The Trouble with Dating Sue (Grover Beach Team #6) by Anna Katmore Read Free Book Online Page A

for being such a nice older brother? Because, yes, twenty minutes of a head start in life made all the difference.
    “Know what?” Ethan finally said as he parked in front of school. “I’ll tell you whether I kissed Susan if you give me your autographed Lakers ball.
    My basketball signed by Kobe Bryant? “Dream on, E.T.” Laughing, I climbed out of his car, slammed the door shut, and headed into the building. It was my holy treasure. I wouldn’t give that ball away for anything in the world.
    However, Ethan’s stubbornness left me no choice but to come up with another strategy. Two mornings in a row, I’d met Susan Miller in the same section of the school this week. Odds were she had first period close to my history class. With watchful eyes, I walked down the corridor, hoping to glimpse a girl with a honey-blond ponytail and glasses. But damn, she didn’t show up.
    Tyler and Rebecca caught up with me before I reached history, giving me an excuse to hover outside class a little longer. “So, are you and Lauren going out again today?” Rebecca asked as I kept sweeping the hallway with my gaze.
    “She’s coming to my place later,” I told her absently. I didn’t know if this counted as going out in Becky’s book, but from the grin on her face, it made her happy enough. A moment later, I mirrored that grin, yet for a totally different reason. “I need to talk to someone. See you guys later.” I darted away, following the red backpack that zigzagged through the crowd.
    Within a few seconds, I caught up with Susan Miller, matched her stride, and casually put my arm around her shoulders. “Hey, Sue.”
    She looked at me, and the first thing I noticed, apart from her surprised smile, was how perfectly she fit under my arm. She was a little smaller than Lauren, which made walking with her like this just…comfortable.
    Unfortunately, her delighted face crunched as fast as it had come, and her back went stiff. “And you are…?” she demanded with a wary edge to her voice.
    I rolled my eyes. “Chris.” When would she finally be able to tell us apart? It wasn’t that hard, really. I was the charismatic ladykiller, and Ethan was the…ah, whatever.
    “What do you want, Chris?” Sue snarled. She made every effort not to touch my hand more than necessary as she lifted it off her shoulder with only two fingers and dropped it behind her back.
    Seriously, this girl had the charm of an enemy tank.
    Suppressing an irritated groan, I slid in front of her, making her stop, and leaned against the row of lockers to my left. Little Miss Sunshine wouldn’t get away from me so fast. “I’m curious,” I said with a smirk and cocked my head. “Did you and Ethan kiss yesterday?”
    Obviously shocked by my bluntness, Sue opened and closed her mouth twice before any sound came out. “Keep your drool in, Spike,” she snapped eventually. “What happens between your brother and me isn’t any of your business.”
    That meant: No fricking kiss ! “I knew it,” I blurted, laughing out loud now. If they’d really been making out, she’d be eager to brag about it, especially in front of me, if only to make me leave her alone. Ethan had been serious when he’d told me he didn’t intend to mack on her all evening. “He didn’t have the guts.”
    That elated comment must have stabbed Little Miss Sunshine’s feelings, because she just stared at me with frank annoyance. Then she strode off, smacking her shoulder against mine, which certainly hurt her more than me.
    I turned around and shouted after her in my sweetest voice, “Have a nice day, little Sue.” Her retort was her middle finger high up in the air, which I deemed as enough attention to assume she was starting to take a shine to me.
    With a broad smile on my face, I went to history, and the grin didn’t vanish until the end of third period. Only when Lauren sank more gracefully than anyone into the chair next to mine before Spanish and scrutinized me with