A Whole New Ball Game by Belle Payton Read Free Book Online Page B

like it?”
    Actually, now that the initial shock was wearing off, Alex had to admit, objectively, that she did like it. The shorter hair brought attention to Ava’s great cheekbones—cheekbones Alex realized she must have too, but somehow had never noticed. Ava looked delicate and pretty, adorable but totally sophisticated. And completely different. Alex didn’t know whether to feel upset or jealous. But she definitely felt betrayed.
    â€œNo!” said Alex. “I mean, yes! I mean, you just look so . . . different! Why didn’t you . . . ask me? Why’d you just do it?” Alex didn’t meanfor her words to come out so forcefully, but she couldn’t help it.
    Ava’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t know I needed your per mission ,” she said with some heat. “I did it for sports. I’m so sick of dealing with hot, sweaty hair all the time. It’s so much easier like this.”
    Mrs. Sackett stood up and went to Ava, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulder. Why is she comforting Ava right now? Alex thought bitterly. She, Alex, was the one who needed comforting. This was totally catastrophic. No— cataclysmic . That was the word for it.
    â€œWell,” sniffed Ava. “Obviously you don’t like it. Sorry if you’re embarrassed to be seen with me.”
    â€œThat’s not fair,” said Alex, her voice quivering. She wanted to say so much more, to explain to her sister that her reaction had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with feeling abandoned, but she was afraid she’d cry, and that would be mortifying in the middle of the salon.
    â€œI think you look wonderful, pumpkin,” said her mother hastily. She spun Ava around to face her, crooked her index finger under Ava’schin, and tilted her face up slightly, the better to admire her new look. “I had no idea curly hair could look this cute short, but this haircut is just so becoming on you!”
    As Alex had said to Jolene, she and Ava had had the same hairstyles their whole lives. Back when they were six, they’d both gotten bobbed to just an inch or so below the chin. That had been the shortest they’d ever gone. And they’d done it together. It wasn’t about how short Ava’s hair was—although it was very short, in Alex’s opinion—it was just that Ava had chosen such a dramatic way to emphasize how far apart they were growing. Was this Ava’s way of announcing that she no longer wanted to look like twins?
    That night Alex slept on the couch again. Before she went to sleep, she sorted through her final choices of bulletin-board pictures. She came upon a picture of herself and Ava, grinning from the side of a swimming pool, their chins on their arms, their elbows side by side. They were both missing their two front teeth, and they both had their hair slicked back. They were about seven years old, she guessed. And they looked absolutely, positively identical. She sighed and placed the photo in the “do not put up” pile.Then she burrowed into the couch cushions and held her half of the baby blanket tight. Once again, she wished Ava had invited her to sleep in her room tonight. Obviously Ava was trying to look forward, rather than back. Well, maybe she was right. And if looking forward was what Ava was going to do, then maybe Alex ought to do the same thing.

    Upstairs in her room, Ava wasn’t asleep either. She was thinking about Alex and wishing Alex had asked to sleep in her room tonight. But Alex hadn’t asked. She’d seemed to prefer the couch. Oh well. Just another example of how they were growing apart.
    Ava ran a hand through her short hair for the zillionth time. She still couldn’t believe she’d gone through with it, despite having threatened to every day since they’d moved to Texas. It bothered her that Alex was pretending to be shocked about it. Granted,