Hold On Tight by J. Minter Read Free Book Online Page A

stains could be potentially disastrous for my jeans—and I smiled at Zelda, who was no longer looking at me. She was carefully pushing Ted’s hair behind his ears.
    â€œSo how’s New York?” one of Zelda’s guy friends called out to me. He was wearing a cord vest over a white V-neck shirt and jean shorts. Weird.
    â€œBusy, you know,” I said with a shrug.
    The guy nodded. “Everyone is so formulaically unconventionally busy there.”
    â€œUm, right.”
    I turned to survey the lawn. Students wereeverywhere, walking on the paths that led between the big, brick buildings. Night had fallen, and there was laughter everywhere. Two girls were walking toward me, wearing long, crinkly A-line skirts and silvery collections of bangles on their wrists. They had faces like little foxes, snuggled close to each other, telling secrets. When they had almost reached our group, the one in the belted cardigan, who was wearing her hair in two long braids, dropped her bottom lip in mock horror and yelled, “Get your hands off my boyfriend!”
    For a moment I thought she might be referring to me, but then I saw Zelda jump away from my brother. She had been giving him a head massage—at least, that’s what it looked like.
    â€œI wasn’t …,” she began, stammering.
    â€œI know, you goose,” the girl with the braids said. She sat down next to Ted, folded her legs up underneath her, and kissed him. The other girl, whose dark hair was arranged in one of those artfully messy ponytails, sat down, too, and gave me a crooked smile.
    â€œI’m Lara,” she said. She was sharper looking than the other pink-cheeked girl who was currently rubbing noses with my brother. “I’m visiting forthe weekend—that’s probably why you don’t recognize me.”
    â€œOh yeah? I’m visiting too. Is your high school in the city?”
    Lara laughed and put a hand over her mouth. “High school? No, no. I’m visiting from Sarah Lawrence, which isn’t
quite
the city.”
    â€œLara, this is my brother, Jonathan,” Ted said, looking up from Lara’s friend’s neck. Lara smiled at me like I was a whole new person. “And J, this is my girlfriend, Margot.”
    The girl with the long braids leaned forward and kissed me. For a moment I thought she was going to
kiss
kiss me, but then she just gave me the double kiss that seemed to be the clique norm. “It’s
so
good to finally meet you,” she said. “Ted has just told me so many great things about you.”
    All I could think of to say was, “Oh, yeah?” because I had never heard of Margot, or even imagined that Ted had a girlfriend. But then, it really
had
been a while since we’d talked. I hoped my mouth wasn’t hanging open as I took in the sight of Ted as half of a couple—a really, really good-looking one. Luckily, Margot was still beaming despite my lack of words.
    â€œSo, are you going to apply to Vassar?” she asked.
    â€œMaybe—it’s really pretty here. And the people seem …” I broke off because Margot’s face had gone from happy to horrified.
    â€œJonathan, what are you wearing?”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    Everyone in the little circle stared at my feet. I did, too—I couldn’t help but think,
yeah, they’re garish, but they’re not
that
bad
. The silence, meanwhile, continued for an uncomfortably long time.
    â€œMargot’s a vegan and really committed PETA person,” Ted said gently.
    â€œI mean, are those crocodile?” she said. “Do you know what kind of torture they put those animals through, just to get some flashy shoes?”
    â€œUh, no … I mean no they’re not croc. Croc-o-dile.” Margot was looking at me in disbelief, but I couldn’t help but continue. “They’re vinyl, in fact. I only buy vinyl and other, um, non-hide clothing