Read Online Girl Meets Ghost by Lauren Barnholdt - Free Book Online Page A

worried about ghosts. The outfit Ellie and I picked out last night looks fab, and my hair is cooperating perfectly. By the time I’m done getting ready, I’m starting to feel a little more calm, and I bound downstairs. I say good morning to my dad, then pour myself a huge bowl of cereal. I’m going to need my energy if I’m going to get through the excitement of the day.
    â€œYou look nice,” my dad says.
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œThis wouldn’t have anything to do with that boy I saw you at the mall with, would it?”
    â€œNo,” I lie. Talk about awkward. How am I supposed to tell my dad that I like Brandon? Or that I like any boys at all? Ohmigod. I just realized something. How am I going to tell my dad that I’m going out on a date if Brandon does ask me? I mean, my dad has never really said I couldn’t date, but maybe that’s because he assumes that I already know I can’t. But since he never said I couldn’t . . . Wow, this is confusing. And humiliating. Oh, well. I’m not going to miss hanging out with Brandon just because of a potentially awkward conversation with my dad. I take a deep breath and decide to just go for it.
    â€œSo, Dad,” I say, trying to sound all nonchalant. “If my outfit did, you know, hypothetically , have something to do with the boy you saw me with the other day, how would you feel about that?” This is something I’ve learned workswith my dad. If I ask him how he feels about something, it’s different than asking him for permission. It opens up a dialogue instead of setting him up as the authority figure. It’s actually a very mature thing to do.
    â€œWell,” my dad says. He’s cracking eggs into a bowl so that he can make his morning omelette. My dad has a western omelette every morning. He’s supposed to only have egg whites, but sometimes he lets a little bit of yolk slip in. “I suppose I would want to know exactly what’s going on with you and this boy.”
    Don’t we all, I think. “Weeelll, what if he was maybe going to ask me to hang out?” I ask. “Could I hang out with him?” “Hang out” sounds way less intimidating than “date.” Even though, of course, that’s what it would be. Wouldn’t it? Is it possible Brandon’s just going to ask me to hang out because he wants to be friends? That would be horrible, and so I push it out of my mind, right into some mental “ignore” folder, like where I decided to put that woman ghost from last night.
    â€œLike a date?” my dad asks. He’s frowning suspiciously into the frying pan.
    â€œOr maybe, like, a group thing, or a study session or something.”
    My dad hesitates. And then, finally, he says, “I guess that would be okay.”
    Daniella appears beside me and rolls her eyes. “God,your dad is, like, sooo overprotective. I was going out on dates all the time when I was thirteen.” She thinks about it. “Of course, I was getting asked out constantly, so it made sense.” Ugh.
    â€œThanks, Dad,” I say, deciding to ignore Daniella’s comment. Today is going to be great, I tell myself. Then I grab my bag and head out the door to catch the bus, Daniella trailing along behind me.
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    Okay. I really need to calm down. I mean, there’s no reason to get all riled up just because Brandon might ask me to hang out. I don’t even know if it’s going to happen for sure. Kyle is definitely not the best source of information. He probably forgets things, or messes things up all the time. Especially important things like who his best friend is going to ask to hang out.
    Still. I can’t help getting butterflies in my stomach about it, and all morning I keep my eyes peeled for Brandon. When I pass him in the hall after third period, he says, “Hi,” and I feel my insides melt. But he