Truth or Dare by Barbara Dee Read Free Book Online Page B

Ever.”
    Aunt Shelby stopped cleaning. She took a breath. She sipped her tea. Then she rested her elbows on the counter and said, “All right, buttercup. You want the truth?”
    I nodded.
    â€œThen here it is. Yazmin came to me for a summer job, so I asked her to keep an eye on you. Not spy.”
    â€œWhat’s the difference?”
    â€œOh, a big one, Lia. You were by yourself on the beach all day long. You don’t have a cell phone, right? So you couldn’t even call me in an emergency! I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
    â€œI’m not a baby!”
    â€œRight. And that’s exactly why I wanted her to keep an eye on you.”
    â€œHuh? That doesn’t make any—”
    â€œSweetheart, there are teenage boys on the beach. Haven’t you noticed?”
    My face burned. “Of course I’ve noticed! You think I wouldn’t even—”
    â€œAnd I don’t trust teenage boys.”
    â€œYou don’t trust me .”
    â€œLia, it’s not about you.” She sighed. “I owe it to your mom—”
    â€œTo hire a spy? ”
    â€œI wish you’d stop using that word.”
    â€œWhy? Because it’s true?”
    The conversation went on like this, around and around, like a no-fun Ferris wheel. It finally ended when the shop closed for the day and Aunt Shelby drove Demon Spawn three towns over to the all-night animal hospital.
    The next morning, when I got up, she’d already left for work.
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    The third thing that happened: A couple of nights after the Spy Incident, Aunt Shelby announced that she’d invited one of her “good friends” over for dinner. (“Don’t worry, it’s not Yazmin,” she said. “I’m not worried,” I muttered, because I was still mad at my aunt.) But my stomach was squirming anyway: Had she invited Winnie and her schnauzer? Were we going to discuss my boobless situation over lasagna? Debate the topic “Padding: Good or Incredibly Fake and Evil?”
    Or even worse: Were they going to make me runway-model the five bras for them, so they could offer comments ? (“Better? Or worse?”) If so, I’d rather the “good friend”was Yazmin. The worst she’d do was get me to discuss my social life.
    That night I wore one of Nate’s old Maplebrook High School tees. He’d outgrown it, so I’d swiped it; on me it was enormous, which meant my chest wouldn’t be available for Winnie’s commentary.
    Aunt Shelby frowned as I set the table. I guessed she thought I looked grungy in Nate’s tee, and I knew I did, but she didn’t say anything, and I didn’t care. So what if I embarrassed her, I told myself. After the spying business, she deserved it.
    At six fifteen there was a knock on the door.
    â€œWould you get that, Lia?” Aunt Shelby called from the kitchen. I opened the door.
    It was a smiling blond woman in a sleeveless blue dress. She had one of those mom-ponytails like the kind Val had, and she was holding a gloppy homemade-looking pie that was probably blueberry.
    Just behind her, wearing a plaid shirt over a faded tee, was Tanner.
    My heart boinged.
    â€œCome in, come in,” Aunt Shelby squealed behind me. “This is my darling niece, Lia. Lia, I want you to meet my good friend Caroline Clayborne, and I think you’ve already met her son, Tanner.”
    Tanner smiled. His teeth were very white, or maybe they just looked that way compared to his ridiculously tan skin. And his features were perfectly lined up, everything straight and parallel, like his face was drawn on graph paper.
    â€œWe’ve met?” he asked me, looking confused but still smiling.
    My face burst into blushes. “Like, a few weeks ago. At the beginning of summer, I think. You threw your Frisbee at me. By mistake.”
    â€œI did? Well, sorry.”
    â€œYou already