Free Next Door to a Star by Krysten Lindsay Hager Page A

top,” Deidre said.
    “But I didn’t know that and it was so funny,” she said. “Well, except for the almost drowning part.”
    “Did you guys meet this summer too?” I asked.
    They exchanged a look. “No, we’ve known each other for a long time,” Charlotte said. “Deidre lives in Grand Haven. She’s back from gymnastics camp.”
    “My cousins Pilar and Jeremy Ito live nearby,” Deidre said. “Do you know them?”
    Pilar was her cousin? Deidre sort of resembled Pilar, except she didn’t have the super dark tan, the long hair, or the cheekbones. Deidre was what Pilar would look like without the platform sandals, tons of makeup, and cute clothes.
    The two of them kept talking about school, and I felt so left out.
    “We’re going over to Deidre’s house,” Char said. I didn’t know if I was invited or not from the way Deidre was looking at me.
    “Oh, okay, well, I have to leave anyway because I’m going to play miniature golf with Clark and my uncle,” I said, getting up.
    I walked home and Grandpa said Uncle Stu had already left with the boys. I tried calling Simone’s cell phone.
    “Hi, it’s Hadley. Is Lauren in town yet—?”
    “Hadley, I gotta go,” she said, interrupting me. “I’ll call you later.”
    Simone never called back, and I ended up spending the night watching a baseball game with Grandpa.
    “It’s kind of nice to have a TV watching pal,” Grandpa said smiling.
    “Yeah, Dad watches the History Channel non-stop, and my mom could watch HGTV all day long. It’s nice to have someone who understands my love of soaps and sports.”
    “And you understand baseball pretty well,” he said. “Your dad was never into it.”
    “Nope, Mom’s the bigger sports fan, but she likes basketball more.”
    I heard my phone buzz with a text, but I didn’t recognize the number.
     
    Hey, it’s Nick. Finally got your number from Simone. Hope it’s cool that I’m messaging ya. I wanted to see what you were up to.
     
    I almost dropped the phone I was so excited. I wrote back that I was watching a Tigers game with my grandpa and then winced because it looked lamer on the screen than it had sounded in my head.
     
    Nick: No way, I’m watching with my dad right now. We got back from picking up my mom .
     
    Nick and I texted back and forth about the game. It seemed easier to talk about baseball with him, but Simone hadn’t told me exactly what he had asked her about me. Did he want a friend to talk to about sports or something, or was he interested in me?
     
    Nick: Did you see the first baseman trip over his feet? I think we found our new role model in life .
     
    I laughed and texted back.
     
    Me: We might need to aim higher and go for someone who can run two feet without landing on his face.
     
    Nick: You have loftier goals than me. See, I knew it—you’re good for me. Making me aim higher.
     
    I smiled and texted back a sticker of a girl prancing down a runway.
     
    Me: I might be delusional if I think I could make it down a runway like her.
     
    Nick: If anyone could do it, you can. So why haven’t you come around with Simone? I’ve missed seeing you.
     
    What to say? That I was never included in her plans? That I wasn’t sure she saw me as what—an equal? I tried to think how to word it, while sounding mysterious and like someone he’d want to go out with.
     
    Nick: Gotta go, Dad’s yelling at me for not paying attention . ;) Talk to ya soon. Night .
     
    “So…a boy?” Grandpa asked.
    “How did you know?”
    “You get that same look on your face that Faith does when a guy messages her.” He laughed.
    “I don’t know if he’s interested or not though. He might have wanted someone to talk to about the game. I mean, it seems like he’s into me.”
    “If he was willing to take time away from the game to focus on you…my guess is that he’s interested, and my advice is to not tell your grandmother,” he said with a wink.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter