Her Teen Dream by Devon Vaughn Archer Read Free Book Online Page A

you
should try to keep an open mind and see what happens.”
    “All right, Dr. Phil, if you say so. Or
should I say, Dr. Phyllis?”
    “How about just plain old Karin, your best
friend!”
    Lesley grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”
    “Speaking of plans,” Karin said, “we need to
focus on capturing the hearts and minds of the guys we have our own
eyes on.”
    “I’ll drink to that.”
    They toasted with the bottled waters. Karin
felt fresh new enthusiasm where it concerned Reese. But her
immediate attention turned to something less exciting. Playing
babysitter to Pia Fisher tonight.
    * * *
    “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown,”
gushed Josephine, looking wide-eyed at Pia.
    “Momma says I’m growing up way too fast,” Pia
responded and seemed happy being the center of attention.
    “I know just what she means.”
    Karin caught her mother’s gaze, and felt a
trifle self-conscious of her height.
    “Come here and give me a hug, honey,” Althea
Fisher ordered Karin.
    Karin took two steps forward and was nearly
crushed to death by the woman who wore a pungent flowery perfume
that nearly made her gag.
    “You know, I was there when your Momma’s
water broke and we had to rush her to the hospital to have
you.”
    “I remember,” Karin said, having heard the
story every time she saw Mrs. Fisher. She quickly amended that to
say, “I meant, I remember hearing from Momma and you how it all
went down.”
    Althea broke into an almost embarrassed
chuckle, causing her silk braids to shake.
    Karin watched her father and John Fisher head
into the living room, where they started to talk about old times.
It wasn’t long before Karin's mother gave her a knowing look.
“Karin, why don’t you take Pia up to your room?”
    Since she knew it wasn’t a request, Karin
ushered Pia toward the stairs. She would have taken her next door
to Lesley’s, but she and Shelly had gone out to dinner with
Edgar.
    Meaning I’m stuck with Pia all by
myself. Karin bit back her irritation.
    Pia, who had thick pigtails and big brown
eyes, flopped onto Karin’s bed as though her own.
    “Do you like boys?” Pia asked, curling a
corner of her mouth upwards, as if she couldn’t imagine such a
thing.
    “Yes, I like boys,” Karin admitted almost too
quickly.
    “Why?”
    “Because that’s what girls are supposed to
do.”
    “Well, I think boys are silly.”
    “They can be.” Karin sat beside her. “They
can also be very cute. And funny. And, most of all, sexy!”
    “Do you have a boyfriend?” Pia asked,
wide-eyed.
    Now this was where it got rather complicated.
Reese filled Karin’s mind like on a movie screen. She looked at Pia
and said dreamily, “I’m working on it.”
     

CHAPTER NINE
     
    When Karin filed out of homeroom, she saw
Reese leaning against the wall as though holding it up rather than
the other way around. Her first thought was that he was waiting for
one of his buddies. But the smile on his face told her that he was
actually there for her.
    The notion made Karin want to jump for joy,
but she controlled her voice. “What are you doing here?”
    “Uh, I go to this school.” He put a
dumbfounded look on his face.
    She wasn’t letting him off the hook that
easily. “Well, I have to go to my next class. See you.”
    She began walking and smiled when he caught
up to her, matching her step for step.
    “I wanted to see you. There, I said it.”
    Karin looked up at him, continuing to walk,
ignoring the other students. “Well, here I am.”
    “You’re gonna make this really hard for me,
aren’t you?”
    “What?” Now it was her turn to act
confused.
    “Look, I’m sorry about the other night. I
would’ve liked to talk more—you know, in private.”
    “It’s okay,” Karin lied, knowing she’d wished
the same. But neither of them could help it if Cheryl Green had
chosen that moment to stick her nose where it wasn’t wanted. What
was done was done.
    Reese gazed down at her. “I’d like to make it
up to