Free Invasion of the Boy Snatchers by Lisi Harrison

stuck her hand in Claire’s bag of candy and pulled out a handful of hearts. She stuffed them in her mouth and crunched down on all of them at once.
    “Since when do you eat candy?” Dylan screeched. “Since Claire dared me to break into the vending machine at the ski lodge.” Massie giggled. Claire started laughing at the memory of on-all-fours Massie jimmying the machine with the pin on her brooch.
    “Really?” Dylan looked slightly hurt. “I’ve been trying to get you to eat sugar for years.” She dug her hand into Claire’s plastic bag and started gathering a fistful of hearts.
    Massie slapped her arm. “Ouch!” Dylan shouted.
    “Get your hand out of there,” Massie snapped. “You’re sick.” Then she turned to Nina. “Sorry, Señorita, but you’ll have to hang out with people your own age Friday night. My friends have plans.”
    “Are you sure you don’t need lessons?” Nina offered. “It would be pathetic if you didn’t shoot anyone and you had to go to the dance alone.”
    “What about Thursday night?” Dylan sneezed.
    “Or tonight?” Kristen asked hopefully.
    “Puh-lease.” Massie sounded annoyed. “You sound desperate. Any guy at Briarwood would stand still for us.” Her cell phone started vibrating. Massie reached into her Granny-Smith-apple-green tote and flipped it open.
    “See?” She held the screen in front of Nina’s face. “It’s a text message from Derrington.” She pushed a few buttons and read aloud.
    DERRINGTON: Did U hear about the dance?
    Massie smirked at Nina and quickly typed her response.
    MASSIE: Yup.
    Derrington wrote back immediately and Massie read his response to the girls.
    DERRINGTON: HOW LAME!
    Massie looked confused and continued reading in silence.
    Everyone leaned in toward her screen, but Claire was the only one she didn’t push away.
    DERRINGTON: No way I’m wearing a Velcro suit. 2 stupid! Even Cam thinks it’s queer.
    Claire felt light-headed and dizzy. This couldn’t be happening. What about her first kiss?
    “Whatever you do, don’t act desperate.” Nina sounded smug. “Play hard to get. Make them beg
you
.”
    “How do you know so much about boys?” Kristen asked.
    “Experience.” Nina winked.
    “Ew,” Layne said.
    Dylan and Kristen gazed into Nina’s dark brown eyes like they were falling in love.
    Massie sighed and leaned against the corner of an empty lunch table. She began typing. Everyone stopped walking to wait for her.
    “What?” Claire begged. “What are you writing?”
    Massie didn’t look up from her phone. But she tilted the screen so Claire could see. She seemed to be taking Nina’s advice.
    MASSIE: No prob. We’ll go with other guys. G2G.
    Massie hit Send. Claire started chewing on her thumbnail.
    “What if that doesn’t work?” Claire said under her breath.
    “It will,” Nina assured her. “My advice always works.”
    Massie folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t following your advice. I always play H2G.”
    “Hard to get,” Dylan explained to Nina.
    Bhuzzzzz, buzzzz.
    “It’s vibrating!” Claire shouted. “What did he say?”
    DERRINGTON: Serious?
    MASSIE: 100%. Why?
    DERRINGTON: How bout a deal? U & C come watch the playoffs and we’ll go 2 the dance w/u.
    Claire threw her arms around Massie and started jumping up and down.
    “You are so getting your first kiss at a Valentine’s Day dance,” Layne gushed.
    “Be cool,” Massie snapped.
    Layne covered her mouth.
    “He can’t hear us.” Claire giggled.
    MASSIE: Hmmmmm.
    “What are you doing?” Claire squealed.
    DERRINGTON: Pls. You never come to my games. I need u 4 luck. I want 2 win the MVP ribbon. Deal?
    MASSIE: What about Cam?
    DERRINGTON: Same.
    “Yes!” Claire shouted. “Tell him it’s a deal. Tell him!”
    “
Wait!
” Nina insisted. “Not so fast or you’ll look pathetic.”
    “OMG, you are sooo good at this.” Kristen grinned.
    “Yeah, you should do an audio book on how to get guys or