Free Dumplin' by Julie Murphy Page A

it.
    ELLEN: you freaking liar. you were supposed to come to tim’s after work .
    Oh, thank baby Jesus. I’d completely forgotten about Tim’s party, but she’ll let that go much easier than she would if she’d found out about me and Bo.
    My phone buzzes again.
    ELLEN: you missed some real D-R-A-M-A
    I flip over on my side and send a quick reply to say sorry and that we’ll catch up in the morning before scrolling down to my next message.
    BO: night
    I sigh. I don’t even care that I do.

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
    ..................................................................
FOURTEEN
    I wake up to the doorbell.
    Before rolling out of bed, I stop to check my phone.
    ELLEN: outside lemme in
    I pull on an old pair of gym shorts and trip down the stairs to answer the back door. I find Ellen’s face pressed to the glass as she makes fart noises with her mouth.
    This whole summer has been this bizarre, new territory for us. We’ve always been opposites. Lucy always said that the greatest friends have nothing and everything in common all at once.
Y’all girls are different versions of the same story
, she would say. But these last two months, I feel like we’re being pulled in different directions, and I’m the only one who seems to notice.
    I slide the door open and for a second, El lets her face slide with it. She stumbles through the door and into a chair at the kitchen table. “Jesucristo, Will. I was melting out there.”
    I check the time on the microwave. “It’s early,” I mutter, slumping into a chair. I don’t add that I was out until two in the morning with Private School Bo.
    â€œIt’s payday for me. It is never too early to get paid.” She stands and opens a few cabinets, trolling around for some junk food. “And it’s eleven. So not early. Your mom would shit her panties if she knew you slept in this late.”
    â€œWhatever.” Crossing my arms on the table, I bury my head. “You’re happy. Why are you so happy?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’m alive. Life doesn’t suck. Schools starts in a week.” She slams a cabinet door shut and whirls around. “And maybe I am not so sucky at having sex anymore?”
    â€œThere can’t be much to it, right?” But really the entire thought of THAT is terrifying.
    â€œYou’ll see someday.” She bobs her head.
    Nope
, I think.
Virgin for life. Team hymen here to stay.
    â€œGet dressed. Time to get paid!”
    â€œThere are some chips in the pantry,” I say and head for the stairs. “Give me forty-five minutes.”
    â€œYou’re lucky I’ve got trash TV on your DVR to catch up on,” she yells after me.
    I take a quick shower and towel dry my hair before twisting it into a sloppy bun. I glance through my closet, and decide it’s too hot to try and instead opt for gym shorts and an old T-shirt from one of my mom’s pageants.
    â€œAll right,” I say, jogging down the stairs. “I gotta fill up Riot’s dry food—”
    â€œAlready did,” replies Ellen.
    I loop around to the kitchen to find her stowing away a half-eaten bag of chips.
    â€œMy mom’s going to think I ate all of those,” I tell her. She wouldn’t ever say anything, but she wouldn’t need to.
    â€œYour mom needs to get laid.” Riot hops up onto the kitchen counter and Ellen indulges him with a solid behind-the-ear scratch. “Took my mom’s car and I basically drove here on fumes. Can we take your car?”
    â€œYeah. Sure.” El follows me out the back door and as I’m locking the gate behind us, I ask, “And what does getting laid have anything to do with my mom and chips?”
    She shrugs and pulls on the door handle, waiting for me to unlock the car. Ever since Ellen lost her virginity, she thinks she’s Dr. Ruth—that old lady