Even the Score by Belle Payton Read Free Book Online Page B

glanced at her worksheet. “You’re not trying. I know you can do these. Something is up, right?”
    â€œYeah,” Ava admitted slowly.
    Alex gaped at Luke. How did he know? She was usually the first to sense when something bothered Ava.
    â€œFootball trouble,” Ava explained.
    â€œYou should talk to Daddy or Tommy,” Alex advised. “They’ll help.”
    â€œIt’s not that kind of football trouble.” Ava rapidly twirled her chewed-up pencil. “It’s boy football trouble.” The story of Owen spilled out.Ava squeezed her eyes shut as she finished. “Now the whole team is angry. They blame me.”
    â€œHow can they blame you? You didn’t do anything,” Alex said. “You never asked him to like you.”
    â€œExactly!” Ava cried.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” Luke interjected. “To a guy, it’s very black and white. Owen’s skills are tanking, and he’s flipped out over you; therefore, other guys say you’re the cause. No gray area there.”
    â€œThat’s ridiculous!” Alex said. “Maybe I could talk to them.”
    â€œCould you?” Ava sounded relieved.
    â€œNo,” Luke said. “Ava, you need to handle this on your own. Be proactive and stop it cold before this poor guy gets more lovesick and lousier on the field.”
    â€œStop what?” Ava asked. “What am I supposed to stop?”
    â€œStop him from liking you,” Luke said simply.
    â€œOh, yeah, like that’s easy,” Ava scoffed.
    â€œFind out all the things this Owen kid dislikes in a girl. The things that bother or annoy him.” Luke grinned. “Then do them. All of them!”
    â€œI like the way you think!” Alex cried,impressed with his take-charge attitude. “Owen will want nothing to do with you, Ave.”
    A slow smile spread across Ava’s face. “I could do that.”
    Alex agreed. “You can fix this easily.”

    Alex put Mission: Owen into effect Tuesday morning when she entered school. She’d agreed to help Ava, and her first stop was her friend Emily Campbell’s locker. Emily lived next door to Owen, and as far as Alex knew, they’d known each other since they were in diapers.
    â€œLove your top!” Alex called, as she approached.
    Emily gazed up and grinned. “It’s cute, right? I pulled it out of Julia’s closet after she left this morning. She’s only worn it once. I’m so dead if she finds out, but I figure I can put it back before she gets home. The high school lets out ten minutes after us.”
    â€œImpressive! Living on the edge in the name of fashion.” Alex admired the rhinestones on the hem of Emily’s blue-green ombré shirt. “You’re so lucky that your sister has such an awesomecloset to raid. You’ll have to run home fast. You live nearby, right?”
    â€œDown the street.” Emily tucked her long blond hair behind her ears, as she leaned against her locker door.
    â€œOh right, aren’t you on the same block as Owen Rooney?” Alex asked, as if she’d just stumbled on this fact. This was going easier than she’d planned.
    â€œNext door. You know Owen?”
    â€œKind of. Not really.” Alex leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Can you tell me about him?”
    Emily’s eyes lit up. “What do you want to know?”
    â€œAnything. Likes. Dislikes . . .” Alex’s voice trailed off as Lindsey approached.
    â€œWho are we talking about?” Lindsey dropped her canvas book bag onto the floor to rearrange her blond hair into its ponytail. Lindsey and Emily were the “three Bs”: blond, beautiful, and best friends. Alex had known instantly on the first day of school that they were the popular ones, and popular was where she wanted to be. She hadn’t wasted any time becoming their friends. The added bonus was that they both