Read This Is So Not Happening for Free Online

ready to heave.
    “Hey,” I said.
    I wiped my palms over and over on the towel. They were sweating like crazy.
    “Um, Jake? Can I talk to you for a second?” Chloe asked.
    Her eyes kept darting around. From me to Ally to Ally’s dad to the loud-ass losers by the window. She looked like she wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. From the corner of my eye I saw Mr. Ryan head back to his office. Once the door was closed, I found my voice.
    “What’s up?” I asked.
    Chloe shot Ally a look. “Alone?”
    My teeth clicked together. “Ally knows everything. We can talk here.”
    Chloe touched her face, then her elbow, then her stomach. It was like she was uncomfortable in her own skin. Finally she let out a sigh.
    “Fine. Okay. I was just wondering … I have a doctor’s appointment this Friday at five.” Her voice was so quiet I could barely hear her over the gurgling cappuccino machine behind me. “Would you come with me? Please? I don’t want to go alone.”
    I felt like somebody had just flipped on one of those bright police spotlights right in my face. “Why?”
    Ally’s eyes kind of bugged out. Chloe looked like she was about to cry. What? That wasn’t a valid question?
    “Sorry. I just … I have practice, so …”
    Ally looked away. She went digging in her bag like a raccoon in a garbage can. Okay. Clearly I was doing something wrong here.
    “You can leave practice a few minutes early, right?” Chloe said. “I just … don’t think I can do this by myself and no one else knows, so …”
    My stomach felt hollow. And even though this was about the last thing on the face of the earth I ever wanted to do, I couldn’t say no. Not with Chloe looking so scared and sad.
    “Um, okay,” I said. “Sure.”
    “Thanks.” Chloe put her keys down on the counter and pushed her hair back from her face with both hands. She sat down next to Ally and sort of slumped. Ally automatically put her hands up to steady her.
    “Are you okay?” Ally asked.
    “Yeah, I just … I need something to eat,” she said. “I get hungry and two seconds later, I get dizzy.” She looked at me. “Can I have a muffin or something?”
    “Yeah.” I rushed to get one for her, snatching it out of the pastry case with the metal tongs and dropping it in front of her like a grenade. Chloe picked one of the crumbs off the top and placed it carefully on her tongue. She chewed it so slowly you’d think I’d fed her snails.
    Ally and I stared at each other. I could tell she wanted me to say something, but what? I was so sure I’d say the wrong thing—kind of like I just had when she asked me to go to the doctor—that panic started to rise up inside my chest, blocking everything else out. Ally finally saved my ass.
    “How are you … I mean, have you been feeling okay?” Ally asked her.
    I felt this warm rush, guilty that I hadn’t been the one to ask, and grateful that Ally was being so cool. I clicked the tongs together at my side over and over again.
    “Yeah. Just the dizziness,” Chloe said, slowly putting another crumb in her mouth. “And I’m nauseous in the mornings, until I eat.”
    She reached for her bag and took out her wallet.
    “What are you doing?” I asked.
    “Paying for the muffin.”
    “No. It’s fine. It’s on me,” I told her.
    Ally kind of smiled, her lips tight and flat. At least I’d done something right.
    “Thanks,” Chloe said. “I should go.” She slid off the stool, taking the muffin with her. “I’ll pick you up at the field on Friday?”
    “Um, yeah,” I said.
    Even though Hammond would probably kill me. I clenched the tongs together so tight I thought they might break.
    “Actually, better let me meet you there,” I said. “I’m gonna have to make up an excuse, and you picking me up would kind of kill whatever I come up with.”
    “Okay. I’ll text you the address,” Chloe said. She looked at Ally. “Thanks for being so cool about this. After what I said to you at