Read Nothin But Net for Free Online Page A

girl Eagle, or would one of the boys step forward first, cross that dance floor with every eye in
     the place on him, and tap the girl of his choice on the shoulder?
    Don DeGeronimo was on his feet, being gently shoved forward by Tito, who wore a sneaky grin on his face. Don went straight
     across the gym floor, bopping to the music, looking molto casual, and sidled up to Rise Lawrence, a tall blond-haired girl
     with huge blue eyes. Donnie tapped her on the shoulder, and she put her hand to her chest as if to say, “Me?” Donnie nodded,
     she smiled, and the two of them walked out onto the floor together to dance.
    “Way to go, Donnie!” Brian Kelly said, high fiving the kids nearest him.
    Big shot, Tim said to himself. Let’s see you go ask somebody.
    Tim started checking out the girls to see whom he might ask. His eye rested on a girl with shiny black hair cascading down
     her back — a girl with twinkling dark eyes and a dazzling smile. He wondered what her name was — if she was one of the girls
     the boys had been talking about. Maybe she was new here, and he had as good a chance as anybody else.
    “Come on, you losers!” Tito was saying, goading them on. “What are you afraid of? A bunch of girls? Get out there and ask
     somebody to dance!”
    “How come they don’t have to ask us?” Merrick asked.
    “Quit squealing and get out there, Cue Ball,” Tito insisted, ignoring the question. But Tim
did
wish it was that way. Having to make the first move was hard. And after all, whose law was it that guys had to do the asking?
    “Well, Daniels?” Tito came up to him from behind. “Time’s a-wasting. Not scared, are you?”
    “Me? No way!” Tim said, feeling instantly terrified. He only wondered how Billy would react when Tito got to him. He glanced
     around to see where Billy was and found him cowering by the corner of the bleachers, a look of utter dread on his face.
    Tim launched himself across the floor, which was filling by now with couples dancing. He looked for the black-haired girl
     but didn’t see her. Where had she gone? He’d only turned his head away for a few seconds!
    There she was — on the dance floor, kickin’ it live with Mike Gruber. Argh! AAARGH!
    He knew this feeling — knew it from second grade, and then again in fifth, and yet again in sixth. He had a crush.
    He didn’t even know this girl’s name. He’d never even talked to her. He knew not one thing about her, except that her hair
     was black and her eyes were twinkly and her smile was, well, perfect. But the minute he’d seen her dancing with Mike Gruber,
     he knew.
    Suddenly he realized he was standing right next to a knot of girls who were waiting to get asked to dance. They were whispering
     to each other and giggling and checking out the boys out of the corners of their eyes. Tim was seized by a sudden resolve
     not to let anyone know what he was feeling. Not to let anyone know he had a crush on … whatever her name was.
    He stepped up to a cute, kind of chubby, freckle-faced girl and said, “Wanna dance?”
    “Sure,” she replied, smiling and showing a mouthful of braces. “I’m Wanda. What’s your name?”
    “Tim. Tim Daniels.”
    “Cute name!” she said, giggling as he took her hand and led her out onto the floor. They danced a little, and now and then,
     Tim snuck a look over at MikeGruber and his dancing partner. He tried to maneuver himself and Wanda closer to them, until they were close enough for him
     to wave at Mike and say hi.
    Mike grinned and gave him the high sign, as if to say, “Good work, pal, you picked a real winner.” Tim thought Wanda was okay
     for sure. But he couldn’t take his eyes off the black-haired girl. Except when she happened to catch him at it — or almost
     catch him. Tim wasn’t sure which, but either way, he looked away in a hurry. When he looked back, she was whispering to Mike
     and giggling, casting quick glances at him. Yep, he guessed she’d caught him staring.