Read Online Studying Boys by Stephie Davis - Free Book Online Page A

and stared at me. "What was that for?"
    "You ruined The Homework Club!"
    "Oh, that." He tossed the pillow on the floor and relaxed. "I made it better."
    "No, you didn't!" I grabbed the pillow again and smacked him in the head. Hard.
    "Hey!" He grabbed my wrist and yanked the pillow away. "Cut it out."
    "No!" I filched another pillow from the end of the couch, and whacked him right in the face, dodging out of his way when he jumped to his feet. "Don't you realize I'm on scholarship? I have to get good grades. I don't have sports to coast through school on. I have to earn my way, and I needed your help and you let me down!" I hit him again and then leaped out of his reach, cracking my knee on the coffee table.
    Pain rushed up my leg and I hobbled away. Dumb Theo. It was all his fault.
    "You okay?"
    I glared at Theo. "Shut up! Don't pretend to be nice! You're a jerk and you ruined everything for me." No way was I falling for some show of thoughtfulness here. He'd failed when it counted.
    "Frances, I wasn't trying to screw it up. You wanted people and I got them there. No one would have come if it was to do homework." He sounded annoyed and maybe even a little confused.
    Not that I was going to feel bad for him. "Believe it or not, Theo, there are actually some kids who do their homework, who might think that doing it in a coed environment is actually more fun than doing it alone. Homework, that is. Don't give me that dumb look."
    "What look?"
    "That look that says you've got some crude thought in your head. You can forget it. I'm not interested in you or your stupid ways. Forget about coming to The Homework Club. Keep your horrible friends. I'm going to make this work without you!" I threw the pillow at him as hard as I could, and he caught it easily.
    Beast.
    "Frances—"
    I turned and walked out.
    And got as far as the stairs before my legs started shaking so much I couldn't stand any more. I'd yelled at Theo. Really and truly yelled at him. I never stood up against anyone, ever. I always tried to be the good girl. What in heaven's name had gotten into me?
    I felt embarrassed about screaming at him, but at the same time, I had to admit, it felt a little bit thrilling to stand up for myself. Yes, it really did. But that good feeling was somewhat offset by the grim truth that I'd probably just sealed the Homework Club's fate as a bust by alienating the one key person I needed.
    Oy.
    * * *
    I was sitting, utterly depressed, on the bottom step when Allie and Blue came downstairs for dinner a few minutes later. "Frances! What are you doing here?"
    What had I done? Screamed at Theo? I never screamed. Ever. Especially not at guys I had a crush on. Plus I still needed him! I looked at my friends and I had no idea what to say.
    "Upstairs." Blue grabbed one arm and Allie latched on to the other and they hauled me up to the second floor and down the hall to Blue's room.
    They shut the door, propped me up on the bed and sat down. "What's going on?"
    I told them what had happened. Every detail. When I finished, they were both staring at me like I was some freak who had feet growing out of my forehead. "What?"
    "I've never seen you like this," Allie said.
    "Like what?"
    "Yelling."
    "And throwing things," Blue said.
    I shrugged and flopped back on the bed. They were right. What was happening to me? First, I lied to my parents. And now I'd turned into a psycho? This was not good. Before I knew it, I'd be quitting school to embark on a criminal career. What was I turning into?
    "So, what are you going to do?" Allie asked.
    Excellent question. "Quit?" But I didn't want to give up. I couldn't give up. Two schools were relying on me! "Kill Theo?" That sounded like more fun. Except that would make me a murderer, and I'd already decided I didn't want to turn to a life of crime. "Go back to my old life?" Homework on Friday nights? The good little girl?
    Somehow that didn't sound so appealing anymore.
    "You need to get Theo back on your side," Allie