Read Online Her Teen Dream by Devon Vaughn Archer - Free Book Online Page A

admitted.
“Guess I just like running for the fun of it.”
    “Sounds like you’re chicken to me.”
    “Am not!” she tossed back.
    “Prove it,” Marilyn dared her.
    Karin chuckled, refusing to be baited into
doing something she didn’t want to do. She decided to throw her a
fig leaf. “If you make the team, maybe I will give it a try.”
    Marilyn seemed to take that for what it was
worth and didn’t say another word on the subject.
    * * *
    Karin was putting some books in her locker
when she heard some shuffling behind her. She turned and saw Cheryl
Green standing there, hands firmly on her hips. Beside her were
fellow cheerleaders, Amy Flaunders and Jayne Hathaway. Karin met
the steady ebony eyes of Jayne, who was the same height as Cheryl
and every bit as shapely. She was sucking on a lollipop like it was
addictive.
    It was her party where Marcus had gotten into
trouble. Under other circumstances, Karin might have thanked Jayne.
After all, the entire situation resulted in her becoming involved
with Reese. But it didn’t exactly seem like she and Jayne were on
friendly terms. Not when Jayne was in Cheryl’s hip pocket.
    “Looks like you don’t know how to take
advice,” spat Cheryl with narrowed eyes.
    In spite of being outnumbered and unnerved,
Karin responded tartly, “Maybe I just don’t like taking advice from
someone who doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone.”
    Cheryl’s brow furrowed with ire. “You bitch!
Who do you think you’re talking to?”
    “You tell me!” Karin refused to back down
this time and hoped she didn’t regret it.
    Cheryl slapped her. It stung, but not as bad
as it might have had Karin not been filled with adrenalin. She
slapped her back brazenly.
    Cheryl looked stunned, as if the thought
never crossed her mind that anyone would dare hit her perfect face.
Least of all Karin Blanch. She grabbed Karin and they began to
wrestle. Before Karin knew it, she had been thrown down to the
floor with some help from Jayne and Amy, who were encouraging
Cheryl.
    After Cheryl pounced on her like a feline,
everything pretty much became a blur.
    Then Karin heard a deep voice that she
recognized. It was vice principal Jeremiah Atkinson. “Break it up!
Break it up now, girls!”
    He pulled Cheryl off her and pushed her away,
then helped Karin to her feet.
    “Are you all right?” he asked with something
less than real concern.
    Other than being a bit shaken up, Karin was
sure there were no broken bones or other indication of severe
trauma.
    “Yeah,” she managed to say, catching her
breath. “I think so.”
    He rounded on Cheryl. “Who started this?”
    She stood mute, as if at a loss for honest
words.
    “How about you?” he asked Karin. “What do you
have to say about it?”
    She too chose not to respond, not wanting to
further inflame the situation or rat out Cheryl. Not that she
didn’t deserve to get into trouble. Or possibly be expelled.
    The vice principal looked at Jayne and Amy.
“Either of you have anything to say?”
    They both stood mute.
    He furrowed his brow and said to Amy and
Jayne, “You two get out of here.” To Karin and Cheryl, he said,
“You two, in my office—NOW!”
    Karin walked beside Cheryl, feeling the heat
of her glare, but not returning it. She just wanted this to be
over, but had the feeling it wouldn’t be as long as they both pined
for the same boy.
    * * *
    Karin sat there while Mr. Atkinson tried to
get answers out of them. She felt like she was being attacked twice
and there seemed little defense.
    “This isn’t like you, Karin, to get into a
street brawl,” he said unsympathetically. “In fact, we’ve never had
any trouble from you. So why now?”
    Karin shot Cheryl an icy glare. “Maybe you
should ask her .”
    “I’m asking you , young lady!”
    She sighed and simply lowered her eyes, as if
focused on an ant crawling across the floor.
    The vice principal turned to Cheryl. “All
right, out with it, Ms. Green. Since this isn’t