How To Break Up With An Alien by Magan Vernon Read Free Book Online Page B

was being serious or just really good at sarcasm.
    "Well good, glad you came." He smiled, dusting off his hands on his faded blue jeans before putting one hand out to Simone. "I'm Brody, by the way."
    "Simone." She shook his hand limply before releasing it. I do kind of see you every day when you come in to flirt with Alex."
    I sucked in a deep breath. She did NOT just say that?
    "Ha, yeah I like keeping her on her toes." He didn't miss a beat, grinning from ear to ear. He then clasped his hands together. "Come on and join the party. We were just about to start Never Have I Ever."
    Simone and I followed Brody and sat down on one of the fallen logs around the fire. The summer heat was starting to dissolve as the night progressed, but the fire felt like it was lapping right at my legs.
    Brody's crowd wasn't exactly the popular crowd, but maybe just one rung below, like the vice presidential populars or something. Gemma and Rachel Johnson sat on the other side of the fire, both of their hands pulled tight around their giant orange Rugby sweatshirts. Brad Gage flanked Rachel's left side, spitting some chew into an empty peanut can.
    The group was rounded out with their usual cronies: Carson Jones, Matt Lane, and Ryan Brown. All of them had gone to school together since preschool, all of them played some kind of percussion instrument in the school band, and all of them thought they were better than most people.
    "Did we miss anything good?" Ryan's girlfriend, Tiffany, stepped up to the fire with her best friend, Lacey, in tow. They were inseparable and most people had just called the girls Tiffacey since they were practically attached at the hip. Both had short brown hair, bright green eyes, and knew every piece of gossip in school. Ugh, what was I doing? These weren't the people I wanted to hang out with. I scoured my brain for a way out, any way.
    "Yeah." Brad smiled as the girls took their seats on one of the logs by the fire. "Alex was just about to start us off with Never Have I ever."
    "What?" I snapped my head toward Brad. He had a smug smile that reminded me of an evil cartoon villain, and it took everything that I had not to say something snarky back to him.
    Brody handed me and Simone each a red solo cup. I knew the rules about not taking drinks from guys at parties, even though this technically wasn't a party, but more of a kickback. Either way, I wasn't planning on having anything in the red cup.
    "Yeah, come on Alex, if you want I'll start us off." Brody smiled, taking a seat right between me and Simone. His smile put me at ease and Simone sitting next to me helped, at least I knew I wasn't alone.
    "Never have I ever got caught doing the nasty by my parents."
    Everyone laughed, most of them taking a sip from their cup. Getting caught by their parents doing the nasty? It could be way worse, like getting caught sneaking out with your boyfriend and causing an intergalactic war because of it.
    "Uh, I'm going to use your bathroom, is that cool?" I shot up and looked at Brody. Finally, an excuse.
    "Yeah, that's fine." He pointed his thumb behind him. "In the house, first door off the living room, you can't miss it."
    "Thanks." I nodded and headed toward the house before anyone could follow. Not only was it awkward to be sitting around with people who had made fun of me since middle school, but Ace was blowing up my phone with text messages.
    I went up the cement steps and opened the screen door, hoping his parents didn't stop to question me. The front room was covered in floral wallpaper and furniture you could tell no one sat in. Beyond that was a high-end, stainless steel kitchen, and I could see a faint glow from a TV on the other side.
    Turning to the left I spotted the mint green bathroom and went in, closing and locking the door behind me. I knew the house had been in Brody's family for awhile, but it would have been nice if they could have updated the bathroom since the fifties. I don't think I'd ever actually been in