Free Barbie Girl (Baby Doll Series) by Heidi Acosta

his mother. I love Emmy, but damn the benefits of being an only child.
    I wonder if Barbie is an only child too. She sure acts like it; I bet she has a caring family. She is driving crazy with the way she dresses and flirts with anything that walks. I actually feel bad for her family having a daughter like that. She acts superior, not hanging out with anyone because she thinks she is better than them. And what’s up with her name? I bet that Barbie is not even her real name; she probably named herself that thinking she looks like a damn doll. Urgh she is frustrating.
    The sun is beating down, the presence of summer rearing its ugly head. Sweat drips into my eyes burning them. I am mowing my last house; it has the largest yard and Mr. Grant usually only pays me half. But I don’t care, if he told me I had to pay him I would because it is right next door to Katie’s house. I get to be closer to her. Katie’s yard is cut by a professional landscaper, perfect horizontal lines cut into the grass. I hardly ever see her outside but when I do it is worth every ripped-off penny. I keep my eyes fixed on the large white house with the big red door in front of me. When it happens, the red door opens and out walks Katie. She is wearing a dark blue tank top and white pressed shorts; she holds a blue and white striped towel in one of her hands. She tosses it in the back of her white convertible bug and gets in.
    I turn off the mower and watch her back out of her driveway. She stops in front of me. “Hi Dylan,” she wiggles her fingers and brings her sunglasses up to her head. “Are you going to Rock Falls for junior picnic day?” she asks. “I am going to make a speech for the up and coming seniors.”
    I was planning on heading home to play video games with Third. I try to avoid school functions outside of the school premises; these kinds of events always end the same. Some drunken asshole jumping off the top of the falls; I wanted no part of the tradition this year. I plan to slip into senior year undetected.
    “It would be great for you to show your school spirit.”
    “Yeah, of course I am going. Go Devils!” Stupid. Stupid .
    Katie gives me a weird look, “Well okay, I will see you there. Oh and Barbie will be coming, right? I know these school spirit things are not really her thing, but since you two are together now…” She trails off.
    “Yeah she will be there.” Shit.
    “Kay, see ya,” Katie shifts into gear. I watch her drive off down the road. Shit, how am I going to find Barbie? I have no clue where the girl lives, I don’t have her number, hell, I don’t even think she has a phone. I’ve never seen her use one and most girls have a phone attached to their ear. I pull out my phone and text Third.
    * * *
    Third shows up at my house with Barbie in tow an hour later. I could barely pull Emmy off her to stick her in Mrs. Ellis’s Van for her play date. Emmy introduced Barbie as the real thing. The Ellis twins were as fascinated with her as Emmy was. They thought she looked like Malibu Barbie, with her purple wedges and bright blue, very-mini sun dress. One of the twins actually got down and touched her rainbow-painted toes. Barbie didn’t help matters when she told them about her first love, “Ken.”
    Mrs. Ellis was less than thrilled with Barbie or Third’s appearance; he somehow managed to get a pair of fake gold teeth and has not stopped cheesing it. The gold teeth don’t really go with the Hawaiian-print matching short set his mom bought him. It is going to be a long day.
    Barbie has yet to make eye contact with me. Still in a bad mood about whatever it is she is mad about. She slides into my cab straddling the stick shift between her legs. Every time I have to shift my hand rubs against her leg. It is like a small jolt of electricity travels up my arm each time. She looks out of Third’s window pretending I don’t exist. She better not mess things up with Katie this time.
    Katie stands on top of a