Read My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters for Free Online

one said anything as we climbed up the hill. At times it seemed like we would tip over backward. The whole experience made me woozy: the loud music, his hand near my knee, his deep voice, the steep hill. But I didn't want it to end.
    "It's getting kind of wild up here," Tyler said as we climbed out of the Jeep. "You ladies be careful."
    "Thanks," I said.
    "Anytime, Jory." He winked. He
winked.
He said my name and he winked (at me!) before turning the Jeep around and heading back down the hill.
    We could feel the bonfire's heat from where we stood. Dave Richards got up and screamed, "Cheers!" Everyone, including Hannah, yelled back, "Cheers!" Dave chugged a beer, crushed the can, and tossed it into the fire. Loud indie electronic music played from speakers in a shiny graduation-present truck. No license plate yet.
    "Why did I let you talk me into this?" Megan drew her long brown ponytail into a bun.
    "Because you're still a teenager." Hannah reached up and pulled Megan's ponytail out of the bun. "Come on, let your hair down."
    "You're such a hippie." Megan shook out her hair.
    Hannah pushed a hunk of stiff-looking hair behind her ear and ran her tongue across her teeth; Megan had absolutely freaked when Hannah started flossing her teeth in Bugsy. Hazard of having a dentist daddy: Hannah had major dental-hygiene issues.
    "Hanegan!" Dave Richards noticed us. "I mean, Han. No, Meg. Hanegan!" He started laughing. He was pretty wasted, as usual. Megan stepped away from him as he tried to put his arm around her. He stumbled into Hannah, who stumbled into me. Next thing I knew, we were all on the ground.
    "Get off me. Yuck!" Hannah shoved Dave off her so that he fell on me. He smelled like a drunk ashtray.
    Suddenly, a big, warm hand pulled me off the ground. Zane Zimmerman smiled at me. His blond hair flopped over one eye. So cute!
    "Sorry about Dave," he said.
    "No biggie." I looked down at the blue stripe on Zane's high-tops and at the bulge of his calf muscle.
    He reached over and touched my hair. "Stick." He showed me the twig he'd pulled out. Great. Tyler was going to come back and I'd look like I'd been rolling around in the dirt with the whole basketball team. Well, the starting forward, anyway.
    I shook my hair as Zane smiled his lazy smile. "See ya, Jory." He squeezed my shoulder and walked back over to a group of just-graduated ex-seniors.
    "Ooh, Jessica Milton is totally giving you the evil eye," Hannah said.
    "So," Megan said. "Do we go hang out with the potheads, get drunk with the basketball team, or—"
    "Meg." Hannah pouted. "We're going to have fun."
    Right then Rachael Beal stumbled toward us holding out a small silver flask. "Want some? I stole it from my mom." She laughed, but it sounded like she was trying too hard. "Crème de menthe. It'll make your breath smell good. Just in case." She made a kissing sound.
    "No, thanks." Megan turned around and pulled Hannah with her.
    "I'll try some." I tilted the flask into my mouth. It tasted minty at first, but I gagged as liquid fire scorched my throat. "It tastes a lot better on ice cream." I coughed.
    "You gotta sip it." Rachael took a big swig.
    I took a few more tiny sips. It wasn't so bad. My face felt warm, but I didn't feel any better about talking to Tyler, rolling around on the ground with Dave Richards, not looking Zane in the eye, or the fact that we were standing close enough to the fire that my Super Schnozz was probably emerging from my enhancing makeup like some mythical beast.
    "Tyler!" Rachael yelled. I hadn't noticed Tyler getting out of his Jeep. Rachael ran up and flung her arms around his neck. He patted her back but looked over her head. At me? I drew my hair over one shoulder and tried to look alluring in the firelight, but Tyler only nodded at me as he joined a group of new and ex-seniors passing a bong around.
    Megan appeared next to me like a sudden conscience. "One bad choice is enough for tonight."
    "I don't have to try the drugs or