The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles Read Free Book Online Page B

worried about.
    ‘Hey,’ Cody said, once the bell had gone and I was about to rush out for my meeting about the carnival.
    ‘Yeah?’ I said.
    ‘Call me.’ He winked, laughing.
    I smiled. ‘Bye, Cody.’
    I arrived at the meeting at the same time as Lee. ‘Hey, you’ll never guess what just happened in my chemistry class.’
    ‘You got asked on a date?’
    My grin fell away into a pout. ‘How’d you know?’
    ‘Dixon texted me. He said there was someone risking their neck. Cody, right?’
    ‘Yeah,’ I said with a big smile. ‘Can’t you be more excited for me, Lee?’ I pushed at his arm playfully. ‘I’ve got a date! Can’t you be happy for me?’
    Lee laughed. ‘I am, Shelly!’ He gave me a hug, but that might’ve been just to stop me bouncing about excitedly. ‘Cody’s a nice guy. I’m just wondering what my brother will say when someone tells him about it.’
    I laughed. ‘Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.’
    ‘If you say so . . .’
    ‘So, Lee and Elle,’ said Tyrone, head of the school council, calling the meeting to order with a simple clap of his big hands. He sat at the head of the table, with Gen next to him, pen and paper ready to take minutes. She took her role as the school council’s secretary very seriously. Everybody looked up at Tyrone, falling silent instantly. ‘I hear you’ve finally got a booth.’
    ‘Yup,’ we said unanimously.
    ‘A kissing booth.’
    ‘Uh-huh,’ we chorused.
    He gave us a wary look. ‘Don’t you think that’s a bit . . . a bit risky?’
    ‘What? How is it risky? So we just say you can’t come to the kissing booth if you’ve got a head cold. No big deal.’
    ‘No, I mean . . . Well, don’t you think it’s a bit seedy?’ he said. ‘Some people aren’t too happy about it—’
    ‘But we started the banner!’ Lee cried angrily. ‘We have kissers to do the kissing booth! Everyone loves the idea!’
    ‘Tyrone,’ I said calmly, elbowing Lee sharply. ‘Nobody’s going to see it that way. Plus, loads of carnivals have a kissing booth. We can always set up a couple of rules. Kind of like height restrictions on a rollercoaster. We can set an age limit if that’s what you’re worried about.’
    ‘It’s a couple of the teachers who’re not happy with it,’ he said. ‘I think it’s a great
idea
. I’m just not entirely sure about it . . .’
    ‘It’ll be fine,’ I promised him, flashing a big grin.
    ‘Well, if you’ve got it all sorted out, you really need to get working on your booth. The carnival’s next Saturday. It must all be ready by next Friday.’
    ‘Yeah, we know. It’ll be ready,’ Lee said.
    ‘Awesome. Moving on – Kaitlin, do you have the number for the cotton candy company with you?’
    ‘Remind me to ask your brother if he’ll stop by the booth,’ I whispered to Lee. ‘The girls haven’t stopped going on and on and on at me about it.’
    ‘You know he’ll say no.’
    ‘Yeah, but I have to ask anyway.’
    ‘What did I tell you Shelly?’ Lee smiled, flicking my nose, and making me scrunch up my face. ‘You’re just too nice.’
    Lee had to go run to the grocery store and pick up a couple of things for his mom, so he dropped me outside his house since we were going to work on a playlist of songs for the kissing booth. I was planning to get a head start on finding some love songs, so I headed on inside.
    The door was already unlocked; I saw Noah’s car, the one he’d fixed up himself, on the driveway.
    ‘Mom said you need to get some more milk – we’re all out,’ I heard him call.
    ‘He’s already gone,’ I called back. ‘It’s me.’
    I walked into the kitchen just as Noah was heading out of it – straight into me; he spilled a glass of water all down my top. It didn’t help that it was ice cold, and I gasped, jumping back a mile.
    ‘Noah!’ I yelled, plucking at my top. My blouse was plastered to my skin, and it probably didn’t help that I’d worn a pink bra today since all