Read All About It! Read Free

arts,” I said to correct myself.
    â€œMore like language farts,” said Hailey, cracking herself
     up. The girl really does not like to read or write.
    Hailey moved restlessly around the room, picking things up and putting
     them back down. “So who are the hotties this year?” she asked.
    â€œOh, the usual. Looking better than ever with that awesome
     tan.” I didn’t even need to say his name. Michael Lawrence had been my crush
     for years. Really since I met him. The only bummer is that I met him in kindergarten
     when a onetime paste-eating experiment earned me the nickname Pasty (I thought it was
     frosting! I swear!). He still calls me that on a regular basis, and it makes me want to
     die. If he weren’t so cute, I’d have Hailey punch him for me.
    â€œYeah,” she said. “He looks good.”
    â€œWho do you like?” I asked, not expecting an answer. Hailey
     never liked anyone real. Most of her crushes were on famous guys.
    â€œOh . . . I don’t know. Maybe I’ll like someone this
     year,” she said.
    I perked up, my journalist senses tingling.
     “Like who?” I pressed.
    â€œOh, I don’t know. I just think . . . I think it’s
     time I liked someone,” she said.
    I nodded and grinned. “Interesting. And when do you think this
     liking will begin?”
    â€œShut up,” said Hailey. “I don’t need to be
     interviewed.”
    I ignored her. “What about Jeff Perry?” Jeff Perry is one of
     Michael’s best friends and he’s pretty cute too. They play baseball together
     in the spring, and he’s a photographer on the Voice .
     Also, he’s not too tall; that would be another plus for Hailey.
    Hailey shrugged. “Maybe him.”
    I tapped my front tooth thoughtfully. “How are you going to go
     about all this? Are you going to audition boys? Make them try out?”
    Hailey glared at me and I heard the front door open again, then
     shut.
    â€œAllie?” I heard my mom call.
    â€œHi!” replied my older sister, Allie. I didn’t hear
     any footsteps. That meant Allie was in the middle of texting someone and had stopped
     dead in hertracks. I looked at Hailey and rolled my eyes.
    Allie is in the tenth grade, and texting and the Internet are her life.
     She hardly communicates in real life anymore; it’s all online. Posting, texting,
     e-mailing links, uploading photos, downloading videos—it’s all she does. On
     the plus side, she’s the student coordinator for the high school website, which is
     a pretty big job, so at least she’s getting some kind of recognition out of all
     this. It’s just annoying to be around her because she’s always distracted. I
     know one day I’ll see a headline in the one of those wacky grocery store
     newspapers, like Freakish Girl Grows Giant Thumbs: Texting to
     Blame or something like that, and it will be Allie.
    Hailey, of course, finds Allie fascinating, because she doesn’t
     have an older sister. She refused to roll her eyes back at me.
    Allie appeared in the doorway, still texting.
    â€œOMG!” I said in a fake high-pitched voice. “TTYL!
     XOXO!”
    Allie didn’t even look up. Just finished her typing, laughing a
     little at something she was writing, and then clicked her phone shut and looked up. It
     waslike she was re-entering the atmosphere, and it took her a
     minute to adjust and realize we were there.
    â€œHi, Allie,” said Hailey shyly.
    â€œHey, Hails,” said Allie. She knew Hailey worshiped her and
     she loved it. “Hey, little sis,” she said. “How was the first day of
     kindergarten?”
    â€œWe’re in middle school,” Hailey corrected her
     respectfully.
    â€œHailey.” I groaned. “She knows. She’s just
     torturing us.”
    Allie flashed us a grin and Hailey laughed.
    â€œOh, funny. Good one,”