Love Me Back Read Free Page B

hand.
    “Nice to meet you…Wendy.”  Ian shakes back.
    “Alright then, let’s go.”  I say to Ian.  “Nice to see you again Mrs. Basso.  Gabe, let me know if you want the car.”  I turn around before either one of them can say anything back heading back to the driver side of the blue monster.
    “Wait Maddy.”  Gabe is jogging over to me.
    “What’s up?”  I impatiently say.
    “I don’t have your number.  Give me your phone.”  He demands.
    I dig it out of my purse and hand it to him.  He programs his number and then calls himself.  After he hands it back to me I see he stored himself as the Hot Basso Brother.
    “Nice” I smirk up to him.
    “It’s not my fault my brothers got stuck at the shallow end of the gene pool.”  He puts his hands out for me to disagree.  I don’t.
    We pull out of the driveway of what I considered my home once and I want to cry for what has happened between myself and the Bassos.  I won’t let myself get dragged into it again, I promised myself.  I see Mrs. Basso giving Gabe the third degree about why he would be with me and he is shaking his head back and forth. 
    “She’s a trip.”  Ian says.  “What is her problem with you?”
    “She used to be nice.  I was like a daughter to her.”  I say staring at the road ahead of me.
    “What happened?”  He asks.
    I don’t answer.  I don’t want to talk about it.  I can’t tell him that I took something from her that I could never replace.
     

Chapter 3 – 12 years old
     
    Trent and I “went out” for about two weeks before we broke up.  We were able to keep our friendship going surprisingly when Trent started “going out” with Candice Montgomery, Katie Pierce, Amanda Schmidt and Jenny Roberts.  Needless to say Trent was a lot like Mackenna, hard to make up his mind.
    Over the year Trent, Bryan, Mackenna and I became a close-knit group.  We usually got together with the Bigs and watched movies, played video games or went bowling.  We had turned into the best of friends.
    There were some days I talked more to Trent than I did to Mackenna. When Jack’s football team went to play in the state championship we traveled with the Basso’s up there.  We were able to convince Trent’s parents to take Bryan and Mackenna with us.  We piled in the Basso’s conversion van with games and snacks not realizing that Madison was only a few hours away.
    We were staying in a hotel with a pool, which we were so excited about.  We threw our bags in our rooms, changed into our swimsuits to meet down there. 
    “Mackenna Ross, what are you wearing?”  I ask when she struts down the hall in a bikini top and towel wrapped around her waist.
    “Well Mad, it’s called a bikini.”  She says sarcastically.
    “I know that but why are you wearing it?”  She looks gorgeous.  I stare down at my one-piece pink swimsuit.
    “Duh, I am going swimming.”  She puts her hands on her hips.
    Suddenly, I am not so excited to go swimming. Mackenna can tell I am upset.
    “I have another one if you want to borrow it?”  She puts her hand on my shoulder.  “But I think you look amazing”
    Isn’t that what best friends are for, to boost you up.
    “Thanks Kenna, but I would never be able to hold that top up.” I point to her breasts.  Kenna matured early compared to the other girls our age.
    “They aren’t that great Mad, believe me.”  Her looks goes from happy to sad.
    “I know, but you look gorgeous Kenna.”  I respond hooking my arm through hers.  “Let’s go show the boys how to dive.”
    She smiles back.  It’s funny that we are both self-conscious about the same thing for different reasons.
    When we walk closer to the pool the smell of chlorine fills the air making my body itch to get in the water. The boys are already diving and splashing each other.  In fact it’s not just Trent and Bryan but all the Little’s and a lot of the Bigs too.  They are all fixated on Mackenna, staring at her