Read More than Friends - Monica Murphy for Free Online Page A

sarcastically.
    Gritting my teeth, I set her yogurt cup on the scale, stick an orange spoon in it since orange is my least favorite of the plastic spoon colors available, and I punch in the price. She hands me a five and I hand back her change, telling her to have a nice day.
    For the first time since she walked in here, she actually meets my gaze and recognition dawns, the dollar bill and loose change spilling from her hand and landing on the counter. “Amanda Winters.”
    “Emily Griffith,” I return.
    “So. How’s Tuttle?” She smirks.
    “I wouldn’t know, considering I really don’t talk to him,” I say coolly, lying through my still gritted teeth.
    “Funny, I heard you two were sort of an item. But maybe that was only in your imagination?” She raises her brows.
    I imagine leaping over the counter and taking her down to the ground. Wrapping my fingers around her neck and choking her out, Blake cheering me on. I glance over at him, see the lust and adoration in his gaze as he stares at Em, and I know he’s a lost cause.
    “Funny, I heard you were passed around the locker room after the last home game. But maybe that was the truth?” I raise my brows just like she did.
    The flicker of hurt on her face, in her eyes, is there and then gone in a flash. She swipes her yogurt from the counter and stomps out of Yo Town, leaving her change behind on the counter.
    “Put it in the tip jar,” Blake suggests, completely unfazed. Did he not just hear the awful things we said to each other?
    A heavy sigh escapes me. I should’ve never said that to Em. It was mean and ugly and I sort of lost myself in the moment. Now I feel guilty as crap. “Go ahead. Do you mind if I take a break?”
    “Sure. You get fifteen minutes.”
    That’s just enough time to drown my sorrows in a giant cup of watermelon sorbet.

L ivvy jumps into my car the next morning, fully decked out in a PINK sweatshirt with matching leggings, her makeup perfect and her long, dark red hair pulled back into a high ponytail. She looks great.
    “I thought it was pajama day,” I say once she shuts the door and drops her backpack at her feet. Every day has a theme for homecoming week and I decided to have some spirit. Who wants to turn down the chance to wear pajamas all day?
    “It is.” She grins. “I wear this to sleep all the time.”
    “You do not.” Her outfit looks expensive and brand new. I’m lucky to snag a PINK shirt at a thrift shop, though there was that one time last Christmas when my grandma scored me one of those special holiday only T-shirts Victoria’s Secret puts out that’s more on the cheap side.
    “I do! Well, maybe not this exact outfit.” Her grin fades as she takes me in. “You look…”
    “Comfortable?” I offer hopefully. I’m wearing my favorite plaid flannel pajama bottoms I bought at our local Rite Aid because they’re in our school’s colors and a dark gray hoodie that’s covering an old T-shirt my brother gave me after he cleaned out his closet before he left for college. It’s soft and cozy, just like the hoodie, and I wear them all the time.
    “Definitely comfortable.” Livvy flashes me a bright smile. “You look cute. I like the braids.”
    I put my hair in two French braids because it was still wet from my shower and I didn’t feel like blow-drying it. “Thanks.” I chew on my lip, yesterday’s moment with Em still weighing heavy on my mind.
    “How was work?” Livvy asks as I pull my car onto the street and head for school.
    Taking a deep breath, I tell her everything. How awkward Blake and I were working together, how Em came into the store and I said awful things to her. When I finish, Livvy looks…
    Impressed?
    “I can’t believe you said that to her!” Liv shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “She sort of deserved it.”
    “I’ve never heard that rumor, though,” I stress. “I made it up. Just to hurt her.”
    Liv shrugs. “It might be true. You never know.”
    I’m sort of