Miss Matched by Shawn K. Stout Read Free Book Online

I thought you wanted to play Squidman.”

    â€œAll right, let’s go,” said Max, pulling Cleo down the hall.
    Cleo’s face turned red but she didn’t say a word. It felt good to make other people so happy.
    â€œNow, on to number two match,” said Fiona.
    â€œI’m scared,” Harold said.
    â€œDon’t be silly.” Fiona grabbed a towel from the bathroom. She draped it over his shoulders.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œWhat?” said Fiona.
    â€œThat!” Harold pointed to the bottle in Fiona’s hand.
    â€œHair goop.”
    â€œOh, Boise Idaho.”
    â€œYou want to be like Milo, right?” Fiona poured the goop in her hands. She rubbed them together and wiped them on Harold’s head.
    â€œBurrito supreme,” said Harold, “it feels cold.”
    Fiona’s hands gathered and twisted Harold’s hair into spiky points. But the points didn’t stay spiky. Or pointy. “Hmmm.”
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” asked Harold. “Can I see?”
    â€œNot yet.” Fiona squeezed. “How do you think he gets it to stand up like that?”
    â€œOh, Boise Idaho.”
    â€œSome big sister,” said Max, appearing in the doorway. “Hey, why are you doing that to his hair?”
    â€œNever mind,” said Fiona. “Where’s Cleo?”
    â€œShe went home,” said Max. “Will you play with me now?” Max jumped up and down and pulled his cape over his head like a hood.
    â€œI’m busy,” said Fiona.
    â€œI’ll play,” said Harold.
    Max looked Harold over. “Um, that’s okay,” he said. And he was gone.
    Fiona tapped her foot and patted Harold’s goopy head while she thought. “Just a second.” She opened her desk drawer and rooted around. “Don’t move.”
    â€œWhat are you doing?” asked Harold.
    â€œIt’s in here somewhere,” said Fiona. She tossed out her box of broken crayons, dried-up markers, glitter pens, and bag of felt scraps. “Found it!” Sheemptied the bottle onto Harold’s head. Then she pinched and pulled at his hair.

    â€œFiona?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI smell glue.”

• Chapter 10 •

    F iona’s dad looked like he had just eaten ten corned beef sandwiches. It wasn’t pretty. “What were you thinking?” he asked. Fiona had heard this question lots of times before. And there was no good answer.
    Fiona swiveled on Turner and thought about what she was thinking. Which was a not-so-easy thing to do. Especially when all of the green blobs on Dad’s computer screen looked just like a bunny rabbit with giant fangs.
    Dad leaned on his desk at WORD news station and waited.
    â€œHarold wanted to be popular. That was his match,” said Fiona. “Do you have a headache?”
    â€œA big one,” said Dad. “What do you mean that it was his match?”
    â€œI’m a matchmaker,” said Fiona. “I started a club at school and Harold wanted to be like Milo Bridgewater.”
    â€œAnd you thought glue in his hair was the way to go?”
    Fiona said, “How else do you get hair to stand up?”
    Dad’s eyes got a little bulgy. But he didn’t say anything, which made Fiona think he didn’t know so much about hair. “Harold’s grandmother said she doesn’t want you playing with him anymore.”
    â€œIt’s not all my fault that his grandma cut it out,” said Fiona. “I told Harold not to let his grandma see it.”
    Dad pulled at his eyebrow and sighed.
    Fiona watched the bunny rabbit with fangs turn into a T. rex. Then she spun around on Turner, hugging her knees to her chest.
    â€œMilo Bridgewater?” said Dad, clicking his mouse and looking at his computer screen.
    â€œMilo Bridgewater,” she repeated as if his name tasted like cauliflower.
    â€œI think he’s the boy who sent an e-mail