Mia the Meek by Eileen Boggess Read Free Book Online

speed to shorten your misery.”
    “Are you always this hostile with everyone you meet?”
    “Nah, there’s just something special about you. For some reason, I especially enjoy seeing you sweat.” Tim smiled, then began whistling We Are the Champions as he walked through his yard without a backward glance.

A s the earth towered closer, my classmates lined up along the roller coaster to watch me fly out of control. I heard their raucous laughter grow and grow until it reached a frenzied, high pitched buzz. When my car hit the ground, a terrifying scream escaped my lips. I woke up sweaty and confused as the buzz continued to assault my ears. Struggling for breath, I hit the snooze button and moaned.
    “What did I get myself into?” I said.

    Lisa was waiting for me at the corner.
    “I have great news! Your whole campaign is mapped out.”
    “I don’t have a campaign. All I have is my name on the ballot. We weren’t going to make a big deal about this. Remember?”
    “Mia, this is your chance to make a difference. If you’re class president, you’ll have the power to make sure all the ninth graders’ voices are heard. If Cassie becomes president, her main goal will be to change the school’s colors so they don’t clash with her skin tone. Anyway, all the work is done. Mike came over last night and we made some awesome posters to hang in the hallway. He said he would get to school early today to hang them up before class starts.”
    “Mike is working on my non-existent campaign?”
    “As soon as I asked him to help me, he said he’d be right over. We had the best time together. He’s so funny and smart. . . and really cute.”
    “Are you starting a Mike Finnegan fan club or what?”
    “I just like him, all right?”
    “Fine, calm down.”
    “We had such a great time last night, I don’t want you to ruin it by making jokes. I mean, the time totally flew by when we were together and we didn’t even know how late it was until Mike’s mom called, telling him to get home before it got too dark. And then, right before Mike was going to leave—” Lisa paused, her face turning red—“he kissed me!”
    “Mike kissed you?”
    “I hope you don’t mind. I know Mike has always been more your friend than mine, but I like him so much, and he’s an incredible kisser!”
    I tried to picture Lisa and Mike kissing, but it hurt my brain too much.
    “I’ve been hoping for so long that Mike and I would get together, but I never told you because I didn’t know how you really felt about him. Then, yesterday, when you told me you’d never like him for more than a friend, I decided to go for it. Oh, Mia, you’re the best!”
    Lisa pulled me into a hug and I didn’t move. I felt like I did when I was ten and walked out of swimming lessons, only to discover my bike had been stolen. It had been there when I left, but when I came out, it was gone. And now it was happening all over again—one minute Mike liked me, and the next, he belonged to someone else. And even though I would never have gone out with Mike in a million years, it had been nice to know he liked me. I just couldn’t believe Lisa stole the only guy who’d ever even thought about dating me. I looked at her suspiciously. Maybe she’d also had a hand in stealing my bike.
    Oblivious to my lack of enthusiasm, Lisa rambled on as we made our trek to St. Hilary’s.
    “It doesn’t change anything if Mike and I are together. The three of us can still hang out together and have fun. It’s not like I’d ever choose hanging out with Mike over you. Nothing’s going to change.”

    Mr. Benson called the class to order.
    “As you can tell from the posters in the hallway, we have two excellent candidates running for freshman class president this year— Cassie Foster and Mia Fullerton.”
    Everyone turned to stare at Cassie and me. I slumped down in my desk while Cassie, looking more gorgeous than usual, smiled so brightly, I almost expected to see sparkles