Read You for Free Online Page B

it up and reads for like a minute and says something like ‘You don’t havea lot of job experience, do you?’ and I’m thinking, duh , I’m fifteen years old….”
    Ashley stayed after school for math help again. You stayed after because Ashley was staying after, but you didn’t go for math help like you were supposed to, you just hung out, waiting for her. Not that she knew, but you did. It’s cold outside, so you’re standing in the alcove by the side door. There’s no wind here and what little sun there is slants in and warms the red bricks of the walls. She’s got on a winter coat and she looks like a little snow bunny. Cute and sexy at the same time, if that’s even possible. You, of course, are freezing your ass off, your black hoodie no match for the mid-November weather.
    â€œThe first thing she asks me is if I know Cici DiGenarro, and I want to say ‘Cici? Yeah, I know Cici, she’s a little lying brat who tries to steal her friends’ jobs,’ but I just smile and I say that I know her from school….”
    You recall something about a job interview at themall—a shoe store?—and you think you recall something about Ashley’s best friend, Cici, going for the same job, but you’re not a hundred percent sure, so you keep your mouth shut and nod along. Part of you wants to steer the conversation around to this Eric guy, find out who he is, how she knows him. Part of you never wants to hear his name again. And another part of you, a part you hope isn’t so obvious when she leans into you to stay warm, doesn’t listen to you anyway.
    â€œSo she gets to the education part and she’s like, ‘Oooh, honor roll. Impressive,’ and I can’t tell if she’s serious or just screwing with me, ya know?”
    Screwing with me.
    Damn.
    You can picture it. Easy. Hell, you picture it all the time. And even right now, your nuts frozen solid, thinking about it makes you sweat.
    â€œThen she sees I played softball last year and she starts telling me about this team she’s on, all women in their twenties like her, as if I care, but Ikeep nodding and smile and I ask her what position she plays….”
    Did she say honor roll?
    â€œFor the references I put down this lady I used to babysit for, and Reverend Keyes from my church. Think I should have asked them first if it was okay?”
    You shrug and say no. Softball?
    â€œSo she tells me about the job, like how I’d have to learn to do piercings and if I got sick when I saw blood…”
    How much do you know about her? You think about her all the time and you can imagine what it’d be like to be with her, what it would feel like, what her hair would smell like, the things she’d say, the things she’d do. But you just found out she’s on the honor roll. True, it’s only Midlands, but still. And she plays sports. Nobody you hang with plays sports.
    â€œAnd they only do ear piercings, which is cool cuz I don’t want to be touching some guy’s slimy tongue….”
    You want to know more about her. You want to know what she thinks, what she dreams about, what she wants to do when she gets out of school, what her favorite bands are, which Saw movie she thought was best, which classes she hates, the kind of things she likes to do, you know, sexwise.
    â€œâ€¦a second interview Wednesday after school, so I’m like, sure, but come on, it’s just poking holes in earlobes….”
    You think about getting to know her, the hours you’ll spend on the phone, texting all night, hanging out on the weekends or after school like now. You don’t mind just talking. That’ll lead to other stuff, sure, but talking, yeah, that’s okay. With her it’d be different. You could tell her what you really felt and not be afraid she’d laugh, even if you weren’t sure what you felt. But she’d help you