Careful What You Wish For by Shani Petroff Read Free Book Online Page A

this is major. Look how upset he is. He’ll probably drop out, beg his mom to homeschool him, and if she says no, he’ll just run away from home.”
    â€œYou’re way overreacting,” Gabi said.
    â€œI’m not! It could happen. Max needs to know this is real.”
    â€œGetting him to believe that right now is going to be hard,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I wish he was more like Courtney. She has enough confidence for the both of them.”
    â€œSeriously.” My head was pounding. What good was granting Max popularity if he completely misinterpreted it?

chapter 13
    â€œI think he smiled at me,” Gabi said as we passed Marc on our way to class. “Or maybe it was meant for Brooke. She was right behind me. Did you see it? What do you think? ’Cause if he did smile at me, then he probably was the one to give me the cupcake.” Marc was all Gabi could talk about.
    I, on the other hand, was more concerned about Max.
    â€œGroups of four,” Miss Simmons said. Everyone clamored around Max begging him to be in their group.
    â€œMax,” I called out. “Come work with us.” I figured it was the least I could do. He knew Gabi and I would never be part of a scheme to set him up. And it would give me time to make him understand that everyone really did like him.
    â€œRiiiight,” a voice said back. A voice that sounded like Max’s, if Max’s voice was sarcastic, evil, and totally condescending. I had to be hearing things.
    Only it didn’t stop. “No one wants to work with you, Double-A!” the voice that sounded like Max’s continued. “Except maybe your nerdy sidekick.” Courtney and Co. laughed like they were watching a Will Ferrell movie.
    Was this really coming from Max? The Max who has been crushing on me since forever? The Max who tried to carry me home when I fell off my bike in sixth grade? The Max who gave me a homemade present for Christmas every year since I’ve known him? The Max who was the kindest person in all of Goode? The Max who just moments ago thought the whole school was out to get him? Were the insults really coming from him?
    â€œNo way I’d work with you,” he said. “Or your spazzy best friend.”
    Yep. They were. I felt like the Easter bunny just spit on my sneakers.
    â€œHey,” Cole said, stepping up to my defense. “Cut it out.”
    Max put up his hand. “Look, Cole. We all know you’re into doing charity work, and Angel’s your pet project, but it doesn’t mean the rest of us need to be nice to her. You’re lucky we still include you at all.”
    Cole opened up his mouth to say something else but stopped himself. He just backed into his seat. Then he said sorry. Only it wasn’t to me. It was to Max! Apparently nobody talked back to the new Max. Not if they wanted a social life.
    â€œMax?” Gabi said, gripping her braid.
    â€œGabi?” he said, mimicking her.
    â€œWhat’s going on?”
    â€œWell, at this very moment, it seems I’m having a conversation with the queen nerd’s number one subject.”
    Gabi’s mouth fell open and Max laughed. He didn’t care that he had just majorly insulted us both. It didn’t bother him at all. In fact, it was the opposite. He seemed to stand a whole foot taller.
    â€œEnough,” Miss Simmons said. “Groups now . Or I pick them. Max, go ahead and choose your partners.”
    King Max eyed every student, each of whom seemed to be holding their breath.
    â€œPick me.” Courtney broke the silence. “We can go over your election campaign.”
    â€œAnd me,” Jaydin added. “I have the best grades in the class.”
    â€œNo, I do,” Kyle Manning countered. “Pick me.”
    The whole class erupted again trying to point out why they should be chosen. “I made my decision,” Max said.