Read Online The Boy Project by Kami Kinard - Free Book Online

sometimes because I think Julie already has most of the advantages. It’s only fair. Besides, information isn’t worth having if you don’t use it.
    So I walked into the family room and said, “I want to try out for track this year.”
    Mom, Dad, and Julie looked at me. But apparently an evil fairy had just visited the room and blasted my family with a spell that rendered (new vocab word) each of them mute. No one said a single word.
    Ignoring the possible presence of a malevolent (new vocab word) fairy, I forged ahead. “Track has been such a great experience for Julie. And I really need to do something to get more involved with school.”
    Silence.
    â€œCan you take me to the mall so I can get some track shoes like you got Julie?”
    Family still mute.
    â€œI promise to start running with Julie every morning.”
    â€œWhat?!” yelled Julie. “You’ve never been interested in track!”
    I guess I was wrong about the voice-stealing fairy.
    â€œBut I’m older now,” I said. “You had a chance to prove yourself in track. I should too.”
    Julie, now mute again, rolled her eyes.
    Mom sighed. “Are you sure track is your thing, Kara?”
    â€œYou never even go jogging,” added Dad.
    â€œYou guys are always saying I should try new things.” (When the going gets tough, use your parents’ own words against them.)
    â€œWhy don’t we go to Michaels and get some new craft supplies instead?” asked Mom.
    â€œBecause craft supplies can’t buy you love,” I said.
    Julie made a sound that resembled a raft deflating. “And track shoes can?”
    â€œThey seem to be working for you.”
    Julie’s face turned pink, for some reason. She tossed her ponytail and stomped from the room. What’s up with her?
    In the end, Mom took me to the mall like I knew she would. Unfortunately, however, my mom doesn’t believe in “dropping young girls off at the mall by themselves.” So she was totally unreasonable and insisted on coming along.
    And since I wasn’t about to drag Mom into A&F, I only had about fifty seconds to dash in there while she was looking at half-price baking dishes. Guess what. No Justin. I asked the salesclerk if he was working today and she said, “How do you know Justin?” (As if it’s any of her business!!!!)
    Then two things happened at the exact wrong time. Justin walked in from the back of the store (he looked even better than before, if that’s possible), and my mom showed up at the front. I ran out, pulling her toward the food court. But I heard the clerk say, “Do you know that girl? She was looking for you.”
    â€œWho,
her
?” he asked. He used a tone that means “NO!” in about eighty-two different languages.
    What a narrowly avoided disaster! But do I think there’s still a chance he could be my soul mate? Sure! Because you never know. . . .

Monday, January 22
7:00 a.m.
    Usually I’m just rolling out of bed at this time in the morning. But not today. That’s because today’s the first day I had to
pretend
to want to go running with Julie since I made Mom buy me those shoes. So at 6:00 this morning Julie shook me awake, not too gently either. “Mom says I
have
to take you running. Thanks. I’m leaving in five — with or without you.”
    The last thing I wanted to do at 6:00 a.m. was to go running with my resentful sister (especially since I’m no closer to knowing if Justin is my one and only soul mate), but I knew if I didn’t make a good show of it Mom would never buy me anything again.
    Really, I had no choice but to whip on some shorts and a T-shirt, throw my hair into a ponytail, and hurry downstairs without even brushing my teeth! As I was heading downstairs, I thought it would serve Julie right if I blasted her with a very breathy “hellllooo.”
    I didn’t get a chance, though, because