Investigating the Hottie by Juli Alexander Read Free Book Online Page B

torture.”
    As we walked towards the Art room to enter the school, he asked, “So, do you want to eat lunch with us? Me and my friends?”
    “Yeah,” I said, recovering quickly from the shock. “Sounds good.” Better than the day before. Or the three hundred and sixty-five days before that.
     
    After I picked up a chicken salad sandwich and an apple, I found Will at the table where he and his friends sat. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had engraved their names on it. I saw an empty seat at the opposite end.
    Will stood up. “Hey, Amanda. Guys, this is Amanda. That’s Jenny, Meg, Kyle, Colin, and Mark.”  
    “Hi.” They all sort of waved at me. I sat down, and pretended I wasn’t feeling totally awkward. Will sat too. Mom would have been so impressed with his manners.
    “You’re from South Carolina, aren’t you?” asked Jenny, the meaner-looking girl, with a scowl. Her blonde hair definitely came from a salon.
    “North Carolina actually. Charlotte.” Christie had decided that I could use my real name if we lied about my hometown. I unwrapped my sandwich, hoping to discourage any further questions.
    “Is there a difference?” The other girl wrinkled her nose at my sandwich. Or at me. I’m not really sure.
    “Actually, yeah.” I popped open my Diet Coke.
    “I love Charleston,” Jenny said. “We went to that famous seafood place. What’s it called? Heyman’s or something?”
    I could already see that we were not going to get along, but it was a chance to hone my diplomacy skills. “I don’t know. I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina. Not Charleston, South Carolina.” Not that I could answer any questions about Charlotte either.
    “Oh,” Jenny said, wrinkling up her nose. “Too bad. They had really good Baked Schrod.”
    Colin snorted and rolled his eyes, “Jenny likes to pretend she’s more worldly than the rest of us.”
    “Colin,” Meg warned.
    “Whatever, Colin,” Jenny snapped. “I don’t see anyone else at this table who’s traveled through Europe.” She looked pointedly at me. “Have you been anywhere interesting?”
    “No,” I admitted. “We pretty much just go to Florida for vacations.”
    “Oh, man,” Kyle said, gesturing excitedly. “My grandparents live in Boca. Florida rocks.”
    Jenny looked peeved.
    Luckily, they all sort of talked as if I wasn’t there for a while, so I listened and ate my lunch. It was a good thing I wasn’t really moving here because I didn’t think the girls liked me much. They all got along so well, I felt like a total outsider. I envied their confidence.
    I wasn’t used to eating lunch with guys, especially not popular ones. I pinched off little bites of my sandwich so chicken wouldn’t get stuck in my teeth and so my mouth wouldn’t be full if someone decided to talk to me.
    Kyle, Colin, and Mark must have been Will’s soccer buddies because they started talking about the game against St. Vincent’s tomorrow. The boys’ team played in the spring while the girls’ played in the fall. Just like at home. Tomorrow was a special exhibition game. Otherwise, the guys weren’t allowed to play as a school-sanctioned team until February.
    Will caught me watching as he dodged Mark’s excited gestures, and he winked at me. My heart stopped. No way did a hottie like that just wink at me. Even if it was just a friendly wink and not an “I want to date you wink,” it was still totally out of my realm of experience. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I smiled for a split second before lowering my gaze to my sandwich.
    At least no one was paying any attention to me. But then, Will said, “Amanda came out to the field last night.”
    Suddenly six pairs of eyes stared at me. I figured I was supposed to say something, so I tried to smile. “I needed a soccer fix.” It came out more like a question than a statement, but hey, I was holding my own, wasn’t I?
    “Too bad you didn’t think of that, Jenny,” Meg said. Jenny hit her and gave