Strictly Friends? by Jo Cotterill Read Free Book Online Page A

she said, ‘I don’t think I’m really wanted here.’
    Danny looked around in astonishment. ‘What are you talking about?’ His expression cleared. ‘Oh, you mean the girls? Don’t take any notice of them.’ Megan thought this was a bit unkind, seeing as they were both within earshot. The Thai-looking girl’s lips tightened. Danny laughed. ‘They’re just jealous because I won’t let them have a go on my board.’
    â€˜Who’d want to?’ the blonde girl flashed back.
    Danny grinned. ‘That’s Samantha. She’s my sister, so she has to hate everything I do.’
    His sister!
Megan automatically felt relieved. Samantha was far more glamorous than she was. But if she was Danny’s sister, then at least she wasn’t his girlfriend . . . Her gaze swept over to the dark-eyed girl.
    â€˜That’s Jasmine,’ said Danny dismissively. ‘She hangs around with us.’
    Jasmine drooped slightly at Danny’s words, as though disappointed by what he’d said.
    â€˜Go on.’ Danny’s pale gaze fastened on Megan again. ‘Have another go. Really.’
    Why is he being so nice to me when the others don’t want me around?
Megan wondered. She felt strangely flattered. Danny had actually noticed her over the past week! And he’d obviously forgiven her for knocking into him. ‘How long have you been skateboarding?’ she asked, as she stepped back onto the board.
    Danny shrugged and looked at Paul. ‘Years,’ he said.
    Paul nodded in agreement. ‘I’ve had six boards altogether.’
    â€˜Six!’ Megan stared at him. ‘Why?’
    â€˜Some got broken,’ said Danny, with a grin. Paul grinned too, as though it were all a big joke. ‘But it’s like buying anything. The more you spend, the better the deck. I’m saving up for new Alien Workshop wheels.’
    This went completely over Megan’s head. ‘Just the wheels?’
    â€˜Sure,’ said Danny. ‘You buy everything separately and then build it yourself.’
    â€˜You mean it doesn’t come like this?’ asked Megan, staring down at the black and white graphic design under her feet. ‘You have to put it together yourself? Like a – a bookshelf?’
    Paul frowned, but Danny laughed. ‘Yeah, like abookshelf.’ He seemed to find this very funny. ‘A bookshelf! You can’t skate on a bookshelf.’
    â€˜Bet you could,’ Paul broke in. ‘You could slide along the spine.’
    Danny swung round, his eyes alight. ‘We haven’t done a bookshelf before. There’s a house down my road that’s got a skip outside. Bet they’re throwing out a bookshelf.’
    Megan looked from one to the other, bewildered. These boys were on another planet! Samantha yawned loudly. ‘Are you going to do any more tricks, or are you just going to stand around and chat?’ she asked in a bored voice. ‘Because we need to go to the club and get it sorted.’
    â€˜Yeah,’ said Jasmine, who was biting her nails. ‘Me too.’
    Samantha rolled her eyes. She turned to Megan. ‘You going tonight?’
    â€˜Going to what?’ asked Megan.
    â€˜The youth club thing, of course,’ said Samantha. ‘Didn’t you know about it?’
    Megan tried to think. ‘A poster at the arts centre?’ she hazarded. ‘Something for charity?’
    Samantha nodded and flicked her shiny hair over her shoulder. ‘I’m on the committee.’
    Megan was surprised. Samantha didn’t look likethe sort of girl who’d want to bother herself with committees. ‘Oh, right. Sorry, no, don’t think I can make it.’ If it had been Mari asking, Megan would have been there like a shot. But something about Samantha made her feel uncomfortable. And a whole youth club of people she didn’t know . . . Megan wasn’t sure she was