Read Online Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers - Free Book Online

the living room. He’s stretched out in his recliner and Bailey’s sprawled out on the floor at his feet. Dad snaps his fingers. “Bailey!”
    Bailey raises his head.
    “Fetch, Bailey; fetch me my slippers, boy!”
    It’s terribly exciting. Bailey rises slowly, totters out of the room and totters back in with Dad’s slippers in his mouth. Mom squeals a little and claps her hands.
    This dog is mad talented.
    “Good dog!” she gushes, patting Bailey on the head. He looks pretty satisfied with himself, for a dog. He nestles back into his spot at Dad’s feet and Mom rushes into the kitchen to get him a treat.
    “Good job, Bailey,” I say.
    But I’m not talking about the slippers.
    The party starts at eight, but I show up early so Chris and I can have sex. Another year at St. Peter’s is almost behind us and we’ve already slept together eight times. This will be the ninth and there’s going to be a lot more sex in our future .
    We go to his bedroom. The speakers are mounted against his window and he turns on some sweet-sounding music really low and kisses me and I kiss him back and then, I don’t know, I kind of seize up .
    “What’s wrong?” he asks. He’s breathing heavy .
    We separate and I wipe my mouth.
    “What have you been eating?”
    “What does it matter?”
    “Were you eating something with garlic in it? I told you not to eat garlic before you kiss me anymore. It’s gross.”
    He sighs. “What’s wrong, Parker?”
    “You know I hate garlic breath and you eat it anyway, that’s what’s wrong.”
    “That’s not what I mean.”
    I untie my ponytail and retie it. I think every so often, Chris should have to work for sex by listening to me .
    “Jessie thinks I’m coming down on the other girls too hard.”
    “We stopped making out for that?”
    He leans in for another kiss and I push him away.
    “Fuck off, Chris. I’m serious.”
    “You’re always serious.”
    “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
    “It can be.” He flops back on his bed. “You should loosen the fuck up every once in a while; the world wouldn’t stop. No one would die.”
    He’s such a bastard. I loosen up, sometimes. And even if I didn’t, it’s not like there’s something wrong with being focused. Some people are focused .
    That’s what they do .
    “She says I’m coming down on the girls too hard,” I repeat.
    “Is she right?” he asks. “I bet she’s right.”
    “I may have let them know how much they suck lately.” The memory of their total suckiness gets me pissed off about it all over again. “But I want us to be good, you know? Is that too much to ask? I work my ass off thinking up cheers and dance moves and if they can’t get them right, what, I’m supposed to congratulate them for it?”
    Chris stares .
    “It’s just cheerleading.”
    “Oh, really? And if I said that about one of your basketball games —”
    “That’s different.” He sits up and wraps an arm around me. “I’ve seen you captain. You’re anal. You’re anal about everything, though.”
    “I like things a certain way.”
    “You’re a perfectionist. You like them perfect. There’s no margin for error or you go crazy.”
    “If I can do things right, I don’t see why everyone else can’t.” I untie my ponytail again and do it back up. “She called me a Cheerleading Nazi in front of the entire squad. We got into a screaming match in front of everyone —”
    “That’s so cute,” Chris says, laughing. I glare at him and he stops. “Look, you’ll see her in a couple of hours when the party’s in full swing. Get her after she’s had a couple shots and she’s mellow. You can make up, no biggie. You’re best friends. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
    He kisses my neck.
    “God, you’re tense,” he murmurs. “Maybe you should quit the squad, take a break or something. You’re, like, this close to the edge —”
    “That’s funny, Chris,” I interrupt .
    “I’m not kidding. Loosen the