Rachel's Valentine Crush by Angela Darling Read Free Book Online

later.”
    â€œBut Archer is the most boring place in the world. Nothing exciting ever happens here . . . until now  . . . and I want to enjoy it! And you should too!” Taylor replied. “Here, let me play with your hair. It would look so awesomewith a purple streak in the front, especially if you pull it back. We could use that temporary hair spray stuff. But would your dad let you do that? Or I guess maybe we should figure out what to wear first? I think we should both wear red for Valentine’s Day. You have a red tunic in your closet somewhere, right . . . ?”
    Rachel grinned in spite of herself and watched as her best friend started rummaging through her closet. Taylor’s enthusiasm was contagious, as usual. Rachel knew that convincing her dad to let her go to the dance—if it actually happened—wasn’t going to be easy. But she vowed to herself right then and there that, no matter what, she’d figure out a way to make her dad let her go.

chapter 5
    TAYLOR HAD AN ORTHODONTIST APPOINTMENT the next morning, so Rachel didn’t see her best friend until lunchtime.
    â€œTold you so! Told you so! Told you so!” Taylor cried as she patted the chair next to her. She always sounded a little different after she got her braces tightened. “Here, I saved you a seat. So? Are you excited now?”
    â€œExcited?” Rachel repeated. She pretended to look confused. “About what? Oh, the dance?”
    Taylor’s eyes grew wide. “Of course about the dance!” she said. “Don’t tell me that you forgot about it. I was sure you’d be flipping out—”
    â€œI’m just messing with you,” Rachel interrupted, grinning at Taylor.
    â€œSo the craziest thing happened in science today,” Taylor said. “Brian asked Emily to go to the dance withhim! I thought I was going to fall off my chair! And then, like, ten minutes later, Colin asked Samantha.”
    â€œIn my English class, Lauren asked Henry,” Rachel said.
    Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “ Lauren and Henry !” she exclaimed. “I never would have guessed. That’s crazy.”
    â€œIt’s kind of weird, huh?” Rachel asked. “I mean, usually nobody even goes to the dances at school. And now, all of a sudden, everybody wants to go. And with a date, too! That never happens.”
    â€œWhat never happens?” the girls’ friend Shane Allen asked as he sat down across from them.
    â€œHey, Shane,” Taylor said. “We were just talking about the Valentine’s dance.”
    Shane rolled his eyes a little. “Yeah, you and the rest of the school,” he said.
    â€œI know, right?” Rachel exclaimed. “It’s weird, huh? And now all these people are going together—like as a date!”
    â€œYup,” Shane said through a mouthful of spaghetti. He paused for a minute to finish chewing. “Totally weird. I don’t know—I hope some people go by themselves. It would be really awkward to be the only person there without a date.”
    â€œ Totally awkward,” Rachel repeated emphatically. She started wondering (again) if anyone would ask her to the dance. She kind of hoped not. After all, if Brody was going to be there—and if, by some crazy long shot, he actually liked her—then Rachel didn’t want to be stuck with a date. Just since homeroom, she had imagined the dance about a hundred times. The gym will be dim, with little twinkly lights everywhere. Maybe I’ll be standing off to the side with Taylor, and then suddenly I’ll see Brody walking toward me. But I won’t be sure, and I won’t want to stare at him, but every time I glance that way—there he is. With that smile that reaches all the way to his eyes, and he’s going to be looking right at me, and then he’ll say, “Rachel, do you want to dance?” And instead of