Glitter Girl Read Free Page B

another thing Kat couldn’t remember about her dad—the last time he’d driven her home from school. Or to school, for that matter.
    Kat suddenly caught herself feeling jealous, so she quickly stared out the window to avoid making eye contact with Jules, who always managed to read her mind—a downside to someone knowing you almost as long as you’ve known yourself.
    Just then a ticket appeared in front of Kat’s face. She had to cross her eyes to read it. It said:
    Admit One—Renaissance Pleasure Faire
    October 15
    She took the ticket from Jules. “What’s this?” she asked.
    â€œThis is what we’re doing for my fourteenth birthday!” squealed Jules. “Dad got them for us. Isn’t it the best idea ever? We can all dress up like medieval characters! The Froggy Boggards will be performing, and Pilch the Storyteller is going to be there too! Oh, and Ms. Donovan says the Shakespeare Club will get to perform their sonnets on the small stage and maybe even sing a song to warm up the crowd before one of the jousts! Isn’t that great? You’ll be there, right?”
    Kat didn’t have to answer. They had been at each other’s birthday parties since the Finches had invited the newly moved-in Connors family to attend Jules’s Sleeping Beauty–themed second birthday party. Although that party was now a sworn secret between Kat and Jules because Jules didn’t want anyone to know she had ever bought into that whole princess thing, even if she was only two at the time. Because in addition to being totally green and a vegan, Jules considered herself a feminist, and feminists didn’t need guys to save them.
    â€œDuh. Of course I’ll be there. But I’m not eating any rats on a spit,” joked Kat.
    â€œYou’re so elitist,” joked Jules back at her.
    â€œAnd I’m not turning off my cell phone,” said Kat.
    â€œWill you at least put it on vibrate?”
    â€œOkay. But that’s your birthday present from me.”
    They both laughed as the car pulled up in front of Jules’s house. The girls got out and Jules’s dad said something about having to get back to the job site and seeing Jules later that evening. But Kat wasn’t really listening. Instead, as the Prius pulled away, she stared open-mouthed toward Jules’s large Craftsman-style home. But it wasn’t the house that drew her attention. It was the totally hot-looking guy who was shooting hoops at the end of the driveway. He was tall and lanky, but very toned and tanned. His flop of brown hair swayed down over one eye but didn’t seem to prevent him from hitting basket after basket. Nothing but net!
    â€œWho is that ?” whispered Kat to Jules.
    Jules looked at Kat with disbelief. “Uh, that’s Kyle. My brother. You’ve known him since before you could tie your shoes.”
    â€œWow. Really? I haven’t seen him all summer and he looks so, so different,” marveled Kat.
    â€œHe still looks like the same annoying jock boy to me, except tanner,” shrugged Jules.
    â€œAnd buffer. And he’s grown like three inches. Your parents weren’t kidding around when they sent him to Atlanta to build those Houses for Humans that they’re so into.”
    â€œHabitat for Humanity. Yeah, Kyle was pretty annoyed since all he wanted to do all summer was practice so he could try out for the freshman basketball team. But Mom and Dad are real believers in giving back to the community. I’ve got plenty of causes, but they thought Kyle needed some focus. So when Dad volunteered labor from his company, he volunteered Kyle too. I guess the plus side of manual labor is the manual part. He did get in pretty good shape over the summer.”
    â€œYou’re telling me!” said Kat.
    â€œUh. Yeah. Anyway, he’s back now and I have to start sharing the remote again, which is a total drag,” groaned Jules. “I