Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend by Becca Ann Read Free Book Online

squeezing like she hasn’t hugged another human being her whole life and she’s been dying to.
    She’s never touched me like this. Always been those playful touches that didn’t mean anythin’. And I’m tryin’ to feel somethin’ about this that makes it feel different than any other time she’s touched me, but I can’t even hug her back before she jumps away. Her face looks as hot as mine feels.
    “Um, thanks again, Bro.”
    “Uh…” Think Brody. Find words to say . “Y-your welcome.”
    A sigh of relief explodes from her lips before they upturn into a smile. “Okay, well, I ’ve got to head home. Thanks for listening.”
    “Uh huh.”
    She goes out the door, and I should’ve followed her. Should’ve walked her outside to her car. But I’m frozen in place. Not sure what to think about what just happened. ‘Cause if I’m bein’ honest, it wasn’t as big a deal as I thought it would be.
     
    “So…?” Hayley asks, falling in step with me as we walk down the hallway.
    I shrug, still stunned about the unexpected hug. The hug that should’ve felt d ifferent, but didn’t. Where did it come from anyway? I didn’t do anything really.
    “Come on. Tell me. It couldn’t have been that bad.”
    “It wasn’t bad.” I scratch the back of my neck. “Just surprising.” And weird.
    Hayley stops and yanks my arm back. “Explain,” she says with a wide smile on her face.
    “Later,” I whisper, leaning in and pointing to all the surrounding people.
    She nods and zips her lips, but it doesn’t wipe away the smile. My stomach twists a little bit.
    “Library today?” she asks.
    “How about now? Or do you have to go home first?” Why am I so anxious? I guess I could wait to talk to her about it, but in all honesty, I kind of want to spend time with her. She knows how to relax a situation. And everything in my system is so tense, I’m goin’ to need someone to calm me down.
    “I just want to drop off my bag. That okay?”
    “Sure, I’m parked out this way.” I gesture to the doors down the hall.
    When we get to the Corsica, I open the door for her before getting behind the wheel. She’s bouncing up and down in the seat.
    “Tell me now!”
    I laugh and shake my head as I start the car. “It’s really nothing, Hayles.” It’s out before I realize I said it—a nickname. But it fits her. If she’s not going to say anything about it, that’s what I’m goin’ to call her.
    “Nothing, really?” She cocks an eyebrow. “You look like you swallowed a gallon of way hot coffee.”
    Hayles it is, I guess. “I just talked to her. She was upset about my brother. I know, I know, I wasn’t supposed to talk about him, but she brought him up.”
    “Okay…” She keeps leaning toward me. Dude, she smells real good. I think all girls do. Must be something in their genetic make-up.
    “And she hugged me.”
    She smiles. A big huge one that stretches across her entire face. It’s her smile, I’m realizin’. “Has she ever hugged you before?”
    I shake my head. “Not like that, no.”
    “EEEP!”
    Her exclamation makes me jump in my seat. “You okay there?” I laugh.
    “Oh my flying monkeys, this is real good. Small things bring big results. You must’ve said some serious cheesy crap to make her hug you the way she did. Not that I’m surprised of course.”
    She talks so fast my mind has to catch up with her.
    “Okay, first off… flying monkeys?” I laugh , and she grimaces. “And second, you think it’s ‘cause I spewed a bunch of sonnets or something?”
    She giggles and rolls her eyes. “No. I’m saying you were probably very comforting. So comforting she let her guard down, even if it was just for a second.” She pauses as I pull in her driveway. “I told you, you’re closer than you think, with her.”
    Yeah , I guess I am. Either that or Quynn was giving me a ‘friend’ hug. Maybe that’s why it didn’t feel like more. But I don’t want to think about it that way. It