Beware of Bad Boy by April Brookshire Read Free Book Online Page A

to talk. Her wild hand gestures combined with long curly black hair whipping around made it all the more animated.
    “I know exactly what you mean, Caleb. We all worry about her, especially me and Jared. She’s like a sister to us. I first met her when we started ballet together when we were little. She was always really quiet and the other girls thought she was stuck up because even then she looked like a mini supermodel. You should’ve seen her mom, though, she was so overbearing. Wanted everything to be perfect, especially Gianna, and always talking about how beautiful Gianna was. No wonder the girl was shy, with a mother like that. When we got to middle school, her mom started letting her spend the night on some Saturday nights. That’s when Jared was really getting into breaking. We used to watch him and his friends and eventually we learned the moves and became part of the crew a few years ago. Now, Gianna is with us almost every Saturday night!” She ended the last sentence with a pleased smile.
    I opened my mouth to comment on a couple things she said, but she wasn’t done yet. “When Gianna started hanging out with the crew, she really came out of her shell. I feel so bad for her, though, being so gorgeous. You know she hates it, don’t you? She knows that most girls only want to be around her because she attracts guys’ attention. And, of course, you know why guys want to be around her.” She tilted her head to the side and studied me. “No offense, but I’m getting a definite player vibe coming off you.”
    “None taken,” I replied wryly.
    She shrugged one small shoulder and continued, “Anyways, in eighth grade, she heard all the other popular girls at school, who pretended to be her friend, talking shit about her in the bathroom. After that, she tried making friends with some unpopular kids, but they acted weirded out and nervous around her, like they had to impress her. I really hope she stays broken up with Josh, though.”
    “Me, too,” I got in quickly, thinking of last night.
    “ He’s so obsessive about her. She told me once that she wishes she could come live with us, but she knows her mom would never allow it. I tell her to say fuck off to everyone, but she won’t. She’s always worried about pleasing everyone else around her, especially her mom, and in the process she makes herself miserable. Her mom has been conditioning her to be a certain way since she was little. It just makes everything jumbled in her head, her wants and her mom’s expectations. So, what exactly are you worried about?”
    Like I said, this girl like d to talk. Summing it up to her satisfaction, I told her, “Basically the same thing.”
    She popped up to give me a hug. “I’m so glad there’s someone up in Broomfield looking out for Gigi.” This made me feel guilty, for about two seconds.
    “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “I’m going to make sure things are different for Gianna at home and school from now on.” I was feeling mixed up myself. I hadn’t decided my intentions in this new game between me and Gianna. I’d think about the stuff Cece told me and figure it out later. “By the way,” I began, “the nickname, Gigi?”
    Cece looked proud as she explained, “Cece and Gigi, they rhyme.”
    This girl was adorable. I could see why Gianna cared about her. However, if she were my sister, I’d probably put a muzzle on her when the yapping became too much.
     
    GIANNA
     
    I hadn’t seen Caleb for awhile and was annoyed his absence even registered in my mind. Maybe he went home. A girl could dream. My life sucked enough already. What’d I do to make the universe punish me with an evil, devious stepbrother like him?
    While I was sulking and feeling sorry for myself, I saw Caleb and Cece come out of her room down the hallway. What the hell? He was such a manwhore. He brought some girl named Skylar to the party and now he was hooking up with Cece. And what was wrong with Cece? This wasn’t like