Read Online Play the Game by Nova Weetman - Free Book Online

clearly waiting for
me.
    ‘What took you so long?’ asked Tess.
    ‘Sorry. Just checking out your house,’ I said to Maggie. ‘It’s a lot like mine.’
    ‘Hope Finn wasn’t hassling you. He likes giving my friends a hard time. He thinks
being a year older means he can tease everyone.’
    I’m pretty sure I was blushing as I stammered, ‘No, no. He was fine.’
    I could feel Tess giving me one of her looks. She knows me so well, she can totally
tell when I’m not quite telling the truth. I pretended to be ridiculously interested
in the shelves of books lining the walls.
    ‘Wow, Maggie! And I thought we had lots of books.’
    ‘Yeah, my dad owns a second-hand bookshop – we’ve got more books than furniture.
And he actually expects Finn and I to read them all.’
    ‘I do read them all,’ said Finn. I jumped. What was it with this guy? Did he just
think he could keep creeping into rooms and making me nervous?
    ‘Really?’ said Tess, obviously not believing him. ‘I don’t read books unless I have
to. Edie does. She even reads plays.’
    ‘Cool,’ said Finn, walking up behind me.
    I started examining the books, hoping he’d be gone by the time I turned around again.
No such luck. I could sense that he was right next to me. Not knowing what to do,
I spotted a book I’d been dying to read and reached for it, just as Finn did the
same thing. Our hands sort of touched and I pulled away quickly.
    ‘Were you going to grab this one?’ he asked, holding up the book. ‘It’s awesome. You
can borrow it,’ said Finn, handing it to me.
    ‘Okay, thanks,’ I said.
    I realised Tess and Maggie were both watching us. I felt a bit embarrassed.
    ‘Test me,’ said Finn, running his finger along the spines of all the books.
    ‘Finn! Get out. This is not about you,’ said Maggie, fuming. I was relieved that she
sounded so annoyed. It gave me the perfect excuse to move away from Finn and join
Tess on the couch.
    ‘Can’t I stay and watch it with you? I promise to cheer for the right team this time,’
he said with those twinkling, laughing eyes.
    I really hoped Maggie would say no. I wasn’t quite up to being around a boy as cute
as Finn. Not today, especially, with my sweaty training clothes, dirty hair and blistered
foot. But she surprised me by sighing loudly, rolling her eyes, and then nodding.
    Finn grinned. There were heaps of empty chairs for him to sit on, but instead he
plonked himself right down between Tess and I. Now how was I supposed to concentrate
on the game? I could barely think!
    Tess leant around Finn and gave me that look that said she wanted to talk to me in
private. ‘Didn’t you want a drink, Edie?’
    I nodded furiously. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I do.’
    ‘Is that two drinks or one?’ said Finn with a smile.
    ‘I’ll get you a water,’ said Maggie, jumping up.
    But Tess shook her head. ‘No, it’s okay. You put the game on. We’ll go.’ I followed
Tess out of the lounge and limped my way down the hall. She waited until we were
in the kitchen before turning to me and whispering, ‘Are you okay?’
    I nodded. ‘Yeah. Except for the fact that I have a blister the size of a golf ball
on my heel.’
    Tess didn’t look convinced. ‘You don’t seem okay. You seem a bit …’
    ‘Tired. That’s all.’
    ‘Oh. Okay. Good,’ she said, opening a cupboard to find a glass. She filled it with
water and handed it to me. I drank it, surprised at how thirsty I was.
    ‘You sure it’s not because of Finn?’ said Tess quietly. I should have known I couldn’t
put one over her. She sees everything.
    ‘He’s a bit cute, isn’t he?’ I smiled at her, relieved to admit it. She smiled back.
    ‘Yeah. He is. And he clearly thinks you are, too.’
    I blushed. ‘Does not.’
    Tess shrugged. ‘Well it doesn’t matter, because he’s Maggie’s brother. And we’re
here to watch netball. And we don’t have time to check out cute boys! Okay?’
    She sounded so serious. I didn’t really get what the