Read Online Second to No One by Natalie Palmer - Free Book Online Page A

likes someone else. I mean, he’s too cute not to. Do you think he likes someone else?” She was looking at me again, and so was Drew.
    “Um…I’m not sure. I think he was dating someone over the summer, but I think it’s over.”
    Lauren’s eyes widened. “So he isn’t dating anyone?”
    “Not that I know of. You should ask him out.”
    “What?” Drew stared at me with fierce eyes. “Why should she ask him out? He’s a guy. He should ask her out. And anyway,” she shook her head with frustration, “Jess Tyler might not be the best guy for Lauren to date right now.” Her jaw was tight, and her teeth were clenched. “After all, he has been known to be a bit of a heartbreaker lately.”
    “Or I could ask him?” I ignored Drew completely and turned to Lauren. “I could see how he feels about you.” It was just an eraser. A stupid eraser. It didn’t mean anything. Sure, I could play along. For Lauren’s sake. I could pretend that I cared. I could find some way to casually ask Jess if he liked Lauren, and when he said no, I could break it to her gently, and the whole fiasco would be over.
    “Really, you’d do that?” Lauren took hold of a fingernail with her teeth. “What if he doesn’t? I would be mortified!”
    “Yeah, Gemma,” Drew said between gritted teeth and a look that spelled out a warning. “I really don’t think you want to do that. I think it would be best if you just stayed out of it.” She turned to Lauren. “If we all stayed out of it. What about Kit? He’s a nice guy. I’ll introduce you to him.”
    “Maybe you’re right,” Lauren said sitting back on her pillow in defeat. “Maybe it would be best if I just let it all happen naturally.”
    Happen naturally? That was a horrible idea. I could just picture it. She would spend the rest of the year pining for him, and Jess would eventually notice this gorgeous, smart, farm-grown diva from Iowa. It wouldn’t be long until he developed his own little crush. Pretty soon, they’d be swapping smiles, then phone numbers, then spit, then vows, and I would be standing on the sidelines as Lauren’s fake best friend and Jess’s jealous ex-girlfriend, watching them live happily ever after.
    I was not going to let that happen. It was much better this way. My way. If Jess found out that she liked him before he had a chance to notice her, he would be flattered, but that would be the end of it. Lauren would turn into this sweet (and kind of pathetic) new girl with a crush on him, and he and I could spend the year secretly laughing at her.
    “It’s okay, Drew. I don’t mind asking him.” I turned back to Lauren with a convincing smile. “I’ll ask him in fourth period on Monday if you want.”
    “Um, okay,” Lauren said hesitantly while eyeing Drew for consent. “I guess it’s better to just know. Then if he’s not into me, I can move on, right?”
    “Exactly.” I took another bite of a Rangoon, and my stomach folded over with discomfort. I was a horrible, horrible person. What was I doing? Lauren was new in town. She was sweet, innocent, beautiful. Beautiful…that’s exactly what I was doing. I was marking my territory. Protecting what was mine. It was only natural.
    Drew was still watching me with sharp eyes, about to protest, no doubt, maybe even throw me under a bus. But before she could, a low rustle sounded outside the window beside us. All three of us went dead quiet as we looked at the black window, waiting for the sound to come back.
    “See, I told you guys!” Lauren whispered with wide, excited eyes, “There is a bear living in my front yard!”
    But Drew put her hand up to shush Lauren. “Wait a minute,” she whispered and cocked her head toward the window. The sound came back, and this time there was a snap of a branch, and something that sounded like a human voice. “That’s no bear.”
    Panic swept through my chest as I considered the possibilities. A burglar? A murderer? My heart nearly burst through my