Twice As Nice by Lin Oliver Read Free Book Online Page A

time you have a chance to watch the sun set over the ocean, you should not miss it. I think that’s pretty good advice.
    I was glad for the heavy traffic because the roar of the cars whizzing by made it hard to talk or be heard. I was tired of talking. Sammie and I were never going to agree, and I was tired of her trying to convince me to love her friends. You can’t make yourself love people you don’t love.
    And speaking of love, when we crossed the street and pushed open the gate to the Sporty Forty, who should we find sitting on the deck but Spencer Ballard. Apart from being the cutest boy I know, with dimples the size of the Grand Canyon, he is also the only boy I’ve ever kissed. Okay, it was just one kiss one night on the beach. That was before everything blew up between me and the SF2s, and he’s kept some distance between us since then. He’s nice and polite and everything when he sees me, but he’s definitely acted awkward the few times we’ve been alone together since then. I can understand that he’s not sure how to act around me anymore. It just sucks.
    â€œHey,” he said when he saw us. “You guys always get home this late from school?”
    â€œOh, we were at a Truth Tellers meeting,” Sammie blurted out. I wanted to stuff a sock in her mouth.
    â€œSammie was at the meeting,” I hurried to explain. “I was just checking it out.”
    â€œI’m trying to get Charlie to join,” Sammie said. “She could use some better friends, if you know what I mean.”
    I thought Spencer would hate her saying that. But he just nodded and gave me one of those smiles where his dimples light up his face like stars in the sky.
    â€œThe group has been pretty rough on you,” he acknowledged. “I keep telling them they haven’t been fair, that they need to see things from your point of view, too.”
    If I hadn’t been so tongue-tied, I swear I would have asked him to marry me right there on the spot. I know twelve is too young to get married, but at least we could get engaged.
    â€œBut Lauren says that maybe you’re going to join some club she’s starting,” he added. “So that’s a good sign.”
    â€œThat’s what she thinks,” Sammie said. “Charlie and I have other ideas.” She seemed prepared to go on about it, but lucky for me, she was interrupted by GoGo yelling from the kitchen.
    â€œQuesadillas just out of the pan,” she called. “Any takers?”
    And before you could say s
alsa verde,
Sammie had dropped her backpack and dashed into the clubhouse.
    â€œSo what exactly did Lauren tell you?” I asked Spencer when she was out of sight.
    â€œOnly that she’s invited you back into the group. I said that would be cool. For me, at least.”
    I felt myself melting and it wasn’t from the sun. I looked down, trying to come up with just the right words to tell him that I had missed him. I didn’t want to be overly gushy like the Truth Tellers, but I didn’t want to be too distant and cool, either. As I turned some possible responses over in my mind, my dad came jogging off of the tennis court, a towel around his neck and his racket in his hand. It was so like him to pick the worst moment to show up on the scene.
    â€œSpencer,” he called out. “I just finished your mom’s lesson. She wants you to play a couple games with her. Apparently, I didn’t tucker her out enough.”
    â€œGuess I gotta go,” Spencer said with a shrug. “I’ll see you around, Charlie.”
    He stood up and walked off toward the tennis courts, looking all golden in the setting sun. My dad flopped down in his seat.
    â€œThanks a lot, Dad,” I said.
    â€œFor what?” he replied cluelessly. He popped the top off a bottle of Gatorade and dabbed his forehead with his towel. “Mrs. Ballard has a nice forehand. Nice level stroke. Actually, I