Just You by Rebecca Phillips Read Free Book Online Page A

looked around the house we’d
entered a few minutes earlier. Another mini-mansion like the one
from the night before, only this one was decorated more
traditionally, with antique-looking furniture and ugly rugs. A
white poodle with little pink bows on its ears lay in a dog bed
near the door, yapping whenever the doorbell rang.
    “Let’s go find Devon.” Robin dragged me
across the house toward what turned out to be the dining room.
Several people sat around a long table, flipping quarters into
plastic cups of beer. We spotted Devon at the end, looking
red-faced and well on his way to bombed. Apparently the party had
been going on since this afternoon.
    Robin went over to sit on Devon’s lap while
I stood nearby, wishing for invisibility super powers. Already, I
felt irritated for allowing myself to be talked into another one of
these parties. I was irritated at my dad too, for being so
permissive and trusting me enough to let me do whatever I wanted.
Not that I’d wanted this, but Robin wasn’t one to take no for an
answer.
    After Devon missed another quarter toss,
which resulted in him downing his third beer in ten minutes, Robin
slid off his lap and helped herself to one of his full cups. “Be
right back,” she told everyone. She caught my eye and mouthed the
words “Don’t move” before vanishing into the mob. I stayed put,
leaning against the wall next to a china cabinet filled with dishes
that could probably fund my entire college education, and Emma’s,
twice over.
    Robin stayed gone for a long time. I was
getting bored watching drunk people steadily lose coordination, so
I ventured out to find her. I soon realized the improbability of
this; the house was wall-to-wall packed. Through the noise I could
still hear that poodle, barking its curly little head off in the
foyer.
    As I cleared a path into the kitchen, a
familiar face floated into my peripheral vision. Not Robin’s,
unfortunately. On my right, coming toward me but not looking at me,
was none other than Buzz Cut Boy, the short dude who’d hit on me
the night before. Lovely. Another round of blatant ogling was the
last thing I needed at the moment. Like a stealth fox, I turned and
changed direction before he noticed me.
    In my haste to escape unseen, I
inadvertently rammed my elbow into the person behind me. Somewhere
above my head I heard a surprised oof , and I glanced up to
apologize. Of course , I thought, heat creeping up my face.
Out of all the hundreds of people at this party I could have
injured with my wayward elbow, of course it had to be
Michael.
    “Oh my God,” I gasped, spinning around to
face him. “I’m so sorry.”
    “It’s okay.” He put his hand over the spot
where I’d jabbed him and grimaced. “I wasn’t using that lung
anyway.”
    I managed a weak smile. We were standing
very close together, and tonight he smelled like fresh autumn air
and—curiously—cinnamon. My knees turned to pudding. “Crowded in
here,” I said.
    He nodded, smiling, and I was caught off
guard again by his looks. Normally I wasn’t one of those giddy,
swooning type girls who lost their heads (and IQ points) in the
presence of a cute guy, but for some reason Michael had that effect
on me.
    “Listen,” he said, glancing around the room
and then back at me, “do you want to—.”
    Before I found out what he wanted me to do,
Robin suddenly popped up beside me. “There you are,” she said,
hands on hips. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
    It wasn’t clear who she meant, me or
Michael, but it didn’t seem to matter.
    “I got tired of waiting,” I said, assuming
she meant me.
    She gave me a slow once-over and then looked
at Michael, a satisfied grin creeping over her face. “It seems my
help is not needed here anyway.”
    “She hit me,” Michael told her. “You didn’t
tell me she was violent.”
    “Only with boys she likes,” Robin said,
wiggling her eyebrows. I stuck my tongue out at her, trying to
cover up my