Here's Lily by Nancy Rue Read Free Book Online

selling not only the clothes you’re wearing, but who you are as well.”
    Lily took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure how she was ever going to get to that point, but she did know one thing. If she did, she was going to make sure Shad Shifferdecker was there to see it.
    â€œNo, you are not!” Reni said when Lily told her the next day. It was afternoon recess, and they were sitting under their favorite tree, which was now even more naked than before. That made it easier to make sure there were no eavesdroppers up in the branches this time. “But I don’t see how you’re going to get him there.”
    â€œI don’t either,” Lily said. “But I’ve gotta do it. Can’t you just see the look on his face when I pivot at the end of the runway and don’t fall off?”
    Reni giggled.
    Lily had already envisioned it a dozen times. His mouth would be hanging open, his eyes would be wide, and there would be a general look of oh-Lily-you-are-so-gorgeous-I’ll-never-tease-you-again on his face. Even his eyebrows would be impressed.
    â€œWhat’s ‘pivot’?” Reni said.
    â€œI’ll show you.”
    Lily got up and demonstrated what Kathleen had taught them the night before. She walked slowly, keeping her focus out ahead of her, and then stopped and turned without lowering her eyes to the ground. She was a little wobbly, but she did it much better than her first try in class, when she’d gotten her legs completely tangled and had wound up looking like a pretzel.
    â€œKeep trying, Lily,” Kathleen had told her. “It’s all about trying.”
    Lily had gotten it on the next attempt.
    Reni’s eyes were shining. “Wow. You look like a real model!”
    â€œYou could do it. It’s easy.”
    â€œNo it is not ,” Reni said.
    But Lily pulled her up by the wrist and gave her the instructions. They were walking side by side, eyes glued to the Dumpster as their focus, when they heard cackling from the direction of the bike racks. Lily looked back long enough to see Ashley and Chelsea perched on top of one.
    â€œWhat do you think you’re doing?” Ashley said.
    â€œLily’s showing me—” Reni started to say, but Lily gave her a jab in the rib.
    â€œShowing you what? How to look like a geek?” Ashley said.
    Chelsea shrieked out a laugh that was way too loud for something that wasn’t that funny. Reni looked at Lily.
    â€œYou ought to let me tell them,” she said between her teeth. “It’ll shut them up so fast!”
    Lily shook her head. “She’ll tell Shad. I know it. I want this to be a total surprise.”
    It turned out she was right. A direct line seemed to be tied between Ashley and Shad, because the minute the class was lined up at the water fountain after recess, Shad stepped out of line and walked up and down, staring ahead of him and turning on his toes at the end of each pass.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Zooey said.
    But Lily knew, and she could feel the blotches forming on her face.
    â€œGuess who I am?” Shad said.
    â€œGoofy,” Reni said. “No, wait! Pluto.” She rolled her eyes practically up into her head and got Zooey laughing, but she also looked nervously at Lily. Lily tried not to grit her teeth.
    Shad continued to pace up and down doing spazzy-looking turns, shoulders thrown back and hips swaying. “Guess again!” he said.
    â€œA robot playing basketball!” Leo said.
    â€œNo!”
    â€œSomebody walking in their sleep!” Marcie said.
    â€œNo!”
    â€œYes, it is,” she said. “Your eyes are all staring, but you aren’t seeing anything. That’s the way it is when you walk in your sleep. My mother says I do it all the time and—”
    â€œI oughta know what I’m doing.” Shad bared his metal-speckled teeth.
    â€œWho are you, then?” Marcie said.
    Shad stopped, and to