Free Lindsay's Surprise Crush by Angela Darling

Claudia talked. She said “seet,” instead of “sit.”
    â€œI enjoyed your talk this morning,” said Claudia. “It was so entertaining.”
    â€œThanks,” said Lindsay. “I thought yours was really interesting too.” She took a tiny bite of macaroni and cheese and tried to swallow past the big lump in her throat. “Are you homesick for Mexico?”
    â€œA little,” said Claudia. “But it’s nice here, too.”
    â€œDo you have brothers and sisters?”
    â€œThree brothers. Two older, one younger.”
    â€œOh, right. I remember that from your presentation,” said Lindsay. “And they’re all really good soccer players, right? Is that what you guys do for fun back in Mexico?”
    â€œWe do play a lot,” said Claudia. “I love to play soccer.I got very good, playing against my brothers. And at my school, I play midfielder.”
    â€œOh! Why don’t you play for Central Falls’s team, then?” asked Lindsay.
    Claudia shook her head wistfully. “I did not bring my soccer shoes—how do you say them, with the bumps underneath?”
    â€œCleats?”
    â€œYes, the cleats. And also, my host family has two younger children, only in third and fifth grade. I don’t like to ask them to drive me to places.”
    Lindsay was thoughtful as she picked at her fruit cup. “Yeah, I can see why that might be hard,” she said.
    â€œThe bell is going to ring in a moment,” said Claudia, collecting the paper stuff from around her tray. “I must go try to understand my book for English class. I have read the chapter twice, but it is not easy still. It was very nice to talk with you.”
    Lindsay smiled, even though she had that huge, annoying lump in her throat. “It was nice to talk to you, too. I’ll see you in social studies.”

chapter 12
    LINDSAY SOMEHOW MANAGED TO GET THROUGH the rest of the day without crying publicly, but it took all her power not to. She saw Rosie in English class, but Rosie didn’t even look at her. Even Sasha and Jenn and Chloe were a little standoffish, saying hi to her quickly in the hallway and hurrying on.
    She thought miserably about the party at Cassidy’s that would be going on that night, the one she hadn’t been invited to. What would everyone be saying about her? Would anyone come to her defense if kids started saying mean things about her? In a way, she was glad she wasn’t going. She could just go home and lock herself in her room and ignore everything. Well, at least until Monday.
    When she got home from school, she could hear the sound of a little kid playing a simple piece, slowly andwith lots of mistakes. Lindsay’s mom was often teaching a younger kid when Lindsay got home from school, as they got home earlier than the middle schoolers.
    She went into the kitchen to make herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, since she’d barely touched her lunch. She heard the little kid leave and was just sitting down to eat when her mother came into the kitchen.
    â€œOh good, I’m glad you’re home,” said her mom, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. “How was school?”
    Hah, thought Lindsay. It was only the worst day of my life . “Great,” she said dully.
    â€œThat’s good. I forgot to tell you this,” said her mom, checking on something in the oven. “I volunteered for you to babysit tonight. For pay, of course. Please tell me you don’t have plans.”
    Lindsay was quiet for a minute. Actually, babysitting might be a good thing to do that night. It would keep her from moping around in her bedroom, wondering how much fun all her former friends were having at the world’s funnest-sounding party that she hadn’t been invited to. And she’d also told Rosie she had plans, so now it wouldn’t be a lie.
    â€œNo, I don’t have plans,” she said. “Where