Free P.S. I Loathe You by Lisi Harrison Page B

Unfortunately, Olivia was a no-brainer with no style, and the PC had a strict “no airhead” policy. She was a B-lister trapped in an A-lister’s body.
    “Hi, I’m Olivia Ryan and my one word is
people skills and dance training
.”
    Kristen burst out laughing. “Her word should be
stoopid
.”
    “I object!” Claire slammed her fist on the table. “I don’t want her on the team.”
    “Why?”
Alicia stood.
    “She stole Cam,” Claire whisper-hissed.
    “You broke
up
,” Alicia countered. “Besides, she’s the second-best dancer in our grade. We need her.”
    “Well, I can’t work with her,” Claire huffed.
    “Then she’s gone,” Massie stated.
    Alicia’s mouth opened like she was about to projectile.
    “We made a pledge, Leesh.” Massie gripped the purple letters on her key chain. “PC support means we take care of each other first.”
    “But—”
    “Butts are for kicking. Now, do you want to kick her out or should I?”
    Alicia shrugged petulantly.
    “Fine.” Massie invited Olivia to step closer with the slow curl of her finger. She glared into the girl’s vacant navy eyes and grinned with devilish anticipation. “Do you have violent tendencies?”
    Olivia shook her head no.
    “Then why were you hitting on Cam Fisher?”
    Claire giggled.
    “What does this have to do with
Cam
?”
    “Nuh-thing.” Massie rolled her eyes in frustration. “It has to do with
Kuh-laire
. Now leave before I have you arrested for attempted robbery.”
    “That’s not fair!”
    “If you want
fair
, look at your pasty face in the mirror. If you want to keep the ‘live’ in Olivia, leave now!”
    The girl turned on the heel of her Capezio and clacked out of the café, the pleats on her skirt waving goodbye with every angry step she took. “You’re not a cheerleader, you’re a
fear-
leader!” she called, then slammed the door behind her.
    “You’re an
I.Q.-of-a-deer
-leader,” Massie called.
    Kristen burst out laughing.
    “
Queer
-leader!” Dylan burped.
    “Ew,
not-in-my-ear-leader
!” Kristen cackled.
    Everyone laughed except Alicia.
    “Thank you.” Claire smiled appreciatively.
    “Yeah, thanks,” Alicia grumbled.
    “Leesh, are you an LBR with a broken leg?”
    “No.”
    “Then stop acting like a sore loser and let’s move on,” Massie insisted. She was about to summon the next wannabe when her left cheek started to burn.
    She turned toward the heat. It was coming from Claire’s eyeballs. Or rather, from the “I adore Massie” love rays beaming out of them.
    “What are you
doing
?”
    “I can’t believe you stood up for me like that?” Claire effused.
    Massie rolled her eyes. “That’s what friends do,
Kuh-laire
. They look out for each other. Right, girls?”
    “Right,” they mumbled, almost like they didn’t mean it.
    “Now stop
staring
!” Massie barked. And then her iPod chimed. “Ehma-
text
! It’s from Dempsey.”
    Dempsey: Got squad?
    Massie began typing, blurring the touch screen with her sweaty fingerprints.
    Gawd, what was it about the ex-LBR that made her intestines undulate? Her palms dribble? Her heart stutter? Her lips hunger for gloss? And her brain think Layne Abeley was actually a threat?
    Massie: Gimme a Y!
    Dempsey: Y
    Massie: E!
    Dempsey: E
    Massie: SSSSSS!
    Dempsey: SSSSSS!
    Massie: Whaddaya Got?
    Dempsey:
    Massie’s entire body smiled back. Gawd, what was it about him that made her lose her cool like Tom Cruise on
Oprah
?
His ah-dorable dimples? His army green eyes? His knack for makeovers? His family embracing the African orphan trend? His leading role in the school play? His raw soccer talent? His ability to shed twenty pounds in a single summer?
WHAAAAT?????
    Unlike Derrington, who was good from afar but far from good, Dempsey was good no matter how close you were standing. He was an alpha male who’d shed his LBR skin and then buried it out back where no one could find it.
    Ehma-crush!
Thoughts of Dempsey made Massie’s leg shake anxiously. It was