Read Online Popularity Takeover by Melissa de La Cruz - Free Book Online Page B

with her shoulder. The clothes might be a little weird, but she hadn’t had so much fun in ages. She had to tell the other Ashleys about this place. Maybe open their minds a bit.
    As she walked out, the door almost hit someone waiting to come in.
    â€œSorry!” she said, looking up with a broad smile. A smile that instantly froze on her face.
    Max! He looked as surprised as she felt. The door closed behind them, and there they were, standing onthe chilly sidewalk, mouths open like goldfish. Someone had to say something, but what?
    â€œAh . . . you shop here?” Max finally asked. All Lili could do was nod. She felt completely stupid, as though her head were stuffed with cotton wool.
    â€œIt’s a cool place,” Max said, smiling.
    â€œYes,” she agreed. “It’s cool.”
    There was an awkward silence, and Max looked down at his shoes.
    â€œIt’s pretty cold today, isn’t it?” Lili burbled. She had to say something , even if it was completely inane.
    â€œWay colder than yesterday,” Max said, and then they fell silent again. Lili’s hands were numb and the handles of the bags were digging into her palms, but that was nothing compared with the churning agitation she felt deep inside. Her face was as red as the vintage wrap dress she’d just bought.
    â€œBut it was hot in the store,” she told him, as though she had to explain away her red face. Why was she acting like such an idiot? Seeing Max turned her brain to Jell-O. He was so cute, with his bright platinum hair and dark eyes. She couldn’t help herself: She’d been trying to forget Max, but it was impossible.
    Even though he’d been kind of mean to her and hadso easily believed all those lies about her, she still really liked him. And he seemed pretty eager to stand around chatting. He could have made his excuses and ducked into the store, but no—he was still here.
    â€œSo, do you like it?”
    â€œThe store? Yeah. It’s, you know, different.”
    â€œNo, I meant this new sticker.” Max was holding up his skateboard and pointing to a wave-shaped blob above the rear wheels. Lili nodded, but she couldn’t see anything clearly right now. At least he didn’t seem mad at her anymore—that was a relief. Lili had so much she wanted to say to him: that she wasn’t lying when she had said she was grounded; that she’d never had another boyfriend, no matter what anyone had told him; and that she’d seen him with another girl who didn’t look like she was just a friend.
    But how could she just come out and say all this stuff when they were talking about a sticker on Max’s skateboard?
    â€œI wanted to tell you,” she began, trying to get the courage to follow through. “I never dated anyone—”
    â€œLili!”
    Yikes! There was no mistaking that voice. Over Max’s shoulder, Lili could see her mother’s ­humongousSUV bearing down on them, its driver’s window down. It’s a hybrid! Lili wanted to tell Max once she saw the disapproving look on his face. He was super eco-friendly, of course.
    â€œGo on. . . . You never dated anyone . . . ,” Max prompted.
    â€œI never dated anyone else—” Lili tried to say.
    â€œASHLEY OLIVIA!”
    â€œI never dated anyone else but you . . . I mean, while we were together. I know someone told you I had been, but it’s a total lie. . . . I know you don’t believe me, but I couldn’t contact you, because I was totally grounded because of the camping trip. My mom took my computer and phone away and everything. . . .”
    Max’s eyes widened, but before he could respond, Lili’s mother yelled again and Lili jumped up, racing to her mother’s car.
    â€œComing, Mom!” she called, trying to pretend that her mother wasn’t glaring at them, her face frighteningly stern. Great, now her mother was going to lock her up for the rest