Free Studying Boys by Stephie Davis

parents. You have do what I want, or they'll get an earful about your behavior that might or might not be exaggerated. Whatever it is, it'll be enough to keep you off that team." That was the beauty of being so close to the Waller family. I knew what his parents were like, and they'd never stand for him letting down his sister, or one of her friends. Like me.
    Theo narrowed his eyes. "You can't do that."
    "No?"
    He glared at me.
    I glowered back.
    "You'd really try to get me in trouble with them just because I didn't help you with your homework club?" He did not sound happy. Good.
    "Yes. But only because you made me. Blame yourself."
    For an instant, I could have sworn I saw a flash of admiration in his expression, but he shoved it away and replaced it with a scowl. "Fine."
    Fine? He was surrendering? Impossible. It couldn't be that easy. "Fine, what?"
    "I'll come."
    "And bring friends?"
    He frowned at me. "Yes."
    "And not party?"
    He looked at me for the longest time, and I could see a tendon flexing in his neck. Finally he said, "We'll have to negotiate."
    And then he left.
    Wow.
    I immediately sank down on the bed, my knees trembling. Allie and Blue stared at me. "What was that?" Allie asked.
    "Desperation," I said.
    "I guess so." Allie sat down next to me. "I do believe we have a problem. Blue."
    "What problem?" Other than the fact I'd become possessed by some psycho girl? But it felt good. I wanted to grab one of Blue's pillows and waltz around the room with it. I'd stood up to Theo all on my own, and it felt awesome!
    Blue sighed. "I know, Allie."
    "Know what?" I asked, still dancing. "What problem?"
    "What are we going to do?" Allie asked Blue.
    "I don't know," Blue said.
    "About what?" I asked again, my excitement fading. What did they know that I didn't know?
    They ignored me. "We should call Natalie," Blue said.
    "Yeah. We may have totally screwed up," Allie said.
    Blue's mom shouted up the stairs that it was time for dinner, and my friends got up to walk toward the door.
    "Hey!"
    They turned around and looked at me.
    "What's going on?" I hoped I sounded demanding enough.
    Allie and Blue glanced at each other, then back at me. Allie sighed. "The way you just told off Theo?"
    "What about it? It was brilliant, right? Totally shifted the power to me?"
    Allie bit her lower lip and glanced at Blue, then back at me. "See, here's thing, Frances. By yelling at him, you made him notice you."
    "Of course he noticed me." I frowned. "Why is that a problem?"
    Blue sighed. "No. Not just notice you. Notice you."
    I stared. Did they mean that Theo had noticed me as a girl? As someone other than his sister's friend? A shiver of excitement went through me, and then I thought of how he'd ruined The Homework Club. I lifted my chin. "Well, it's too late for him. I already know what a jerk he is. He should have noticed me a month ago." And it was true. He'd pushed me too far.
    Allie studied me for a long moment, then she relaxed. "Well, good then. Nothing to worry about."
    Why did I feel like she was totally wrong?
    * * *
    A few minutes later, I sat down at dinner across from Theo. He nodded at me, with a nervous flick of his eyes toward his parents.
    How about that? He was afraid of me. Or at least, he respected my power. Interesting.
    The question was, what happened now? I had no idea what to do with power. Guess I'd better figure it out.
    * * *
    Five after seven on Wednesday night.
    No one present for The Homework Club except me and my friends.
    And George Moon. He and I were in the kitchen, working on an English paper I needed to write, but I couldn't concentrate. I kept listening for the door. Was Theo going to show up? What was he going to do once he got there?
    "So, Frances," George said.
    "What?"
    He touched my arm, and I looked at him, with his glasses and short red hair. "I was, um, thinking."
    I sighed. "About what?"
    "Do you want to maybe... sort of go to a movie with me on Friday? My mom will drive us."
    A date? Like my first