.” Haley sorted through the entirely unweird refrigerator, locating some plain sliced cheddar cheese. “Hey, catch,” Shaun said, throwing a green apple, hard, in Haley’s direction. She turned just in time to instinctively raise her arms up and catch it. “She’s an athlete,” Shaun said as the doorbell rang. A few minutes later, an extremely tall, extremely thin young man in his early twenties strode with much affectation into the kitchen, looking as if he expected everyone to burst into applause at the sight of him. “Ladies and Devster, I give you…our tutor, Xavier,” Shaun announced.
    â€œDelightful to meet you ALL,” Xavier said. His wispy blond hair was cropped into a bob at his pointy chin, and he had a long, dramatic nose, the tip of which bent down and nearly met his slender upper lip. Xavier wore a billowing white shirt tucked into narrow black jeans, which in turn were tucked into his black Beatle boots. “Thhall we RETIRE to the thtudy?”
    He turned and glided out of the kitchen, assuming his pupils would follow him. Irene looked at Haley. “Did he jutht thay ‘thtudy’?”
    Haley shrugged. “Maybe hith tongue thlipped.” They followed, curious, and settled themselves at a round table near a set of floor-to-ceiling bookcases. “Now, Thhaun, who ARE your friendth?” Xavier commanded. “Come now, don’t be thhy. Introduthe yourselvth.” Xavier pointed at Irene. “Who are you?”
    â€œIrene Chen.”
    â€œMy couthin hath ethellent tathte. And you?”
    â€œHaley Miller.”
    â€œYou have hair like Rita Hayworth.”
    He pointed his pen at Devon. “You mutht be Devon McKnight, boy photographer. Tho, we are all prethent and accounted for. Letth get thtarted, thhall we, my little thpathe cadetth? Firtht quarter, Englithh—you’re covering drama. Which jutht happenth to be my thpethialty. And you’re thtarting with Thhakethpeare. Perfect.”
    Irene gave him a sheet of paper. “Here’th the thyllabuth,” she said, before blushing. “Sorry. It’s sort of contagious. Like Shaun told you, we’re reading
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
first, because the drama club is doing a production of it this fall.”
    Xavier clapped his hands. “Yeth!
Dream
is