Signs of Love: Stupid Cupid by Melody James Read Free Book Online Page A

wonder if he’s remembered my name?’ Before I know it, Savannah is trying to drag me towards the group of girls.
    I yank her back.
    ‘What?’ She stares at me.
    ‘I’ve been reading an article,’ I lie quickly. I’ve got to do something before she makes a total idiot of herself by throwing herself at LJ in front of an audience.
‘It says boys are more likely to fall for girls who are a challenge.’
    ‘Are you saying I’m easy?’ Savannah puts her hands on her hips.
    ‘No!’ I backtrack. ‘I’m just saying, play it cool.’
    ‘Since when did you give relationship advice?’
    ‘Like I said, I read it in an article.’ I grab a statistic from the air. ‘Eighty-four percent of all relationships start with an insult.’
    Savannah narrows her eyes. ‘Really?’
    I’ve got her hooked. ‘Yes. Just be rude, act aloof, as though he’s the last boy in the world you’d bother with.’
    ‘And that will get him interested in me?’ She sounds unconvinced.
    ‘He’ll be so hot for you, you’ll have to wear oven gloves.’ I smile in what I hope is a convincing way.
    While Savannah digests, the first bell rings. LJ recovers his six-pack and his fan club begins to drift schoolward.
    Savannah hoists her bag on to her shoulder and heads towards the front entrance, sweeping past LJ with impressive indifference.
    ‘Hey!’ he calls as her bag buffets him.
    She turns, frowning. ‘Are you talking to me?’ I never knew Savannah could sound so cold. She’s Dr Freeze.
    LJ looks confused, like a dog expecting a biscuit and getting a worm pill. ‘You’re climate-zone girl, aren’t you?’
    Savannah tips her head, not missing a beat. ‘As far as you’re concerned, I’m the Arctic.’
    Wow . I watch her walk away, glowing with pride. Then I see LJ’s eyes spark into life. No! For the first time, those dark brown pools have snapped into focus. He looks
interested. A small smile curls his lips as he watches Savannah skip up the school steps.
    What have I done?
    I race after Savannah, catching up at the top of the stairs. I try to block her view, but it’s too late. She’s staring back across the yard, her gaze locked with LJ’s.
    She breaks it off. ‘Oh, Gem! You’re a genius! Did you see him staring at me. I’ve really got his attention now.’ She’s overjoyed.
    I’m gutted. Another plan backfired. I’m the opposite of genius.
    Then I spot Jeff and Treacle wandering arm in arm across the fast-emptying playground. They’re gazing sappily into each other’s eyes, meandering like drunks over the tarmac.
    Maybe there’s hope. After all, I got it right with Jeff and Treacle. Perhaps, in the end, I’ll do the same for Savannah and Marcus.

    ‘Turn it down a bit!’ I yell over the racket of Ben’s Xbox.
    Ben flashes me a death-glare but lowers the volume.
    Once Sonic the Hedgehog isn’t making the ornaments rattle, I try again. ‘Will’s going to make it as hard for me as he can, I just know it.’
    ‘Don’t let him bully you.’ Treacle’s slouching on the armchair opposite, pulling a post-pizza muffin apart and filling her cheeks. She’s come round to help me
babysit Ben while Mum and Dad are feasting at the local gastropub. Not that I need help. I’m a world-expert on Ben. I know that in exchange for forty minutes uninterrupted Xbox he’ll
give in gracefully to physio, meds and bedtime. Especially if I airplane him from Xbox to physio-table to bed, while he machine-guns invisible aliens.
    I check my watch. Thirty minutes of Xboxing to go. ‘I’m not so worried about him bossing me about,’ I confess. ‘I’m worried he won’t let me work on the
article at all. When Mr Harris told him he had to let me help, I thought he was going to strangle Cindy, then beat me to death with her cold, dead body.’
    Treacle laughs, spraying a mouthful of muffin crumbs. ‘I can see why you want to be a journalist,’ she says, dabbing up the mess. ‘You do have tendency to thrive on
drama.’
    I ignore