Free Waking Up to Boys by Hailey Abbott

little afraid. “You know, if we get caught—,” she began.
    “Hey, relax. Everything will be okay,” Leo said easily, squeezing Chelsea’s shoulder. “It’s all good.”
    “What’s all good?” Sienna hurried up the stairs with Mel right behind her.
    “Sorry, can’t tell you,” Leo laughed from atop the ladder. “Top secret.”
    “Ooooooh,” Mel breathed. “I know what this is about.” She leaned in toward Chelsea and whispered in her ear. “Thanks for doing this, Chels! It’s going to be great.”
    Chelsea’s cheeks warmed at Mel’s excitement. It was the first time she had ever felt really included by the other staffers. While they had always been perfectly nice, Chelsea was used to feeling like the staff was a popular clique that could never really include her—and that Mel and Sienna were its ringleaders.
    “Good times.” Sienna absentmindedly air-kissed both Chelsea’s cheeks before hurrying inside.
    “Well, Chelsea, I think we’re all done.” Leo climbed down the ladder with the staple gun balanced in one hand.
    “You sure?” Chelsea asked.
    “Positive,” Leo assured her. “I’m gonna go find your sister and see if she’ll give me a hand with the American flag window decals.”
    Chelsea almost reminded him that Sara was her half sister, but at the last minute decided not to. It was too beautiful a day, and she was in too good a mood.
     
    Chelsea thought she could really get the hang of the whole skirt thing as she made her way from her family’shouse down to the barbecue area on the lake. In honor of the special occasion, the day’s unusually balmy weather, and her new commitment to dressing more feminine, Chelsea was wearing a knee-length maroon skirt she had borrowed from Sara’s closet in another weird hot-clothes-induced trance. She’d meant to tell Sara about it, and apologize and offer to return it, but she had been so busy, she just hadn’t gotten around to it. She figured Sara owned so many clothes that she probably wouldn’t even notice—and if she did, Chelsea could always just say she owned the same one.
    “Chelsea, you look totally cute!” Mel exclaimed, greeting her with a hug when she arrived at the barbecue area. Chelsea flushed with pride. She had paired the skirt with one of her cuter tank tops and even pulled it all together with a pretty but simple pair of dangly gold earrings from H&M. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear a skirt before. And that’s a great tank top—you have amazing shoulders!”
    “Thanks.” Chelsea smiled, embarrassed but pleased at the compliment. She looked around: The nearby tables and lawn were swarming with summer staffers and tourists scarfing perfectly grilled burgers and salmon steaks and drinking freshly chilled Sierra Nevadas. “Are those burgers as good as they look?”
    “Delicious,” Mel laughed. “Go get one!”
    Chelsea wove through the crowd toward the big gasgrill that she knew was her father’s pride and joy. He stood behind it, brandishing a spatula and grinning through the rising smoke.
    “Medium rare for my favorite Champ?” he asked jovially, flipping burgers as he talked. “Grab a bun.”
    Seeing her dad in such a good mood made Chelsea grin. She grabbed a plate from the long buffet table next to the grill and piled it high with potato salad and a big slice of watermelon. When she looked up, she saw Todd standing directly across the table from her, giving her a strange look.
    “What?” she challenged.
    “Nothing,” he shot back. “You’re just…Well, forget it.”
    “I’m just what ?” she asked, not wanting him to saunter off and leave her to spend the rest of the day wondering what he had been thinking. She was sick of always wishing she knew what was on his mind.
    “You look different,” Todd observed. “Did you do something to your hair?”
    Chelsea couldn’t help laughing. “Nope,” she said.
    Todd looked her up and down. “It must be the glow of knowing you’re about to