My Year of Epic Rock by Andrea Pyros Read Free Book Online Page A

Hollywood actress like Zoe Saldana. Heidi has big eyes and delicate features and a so-cute pixie haircut that would make me look like a boy.
    If I had been her, I seriously would never stop smiling.
    Shane was there too, the new kid.
    â€œNina, this is Shane,” Tiernan said.
    â€œYeah, I know,” I said. “Hi, Shane.”
    â€œYo,” he said back. He was wearing a faded orange T-shirt with the name of a band my dad listens to. It made his orange hair look even brighter.
    He didn’t have any food in front of him, just a red drink box. It had plain letters and no pictures of happy fruit tumbling around, the way normal juice boxes do.
    â€œWhat’s that?” I asked him, pointing to it.
    â€œOh, this is Tropical Punch Disgustingness. The other flavors I sometimes drink are Lemon-Lime Vomit, and Cherry Dog Turd.”
    I gave him a look.
    â€œI’m allergic to, like, everything,” he explained. “But luckily for my taste buds, I can still enjoy these wonderful allergy-free, completely man-made, not found in nature nutrition supplements!”
    He held it up before taking a big gulp and then making a fake gagging noise.
    Tiernan was cracking up. “I used to drink those stupid things before I outgrew my dairy allergy. They do, in fact, all taste exactly like a small, rabid animal died and they marinated it in a rancid Creamsicle for a year and then strained it and served it to you with a straw.”
    Tiernan grabbed Shane’s drink and waved it in Madison’s face. “Want some?”
    â€œGross!” she yelled, leaning so far backward she was almost horizontal. “No, thank you.”
    It was impressive how Shane was so laid-back. If I couldn’t have anything at lunch but a weird drink, I’d be bummed. He seemed not to care at all. I could take a few stress-busting pointers from him.
    The lunch aides were clapping their blue-gloved hands, signaling it was time to start packing up our stuff to make room for the next grade. I walked out with Tiernan, making the hugest effort not to turn my head around to look for Brianna. Not looking, though, never works out for me, so of course in my quest to stare straight ahead I didn’t even notice Ethan was standing next to me until I heard him say something to Tiernan.
    â€œAck!” I shrieked.
    Very smooth, Nina.
    Shelley and Brianna were right. Ethan did get cute. He got adorable. I’d caught myself staring at him a few times during class when I was totally, one hundred percent sure he wasn’t looking my way, in between bouts of moping about Brianna ignoring me. My entire range of emotions lately had been mope, sulk, stare, stare, mope, mope some more, and pity myself.
    Even Ethan’s gray T-shirt with the slightly ripped collar looked cute on him. He had a dark blue baseball cap stuck into the back pocket of his jeans. That was adorable too.
    He and Tiernan started talking about hanging out after school, and their wizards and spellcasters and a bunch of other stuff that made no sense.
    I knew that Ethan hung out with Tiernan because they were neighbors. I didn’t realize Ethan was into Tiernan’s fantasy game madness though.
    â€œHow’s your wizard, Nina?” Ethan said, cracking up.
    â€œVery funny. I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”
    â€œYou could come hang out sometime and find out,” Ethan said. “We’ll teach you. It’s not that complicated, and I bet you’d pick it up fast.” He looked right at me. And smiled, in his totally friendly, always nice to everyone, Ethan way.
    How come I never noticed how Ethan’s dark hair curled behind his ears so it was the perfect kind of messy, or how gorgeous his skin looked? Not a bump or anything.
    I was smitten.
    Or was it smitted? Smited? Or was that when you get burned in a fire?
    I couldn’t believe we used to have sleepovers! I blushed and then got so flustered I didn’t even