Free How to Ruin a Summer Vacation (Ruined Series #1) by Simone Elkeles

sheep or a million of' em, it's still sheep."
    He walks forward and pulls the hose out of my hand. I watch wide-eyed as he bends on one knee and lifts my gross foot and places it in his hand. Then, if you can believe it, he washes my foot thoroughly.
    I'm about to lose my balance, I really am. And it's not because I want Avi to catch me or anything. I hate playing the damsel in distress every time he's around.
    I'm lightheaded because it's ungodly hot outside and I just busted my ass to run after a Ferragamo-stealing mutt. To top it off, this boy who I'm determined to hate has one of my feet in his hands.
    "You can stop gagging. Whatever you stepped in is gone."
    "It was a snake!"
    He shrugs. Like it's no biggie.
    "You ever stepped on a snake?" I ask.
    "I usually watch where I step."
    I yank my foot out of his grasp. "Well, where I live there are no snakes. Dead or otherwise."
    He stands, which is not so great because I was feeling superior when he was on his knee. But he's probably six
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    feet tall and when he looks down at me I feel small. Instead of responding, he gently pulls a flower out of my hair. "Cute," he says, twirling the stem between his fingers.
    Oy, I forgot Matan filled my hair with white, purple, and yellow wildflowers. I must look like a clown.
    "Your father wanted me to tell you everyone's at my house eating what you call lunch. If you want to join them, follow me."
    I step beside him as he's walking, but then I stop. "Why didn't he tell me himself?"
    Avi shoots me a withering glance. "He also wanted me to apologize for watching you undress the first night you were here."
    "Well?"
    "Israelis don't apologize for what they're not sorry for."
    Now I'm really getting riled up. "You're not going to apologize?"
    He looks at me straight in the eye. "What I saw was beautiful and natural, so why should I say sorry?"
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CHAPTER 12
    Boys are either jerks or clueless. Take your pick.
    "Ron, I need to call home and my cell phone won't work." I've been in Israel almost six weeks and need to call home once again. First of all, Mitch is back from his camping trip and I need to talk to him. Second of all, I need to call Mom and Jessica.
    Ron is sitting on the couch watching some news channel in Hebrew. Uncle Chime is with him, along with the corkscrew-haired Matan.
    Matan is naked and he's been like that for the better part of my trip so far. Who am I to bring it up to them that their son isn't dressed and his pee-wee is dangling out for all the moshav to see. You'd think they would have noticed they're not living in a nudist colony.
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    "I think your mom was going out of town," Ron says, his face still turned toward the television.
    "So I'll call a friend."
    "What's the number," he says as he heads toward the phone in the kitchen.
    Obviously, like everywhere else around here, there's no privacy.
    I recite Mitch's number and then he hands me the phone. I pull up a chair in front of the refrigerator and park myself there for the call.
    "Hello," a scratchy voice answers.
    "Mitch?" I say.
    "Yeah?"
    "It's Amy."
    "Huh?"
    "You know, your girlfriend," I say, starting to get pissed.
    "Hey, babe. Sorry I haven't called, I got back late last night. Do you know what time it is?" he says, his voice still ragged.
    "I'm in Israel, Mitch. And no, I don't know what time it is in Chicago because I'm halfway across the globe."
    "Wait, you lost me. Israel?"
    "Are you sleeping or listening to me? 'Cause I can only make one call here and I've chosen to call you. It's like jail."
    I hear him yawn and I can tell he's attempting to sit up instead of lie in bed. Hopefully now he'll pay some attention to what I'm saying.
    "Mitch?"
    "Wait, I gotta pee."
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    I have an urge to bang my head against the wall.
    "Can't it wait?"
    "No."
    I'm trying to disguise my annoyance in front of the rest of the family.
    "Well, can you hurry it up a bit? This is long distance, you know."
    "I'm tryin', babe."
    In the background I hear a stream of pee hitting water