Read Online Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach - Free Book Online Page A

which, since Gus started hanging with Maddie, makes me think of Gus as a cradle-robbing pervert. This is all confusing to me, but whatever.
    â€œShe’s full of crap, man. Bony’s gone haywire. Andrew is at orchestra camp in Door County.”
    â€œYeah, that’s what he told you. Do you know for sure?”
    â€œHe calls Jerri every freaking day. He even said he wouldn’t call her that much, but he can’t help himself because he’s a little kid. Run away? I don’t think so.”
    â€œI’m not buying it, man. Andrew’s one crafty little bitch.”
    â€œHe is not. Jerri put him on speakerphone last night, and I could totally hear orchestra people warming up in the background. He is really, totally at orchestra camp.”
    â€œEmily says he’s on an adventure.”
    â€œBony is weirder than I thought.”
    â€œPsycho Emily?” Gus asked.
    â€œShe is more than just skin and bones?” I said.
    â€œShe’s a freaky psycho,” he said.
    â€œA crazy psycho killer?” I asked.
    It was weird how fast we fell into our old way of speaking.
    â€œOkay. Well. If she lies, then let us drive to Bony Emily’s house and give her a piece of the business,” Gus said.
    â€œI’m down.”
    Gus turned up the music, Bad Brains (“Classic punk, my man”), which sort of gave me a headache (Dad liked this music), and we rolled on over to Bony Emily’s.
    Thankfully, we caught her mowing the lawn in front of her big house and didn’t have to knock on the door and potentially deal with her weird professor parents. She was wearing a pink and sparkly unicorn T-shirt, I kid you not. When we pulled up, she blinked at us, then let go of the handle of the mower, turned, and started walking really fast toward the side yard.
    â€œHey,” Gus shouted. “Are you trying to run away?”
    â€œLike my brother!” I shouted, getting out of the car.
    Emily turned back slowly. She was red in the face. She pointed at Gus. “Your stupid girlfriend gave me lemonade with alcohol in it.”
    â€œShe’s very bad,” Gus nodded.
    â€œMy mom says I can’t be friends with her anymore.”
    â€œYour mom can’t pick your friends. That’s not right,” said Gus.
    â€œHey,” I said. “I’m not interested in your mom troubles.”
    â€œYou’re an ass, Felton,” Emily said.
    â€œWhoa. Bad mood, huh?” Gus said.
    â€œIs my brother on an adventure or is he at orchestra camp?”
    â€œHe’s on an adventure at orchestra camp.” Bony Emily glowered. “Go away.”
    â€œWhy would you tell Maddie that Andrew ran away? That’s pretty psycho, don’t you think?” Gus said.
    â€œMaddie made me drunk. Now I’m grounded.”
    â€œSo you lied?” I asked.
    â€œI don’t know what I said. Andrew’s at orchestra camp, okay?”
    I turned to Gus. “I already knew that.”
    â€œYes. Of course. Thought we better check.”
    â€œI appreciate your concern.” I actually really did appreciate his concern. “Let’s go.”
    â€œStay off the juice!” Gus shouted back at her.
    â€œYou can both screw off,” Emily shouted back.
    I stopped, turned, and stared at Bony Emily. “What did I do?” I asked. “Why do I have to screw off?”
    â€œYou’re mean to Andrew, and that sucks.”
    â€œI am not.”
    â€œGo to hell.”
    Ouch. I told Andrew he should be a pharmacist.
    As we drove away, Gus said, “She’s sort of hot, isn’t she?”
    â€œIf you like ten-year-olds,” I mumbled.
    â€œDude, she turns fifteen in September. Andrew and his friends aren’t going to stay little kids forever. She’s la high school chica now. And, totally en fuego .”
    â€œNo, Mr. Pervis, she is not remotely en fuego .”
    â€œBet she trades that unicorn-wear for some tight