Free Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks

it will give me a chance to show off my talents.”
    “You’re a terrible bowler,” I reminded him. “You always do that weird shimmy thing with your hips, and end up throwing it straight in the gutter.”
    Finn looked affronted. “I do not,” he said.
    “Yes, you do.”
    “Do not.”
    “Do too.”
    “Did you see me?” Amelia asked, appearing in front of us, her face pink with pleasure. “Did you see how many pins I knocked down?”
    I glanced up at the overhead computer screen, where the ongoing score was kept. “You knocked down eight pins! Good job.”
    “Not bad, kid,” Finn said. “But next time you should try it without the bumpers. Those are for losers.”
    “Finn,” I said warningly.
    “What?” he asked. He placed one hand, palm down, over his heart. “I always speak the truth.”
    I was about to tell him where he could stick his truth, but Amelia surprised me by smiling broadly. “It’s okay. I should try it without the bumpers,” she said.
    Amazing. I spent hours and hours with Amelia, trying to break down her defenses, without any success. And then Finn swanned in, make a few smart-alecky comments, and Amelia was suddenly all smiles.
    “I’m getting a soda,” I said. “Amelia, do you want one?”
    Amelia shook her head, but Finn perked up. “I’ll take one if you’re buying,” he said.
    “You can get your own,” I said, and stomped off to the snack bar. On my way back to the lanes, I saw that there wasn’t anyone waiting at the shoe rental counter, so I stopped by to chat with Charlie. She was leaning forward, elbows propped on the counter, staring vacantly out at the lanes.
    “I’m so bored,” she complained. “I can’t believe I’m going to be stuck in here for the rest of the summer. There aren’t even any windows. It’s like being stuck in a really loud cave.”
    “At least it’s cool in here,” I said. “I feel sorry for Dex. He has to sit out in the sun all day.” Where he’s surrounded by cute girls in tiny bikinis , I added silently, before willing this unproductive picture out of my head.
    “How is Dex?” Charlie asked.
    I shrugged. “He’s fine.”
    “Just fine?” Charlie shot me a shrewd look.
    I sighed and tucked my hair behind my ears. “I met Dex’s ex-girlfriend the other night.”
    “So?”
    “She’s gorgeous. She’s actually a model, if you can believe that. And I’m pretty sure she’s still in love with him,” I said.
    “Why? Did she tell him that?” Charlie asked.
    “No, of course not. What was she going to do? Announce, Dex, I’m still in love with you , right in the middle of our date?”
    “Probably not,” Charlie conceded. “But you have to admit, it would be a seriously gutsy move. You’d have to admire a girl who’s willing to put it all out there, damn the consequences.”
    “Charlie!”
    “Sorry. Why do you think she’s still in love with him?”
    “Just from the way she kept finding excuses to touch his arm. Oh, and she kept stroking her hair. Aren’t those obvious signs of flirtation?” I asked.
    “Hmm, I’m not sure. The arm touching, yes, definitely. But the hair stroking could just be a nervous tic. Did she expose her neck?” Charlie asked.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Like this.” Charlie lifted her chin and tipped her head to one side. This made her look like an inquisitive, purple-haired bird. “When you see a girl doing that around a guy, it’s a definite sign that she’s interested in him.”
    “I can’t remember if she did that,” I said miserably. “But trust me, she’s interested. I could tell. And they have this whole history together. It just makes me . . .” Insanely jealous. Absolutely miserable. Engage in wild fantasies about Wendy’s perfect complexion breaking out in huge, pus-filled pimples. “Uncomfortable.”
    “What did Dex say about her?” Charlie asked. “Has he given you a reason to think there’s something to be concerned about?”
    “No, not really. But . .