Split Decision by Belle Payton Read Free Book Online

a software engineer and moved into his own apartment. Uncle Scott was starting a community garden,and he’d proudly brought them all to volunteer at a composting plant, which had been kind of cool, but also smelly and disgusting! Even Ava and Tommy thought so. Alex could see why her mom had encouraged them to visit while she was away.
    She wondered if Corey had missed her. Had he even known she was away? He must have, she thought.
    â€œHi!” she called brightly as she approached their lunch table. She flipped her hair to the side the way girls on TV did. Her dark curls looked particularly shiny today, especially against her pale-pink shirt.
    â€œHey!” Emily called. Lindsey and Rosa greeted her too.
    Alex tried to lock eyes with Corey, but his gaze stayed fixed on the block of mac-and-cheese on his tray. Kal sat next to Corey, but he pushed down, making room for Alex. She liked that everyone already thought of them as a couple.
    Corey and Alex. Alex and Corey. Their names sounded so good together.
    â€œHow was your weekend?” she asked him, pulling a blueberry yogurt from her brown paper bag.
    Corey shrugged.
    Alex began to tell him about Eagle Ridge. How Uncle Scott had taken them on a long hike and showed them how to make a meal from weeds and wild berries. It had actually been pretty good.
    After a few minutes, Alex realized that Corey hadn’t said one word. Was she rambling? She had a tendency to do that. “Sorry I’m being really verbose today,” she said.
    â€œWhat?” Corey asked. “What does that mean?”
    â€œYou speak like you’re in college, Alex!” Rosa said with a slight giggle.
    â€œNo, I don’t,” Alex protested.
    â€œIt’s not a bad thing. Really.” Emily had seen her panicked expression.
    â€œWe’re probably too immature for you to hang with,” Corey said in an oddly flat voice.
    â€œNo way! Come on!” She elbowed him playfully. “Hey, how’s this for mature?” She balanced her plastic spoon on the tip of her nose. “Ta-da!”
    â€œLet me try!” Kal said. Rosa and Emily tried too. Soon they were all laughing and snapping spoon-nose photos. Everyone except Corey. Instead he silently stabbed holes in his congealed pasta with his fork.
    â€œAre you okay? Is something wrong?” Alex asked quietly.
    â€œFine.” He wouldn’t look at her.
    Alex wasn’t sure what to do. Corey was obviously having a bad day. For a few minutes, she ate her yogurt in perplexed silence and listened to the conversation swirl around them. Then she decided to try again.
    â€œDid you see the Ashland Times ?” When he didn’t answer, Alex continued. “They reviewed Escape from Dark Woods . They said it was pee-in-your-pants scary.”
    As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. Peeing in your pants was not a very romantic image.
    â€œI mean, not that I’m going to—or you—or any of us, really.” Alex’s stomach twisted, as if it were being squeezed. Why was Corey just sitting there, staring at his tray? He always joked around with her. That was one of the things she liked most about him.
    She left him alone. Sometimes when she was in a bad mood, she just wanted to be in a bad mood and didn’t want Ava trying to cheer her up. Instead she talked to Emily about the English test. The bell finally rang, and Alex hurried tothe trash can so she could walk out with Emily. She was dying to see what her friend thought of Corey’s moodiness.
    â€œAlex.” Corey appeared next to her.
    â€œHi.” She grinned. He had snapped out of it already.
    â€œI can’t go to the movies on Friday.”
    â€œOkay,” Alex said, relieved they were talking again. “Maybe Saturday then? Or I bet we could move it all to next week.”
    â€œUm . . .” He stared at his sneakers. “That won’t work.”
    â€œThe movies? We can do