Free Dial L for Loser by Lisi Harrison Page B

part.”
    “Point,” Alicia panted.
    And just like that, everyone stopped hugging.

T HE B LOCK E STATE
    T ENNIS C OURT
    Saturday, March 14th
    11:18 A.M.
    Claire shielded her eyes from the sun when she stepped into the Blocks’ yard, almost spilling the two glasses of lemonade she was balancing on a silver tray. It was August-bright, and the temperature was hovering around seventy degrees. Everything smelled like a mix of fresh-cut grass and ice water. It was turn-over-a-new-leaf weather. It was first-love weather. It was I-feel-happy-for-no-reason weather. Still, Claire’s cuticles were picked raw.
    “Stop worrying.” Massie took the tray from her, set it on the patio table, then wiped the lenses of her Oliver Peoples aviators. “March is never this warm. It’s a sign.” She slid on her glasses and picked up the tray.
    “What kind of sign?”
    “A sign we were meant to be in Hollywood.” She tilted her face toward the bright sun. “It’s like this all the time there.” Massie rolled up the sleeves of the gray jersey dress she’d haphazardly thrown over a pair of skinny jeans. Claire was still in her Powerpuff Girls pj’s from the night before.
    “What if our parents say no?” Claire couldn’t imagine her mom and dad letting her jet off to California when
Cam’s
house—which was around the corner—had been declared off-limits.
    “That’s why we’re going to their tennis game.” Massie stopped walking and lowered her voice.
    For a few seconds, the only sounds were birds and the
pop… pop… pop
of the ball getting whacked from one side of the court to the other.
    Massie pulled off her glasses. “Remember, this is all about kissing massive amounts of butt.”
    Claire nodded once for “got it.”
    “Don’t let them know we want something. They have to think we’re being helpful and sweet because we’re helpful and sweet. Then when Rupert calls, they’ll flash back to our ah-dorable helpfulness and they’ll say yes.”
    “’Kay.”
    “Now, let’s take a moment and pray for our auditions.”
    Massie lowered her head.
    “Should we pray Alicia and Kristen get permission too?” Claire asked.
    “Probably not.”
    They closed their eyes.
    “Switch!” William Block hollered. He wiped his head with a towel as he and Kendra changed sides with Judi and Jay Lyons. He was in pretty good shape for a dad. Muscular legs, toned arms, and a slight belly. Nothing like Jay, who was panting and sweating as if he’d been chasing a Ben and Jerry’s delivery truck.
    “Now!” Massie whispered.
    “Lemonade!” Claire practically sang the word. “Fresh lemonade here.”
    “Come and get it!”
    Todd jogged over to the gate. “Awesome!” He crammed a ball into the pocket of his shorts and reached for an icy glass.
    “It’s not for you.” Claire pulled the tray away. “It’s for Mom and Dad.”
    “No way,” Todd whined. “I got here first. I’m working this game.”
    “Forget it.” Massie pushed past him. “We have serious ass-kissing to do.”
    “I ran off to New York, remember?” He flipped the collar on his polo shirt. “I’m looking at a year with no video games, maybe two.”
    “Lemonade!” Massie shouted.
    “Balls!” Todd shouted louder.
    “LEMONADE!” Claire yelled.
    “BALLS!”
    “Okay, okay.” William waved his white towel as a show of surrender. “Let’s take five.”
    “Thank heavens,” Judi huffed. Her chestnut-brown bangs were matted to her forehead. “I didn’t realize I was in such bad shape.”
    “I’m telling you, dear.” Kendra smoothed her pleated skirt. “Pilates can fix all that.” She poked Judi’s back fat with the head of her racket.
    Judi’s smile faded.
    “You are a couple of angels.” Jay lifted a glass off Claire’s tray and finished it in one gulp. “Ahhhhhhh.”
    “There’s more in the house if you want us to get it.” Massie tilted her head and smiled.
    “Or we can make sandwiches,” Claire offered. “I bet you’re