Romance of the Snob Squad by Julie Anne Peters Read Free Book Online Page A

the times are tough?” I asked.
    She reached over and squeezed my knee. “They are, in the beginning. But once you change your habits…” Minnette let go and leaned back in her seat. “I don’t need to tell you this stuff, Jenny. You know what it takes to lose weight.”
    “Yeah, eat right and exercise.” I rolled my eyes.
    “No!” She lunged at me. “It takes a passion. A need. A desire to change. A burning desire. Right here.” She jabbed a fist in my middle.
    My stomach muscles clenched. The only thing I had a burning desire for right now was a big fat jelly doughnut.
    Minnette stood up. She grabbed a stack of folders off the desk and bounded toward the door. “I’d like to see you again, Jenny, but I won’t make an appointment. It’s Dr. Sid’s feeling that this is something you want. I’m here for help and support. But I can’t do this for you. Neither can Dr. Sid, or your parents, or anyone else. You have to do this for yourself.” She opened the door. “So, call me when you’re ready.”
    She left me there alone. All alone. And miserable. In the glass of the framed diploma on the opposite wall, my reflection blinked back. A tear slid down my cheek. You’re a real glamour puss, the reflection said.
    “Shut up,” I shot back. “And show me where the Kleenex is.”

Chapter 10
    T hey called themselves the Cyber Stars. Ashley, Melanie, and our two true loves. Two of them were stars. The other two were black holes in cyberspace. Ashley had this thing about always coming up with a team name. She said it promoted teamwork. Baloney. She just wanted to pass on the blame to her teammates if anything went wrong.
    On Monday Lydia, Max, Prairie, and I sort of moseyed over to the PC’s to sort of spy on the Cyber Stars. Discreet like.
    “Mr. Biekmund, the Blob Squad is spying on us,” Ashley hollered across the room.
    “That’s Snob Squad to you,” Lydia said.
    “Huh?” Ashley cupped an ear. “The Slob Squad?”
    Max raised a fist to silence Ashley forever, but I held her back. We didn’t need to get busted for breaking Ashley’s braces or anything. Ashley could get us suspended just for invading her space.
    “Why aren’t you girls working on your project?” Mr. Biekmund said.
    I answered, “Because you won’t let us bring the ra—uh, the project to school. And we already finished the write-up. Right, Lydia?”
    “Uh, right,” she lied. “As much as we have. So we wanted to play computer games. But the
Cyborg
Stars,” she said in a singsong, “are always hogging the PC’s.” Lydia sneered at Ashley.
    Melanie turned around. “We need both of the computers, Mr. Biekmund. Part of our project is networking the two machines together. Right, Kevin?”
    “Yeah,” he mumbled. “It’s a communications project.” He looked right at me. Or through me, though I didn’t know how that was possible.
    I swooned anyway. Hook
all
the computers together, I thought. I’ll drag them over to your house.
    The Beak Man pulled out his rank hankie. “I don’t think playing computer games is appropriate while everyone else is working on their projects. Do you?”
    We just stared at him dumbly.
    Lydia was about to protest when the air grew odiferous. I knew that stench. Everyone at school knew that stench and what followed it. Mr. Krupps’s Old Spice and him, in that order. “Good afternoon, Mr. Biekmund. Class.” He faked a smile.
    Everyone dummied up.
    “How are we coming along with our science fair entries?”
    “Fine. Great,” Mr. Biekmund answered. He slid us a sidelong glance, the classic evil eye, and we shuffled back to our desks to act busy.
    “I thought I’d come by and have a look-see.”
    Behind me I heard Ashley moan. Even though she was the principal’s daughter (and used her position to full unfair advantage), there were times I know she hated it. I mean, I would. Always having your father around, spying on you?
    Mr. Krupps stopped at the first table and asked to see their