Next Door to a Star by Krysten Lindsay Hager Read Free Book Online Page A

stomach, designer jeans, and a pair of straw platform Steve Madden sandals. I had never seen anybody at Goodacre Academy wearing clothes like that. Brittany and Isabella would die if they saw me hanging out with somebody like Simone. I would have to get somebody to take a picture of us together before I left Grand Haven so I could show everyone back home I was friends with a TV star. I wasn’t sure Simone considered me her friend, but still, she had invited me over.
    “So guess what? Major news. Nick Jenkins e-mailed me about you,” she said.
    I sat down in a chair that was like a giant birdcage, and it swung out underneath me.
    “I hate those chairs,” she said as I almost fell out. “My mother has a thing for shabby chic. It’s so weird. Promise me you’ll never attempt to sit in that thing in front of Nick.”
    “Sorry, so what exactly did he say?” I asked. “Don’t leave anything out. Not even one word he uttered.”
    “He wanted to know how long you were staying in town and if you had a boyfriend and…wait for it…if you had asked about him.”
    “What did you say?” I leaned so far forward that I almost tipped out of the stupid chair again.
    “I played it totally cool. I said, ‘She might have asked. I can’t remember. I want to say she did ask about you, but it was such a crazy night.’ Then he asked if I’d bring you along the next time we all go out together.”
    “Seriously? Are you for real?” Is this when she was going to ask if I’d come to the party with her so we could all hang out together?
    “Yup. He said you were super funny and sweet and he definitely wanted to get to know you better. Do you want something to drink?” she asked.
    I hated diet soda, but Simone always drank it, so I said I wanted a diet vanilla soda. She came back with two bottles, and I moved to sit on her bed because I kept bumping my head on the birdcage chair. She kicked off her gorgeous sandals and motioned toward my sneakers.
    “I can’t stand wearing shoes in the summer,” she said.
    “Me neither. I, um…couldn’t find my sandals,” I said. “So…anyway, is Nick going to be at that party tomorrow?”
    “Oh yeah, he’ll definitely be there,” she said, and I held my breath as I waited for her to invite me to go with her.
    “So, is it still okay if I say I’m at your house tomorrow?” she asked, leaning forward. I could smell her lime-scented body lotion. I didn’t know what to say, so I nodded and she jumped up. “Great, let’s go get some ice cream.”
    As I followed her out the door, I felt defeated. Like I had gotten so close, but still wasn’t getting asked to hang out with the popular crowd. But Nick had asked about me, and that was something.
    Simone wanted to go to the ice cream place where all the high school guys hung out, but there was hardly anybody in there when we walked in. She ordered a waffle cone with cookie dough ice cream, which was my favorite flavor too.
    “Ew, there’s nobody good here,” she said, looking around for a table. She went back to the guy behind the counter. “Can I get this dipped in sprinkles?” she asked, leaning across the counter and smiling up at him.
    He dipped her cone and told her it was on the house even though the sign said it cost a dollar for sprinkles.
    “Can I get a cup of water?” I asked.
    “Yeah, but it’s a dollar-fifty,” he said.
    I gave him the money even though I didn’t see a price for teeny-tiny paper cups of water listed on the menu. Simone grabbed my arm and pulled me out of there.
    “Let’s go in here. They have the cutest accessories,” she said, walking into a boutique. “Look at these palm tree earrings. So cute and they have two pairs if you want one too.”
    I told her my ears weren’t pierced and she offered to pierce them for me.
    “All you need is an ice cube, a bunch of towels, and—”
    “It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll think about it.”
    “Whatever. I’m getting a pair for Lauren. Oh, let’s go