Free Stirring Up Trouble by Juli Alexander Page A

there’s anything you need. I know Jake really well, of course.”
    She always liked to look at Mom’s sketches before the project when she could. Mom didn’t mind because Anya was genuinely interested.
    We’ve done two rooms in Anya’s house for the show. Her living room and her mother’s room. She’d decorated her room herself, and Mom said it was good.
    “No one’s seeing the sketches,” Mom said. “I want Jake to be surprised.”
    “I wouldn’t tell him,” Anya protested.
    Mom didn’t have to say anything.
    “Okay,” Anya said. “I get it. But can I be here tomorrow for the reveal?”
    “Sure,” Mom said. “As long as we finish on schedule.”
    When I finally went back downstairs leaving Anya to bug my Mom, Jake was waiting on the porch. I laughed. “You’re not allowed in your room, but I think you can go in the house.”
    He shook his head. “No way. I can’t even breathe in there.”
    “Where’d the lovebirds go?” I asked, my nose wrinkling in disgust.
    He gestured toward the street. “Out for dinner.”
    I checked my watch. “It’s not even five.”
    “I guess they wanted to be alone.” He made a disgusted face. “What about your mom?”
    “She’s got at least another hour meeting with her production team.” I didn’t want to stick around.
    “Can I walk you home?” he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching.
    “Sure.” Like I’m going to say no.
    “Let’s get Indiana. He’s been tied to a tree in the backyard all day.”
    As the three of us walked along together, I asked the burning question, “So, did you name your dog after Indiana Jones?”
    He grinned. “I was eight.”
    I wasn’t sure why he was walking me home other than to get away from the chaos at his house, but I didn’t mind.
    “We need a plan,” he said after a few minutes. “Would it totally freak out your dad to catch us kissing?”
    Was he actually suggesting what I thought he was suggesting. “Yeah.”
    “I know my mother would freak. I think we should do it. Let’s make them miserable.”“By pretending to date?” I skirted a tree root in the sidewalk.
    “Yeah.”
    We crossed a busy street to cut through another neighborhood. Indiana watered a few bushes.
    Jake said, “I think they deserve a little payback.”
    “That scene in the kitchen was beyond gross.”
    As we cut through a yard, he said, “Maybe if they walk in on us making out, they’ll understand how disgusting it is.” He stopped. “Not that it would be disgusting for us. Or me at least. Because you know I like kissing you.”
    “I’m with you,” I said. “Disturbing them is definitely something I can play along with. Even if it means kissing you.” I felt so totally brave to have teased him like that.
    “You like it, too,” he accused. “So it’s pretty much win-win.”
    “Except for Anya who’s still mad at me.”
    “She can get over it,” he said. “She and Brad are a couple now. She doesn’t own me.”
    “She thinks so,” I muttered.
    “I thought you guys weren’t speaking. Why’d she come by the house?”
    “Because she’s my mom’s biggest fan. She’d rather speak to me than miss out on a decorating project.”
    “So if you’re in, let’s do it tomorrow.”
    “What exactly?”
    “We’ll get caught making out by my mom and your dad. We can make it look all hot and heavy. Really give ’em something to think about.”
    “I can do hot and heavy.”
    We’d reached my sidewalk. Mrs. MacGregor and Snowball were getting the mail.
    “Hi,” I greeted.
    “Hello, Zoe,” Mrs. MacGregor said. She continued down the path to her house. Snowball chased leaves and bugs in her wake.
    “We had a kitten that used to do that,” Jake said.
    “Oh. Yeah. Snowball’s a really young cat.”
    We reached my porch. I wanted to ask him if we should practice a little, but I didn’t want him to know I wanted to. Especially since he thought I was in love with him.
    “I guess,” he said, fidgeting, “that we