Geek High by Piper Banks Read Free Book Online

mammals, fifty species of reptiles and amphibians, and more than three hundred species of birds…?”
    It was futile to wait for Christopher to stop talking; he wouldn’t. He’d prattle on and on and on, listing off one statistic after another, until I stopped him.
    â€œThat sounds really great. I’m glad you had fun,” I said. “I’ll talk to you later, okay? I have to get to class.”
    Christopher blinked at me, his expression unchanged.
    â€œBye,” I said, moving past him.
    Charlie and Finn were now well down the hallway.
    â€œCharlie,” I called. “Wait up!”
    I jogged to catch up with them. And that was when it happened: I tripped. For a long, terrible moment everything seemed to unfold in slow motion. My feet—which had been safely on the ground a moment earlier—were suddenly Scooby-Dooing under me. I pitched slowly forward. Up ahead, Charlie pivoted around as my voice reached her. I saw her mouth turn into an O as she watched me fall.
    And just then—just as I was in a free fall, about to face-plant on the hard tile floor—that’s when I saw him: Emmett Dutch. He was leaning against a locker, talking to Isaac Hanson, and looking every bit as beautiful as I remembered. The blond hair curling back from his handsome face had lightened over the summer, and he was sporting a golden tan. His sea blue eyes were vivid in his face, and his teeth flashed white as he grinned.
    And then a moment later I was sprawled on the floor, feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in my wrist. Not to mention my pride. I was completely and utterly humiliated.
    â€œMiranda, are you okay?” Charlie asked, hurrying back to help me up. Finn was a step behind her.
    â€œNice,” he said. “A few points off for the dismount, but I’d still give you a solid seven-point-two.”
    â€œFinn,” Charlie hissed, elbowing him in the side.
    I was too mortified to speak. My fall had not gone unnoticed. The tittering was rising up around me as though I were a one-woman comedy act.
    â€œNot used to the gravity on this planet, Miranda?” Felicity asked sweetly as she glided by with Morgan in tow. They both sniggered.
    Charlie and Finn helped me to my feet, and the whole time, all I could think was, Please don’t let him have seen me, please don’t let him have seen me, please please please please please…
    But when I finally got the nerve to glance in the direction where Emmett had been standing a moment earlier, he wasn’t there. Relief coursed through me.
    â€œHe didn’t see,” I breathed.
    â€œActually…he did,” Charlie said.
    She knew exactly who I was talking about. I’d been in love with Emmett Dutch for the past two years, and Charlie’s had to listen to me obsess over every last detail of our nonexistent relationship.
    â€œOh, no,” I whispered. “Did he laugh? Please tell me he didn’t laugh.”
    This was a disaster. A complete and total disaster.
    â€œHe didn’t laugh,” Charlie said. I felt marginally better. Charlie never lies, not even to make me feel better.
    â€œWho didn’t laugh?” Finn asked. Finn was as clueless as Charlie was perceptive.
    â€œNobody. Nothing. Never mind,” I gabbled. “Come on; let’s get to class. We’re going to be late for astronomy.”

Chapter 5
    I spent all of astronomy with my head down, reliving the fall over and over again. I tried to pry some more information out of Charlie on Emmett’s reaction—did he smile? look concerned? disgusted? repulsed?—but she clammed up and refused to say anything other than, “I will not enable your unhealthy obsession,” in an annoyingly superior voice. All the while Finn—who was ignoring us while he checked his e-mail on his laptop—would occasionally glance up with a confused expression, and say, “Who are you guys talking about?”
    Our astronomy