17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen Read Free Book Online

minute.
    â€œOn what? The ladies?”
    â€œKind of.”
    I’m surprised, but I make myself keep walking at a normal pace.
    â€œWhat’s up?”
    He hesitates. “I need to know how to get girls to see the new me. I’ve lost all this weight, but it’s like no one’s noticed. And this girl I like, she was going on and on about Buck’s abs and how abs are the hottest thing in the universe, and I’m like, ‘I have abs too.’”
    â€œYeah, right.” I know it’s mean, but it slips out before I can help myself.
    Sam lifts up his shirt. The Buddha belly I know has been replaced with a washboard.
    â€œOhmygosh. You do. I mean, I knew you lost weight, but when did that happen?”
    I feel a fluttery feeling low in my tummy, even though it’s Sam. I write it off as temporary ab-induced insanity.
    He shrugs. “Sometime this summer. I’ve been working out like crazy and eating things like tilapia and lentils. So, what should I do?”
    â€œYou should show her those abs,” I say. “Hey, we could paint you for tonight’s football game. It’s the perfect excuse to be shirtless.”
    â€œOkay. Let’s do it. Can I come over in an hour and get your help with the paint? I’ll drive you to the game.”
    â€œThat would be great. Not having a car sucks so hard.”
    We get to the corner where we have to go in opposite directions.
    â€œLater, Sam.”
    â€œLater, CJ.”
    He’s the only one who still calls me CJ. Even my sisters call me Claire now. Sam refuses.
    My little sister, Libby, is sitting in front of cartoons when I open the door.
    â€œHey, Libs, wanna help me order Chinese food?”
    Friday is takeout night at the Jenkins house.
    â€œI guess,” she says quietly even though she usually loves picking out food.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?”
    She turns off the TV but doesn’t look at me. “I got in another fight today.”
    â€œYou can’t keep doing this.” I rake my hands through my hair and try to remain calm. “What happened?”
    â€œMama said she would make cupcakes for the bake sale, but she was having a bad day. And this girl said everyone’s mom baked cupcakes except mine. And then she said, ‘You probably don’t even have a mom.’”
    â€œOh, no.” How can I stay mad after she tells me something like that? I pull her onto my lap. “Then what happened?”
    â€œI poured a can of paint on her head,” Libby mumbles.
    I try not to giggle. “I’m sorry she said that to you. But you can’t fight people every time you get angry. Try counting to ten or something.”
    â€œOkay.” Libby hangs her head. “Can you sign my form for in-school suspension? I don’t want Daddy to get mad again.”
    She pulls a crumpled piece of paper from her backpack and gives me puppy-dog eyes.
    â€œSure.” I forge my mom’s signature on the form. “But next time you have a bake sale or something, tell me. Megan and I can make you the most awesome cupcakes ever.”
    â€œI know. I just wish Mama could make them.”
    I know exactly how she feels. I wish I could ask Mama for advice about the Luke thing. I know none of my friends talk totheir parents about stuff like that, so if Mama were more involved in my life, I probably wouldn’t want to talk to her either, but I want it to be my decision. I want the option of giving her one-word answers while she racks her brain trying to figure out what’s wrong with me.
    I rest my chin on top of Libby’s curly brown hair and squeeze her extra tight. “Me too, sweetie. Me too.”
    I sit at my desk, nibbling on an egg roll. I’ll probably go out to dinner after the game, but I needed something to tide me over. Sam should be here any minute. Maybe he’s right. What do I really know about Luke anyway? I pull out a piece of notebook paper and make a