How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation Read Free Page A

papaya-scented bath gel and a nice relaxing nap on a featherbed dance in my brain. Suddenly, I hear a snap and watch one of the wheels on my beautiful, designer, hot-pink suitcase roll away from me and bounce to the bottom of a ditch. I suck in a horrified breath.
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    Chapter 4
    It boggles my mind that there's a direct correlation between lack of quality and bling.
    At least in the suitcase department.
    "Whoa, that sucks," Jess says slowly.
    Miranda points to the offending wheel. "Amy, is that yours?"
    "Yep." So now I have a broken piece of luggage and I'm still not at our barracks.
    I swallow my ego and start walking toward the stupid broken wheel. I eye it in the ditch where it stopped. I'm wearing a pink tank and white jean shorts, and I know if I slip as I go down I'm going to have dirt all over me. Oh, don't go blaming me about wearing white shorts... climbing down into a ditch to retrieve a stupid wheel wasn't exactly one of the warnings in the Sababa brochure.
    I take one step down. My foot slides a little, then stops.
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    I probably should tell you now that I'm wearing these really cute pink mules that aren't really made for traction--but they sure do match my tank perfectly. I'm not about to take out the gym shoes I bought for this trip, because they're at the bottom of one of my suitcases.
    I take another step, and wobble because I'm walking on an angle.
    "Be careful," Miranda warns.
    Before I take another step, a boy in uniform walks up to us. "Mah karah? he asks. He's got short hair and beautiful olive skin without a trace of acne.
    "Angleet, b'vakashah," I say. My dad taught me that phrase, which means "English, please."
    "You need help?" He has a big Israeli accent along with a big Israeli smile (he's also got a big Israeli rifle slung on his back).
    "Desperately," I admit, pointing to the wheel.
    He scrambles down the bank as if he does it every day of his life, and picks up the wheel. On his way back up, he grabs my elbow and helps me back to the gravel road. Then attempts to reattach the wheel.
    "This suitcase is a piece of sheet," he informs me. "It can't be fixed." He hands me the plastic wheel. I almost laugh at the word "sheet"--American profanity with an Israeli accent comes out really funny. But I'm sweaty and unhappy and cannot physically laugh right now.
    I shove the wheel in the front pocket of my suitcase. "Well, thanks for trying."
    "Yeah, thanks," Miranda chimes in.
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    The guy holds out his hand. "I'm Nimrod."
    "No, really, what's your name?" I ask.
    "Nimrod."
    He did not just say Nimrod, did he? With the Israeli accent it sounds like Nim-road.
    I put my sunglasses on top of my head, eyeing him suspiciously. "Nimrodi"
    "Nimrod. I guess in America this is not a popular name, no?"
    Jess is trying not to laugh. Miranda just looks confused. Some names in Israel do not translate to English well. Avi has friends named Doo-Doo, Moron, and O'dead. And my cousin's name is pronounced O'snot.
    "I'm Amy. And this is Jessica and Miranda," I say, pointing to each of my friends.
    Nimrod heaves the entire suitcase up into his arms. "Your group is at the bittan on the other side of the hill. I'll help you."
    "Thanks," I say, noting that my hot pink suitcase looks very out of place in Nimrod's arms and I still have no clue what a bittan is. I roll my smaller suitcase behind him. As we pass other soldiers, they make comments in Hebrew to Nimrod, who laughs and shrugs as he leads us up the hill.
    The guy isn't breaking a sweat in this heat, which is not normal. Looking around, I notice that none of the Israeli soldiers milling around are sweating. It makes me wonder if Israelis are born without sweat glands.
    "Where are you girls from?" Nimrod asks.
    "Chicago," I say.
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    "I've never been there, but there's a guy in my unit whose girlfriend lives there."
    Could Nimrod know Avi? That would be so cool and easy if the first guy I meet on the base knows where Avi is. "Is his name Avi Gefen? Because I know he's