Read Online The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - Free Book Online
Authors: Jenny Han
Tags: Fiction, General, Coming of Age, Bildungsromans, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction, Nature & the Natural World, Social Issues, Interpersonal relations, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), Friendship, Adolescence, Social Problems (General) (Young Adult), Holidays & Celebrations, Holidays & Celebrations - Birthdays, Seasons, Summer, Family - General, Beaches, Concepts, Vacation homes, Social Issues - Adolescence, Birthdays, Social Issues - Friendship
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each other, only this time it was so much easier because I felt steady. I pushed her once, firmly, and she tipped forward, but Jeremiah was still standing. I clapped loudly. This was pretty fun.
I was surprised when Conrad held out his hand for a high five. He wasn't a high five kind of person.
When Taylor resurfaced this time, she wasn't laughing. Her blond hair was matted to her head, and she said, "This game sucks. I don't want to play anymore."
"Sore loser," I said, and Conrad lowered me into the water.
"Nice job," he said, giving me one of his rare smiles. I felt like I had won the lottery from that one smile. "I play to win," I told him. I knew he did too.
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chapter seventeen
A few days after we shared Twizzlers at the movies Jeremiah announced, "I'm gonna teach Belly how to drive stick shift today."
"Do you mean it?" I said eagerly. It was a clear day; the first all week. A perfect day for driving. It was Jeremiah's day off, and I couldn't believe he was willing to spend it teaching me how to drive stick. I'd been begging him since last year to teach me--Steven had tried and had given up after our third lesson.
Steven shook his head and took a swig of orange juice from the carton on the table. "Do you want to die, man? Because Belly will kill you both, not to mention your clutch. Don't do it. I'm telling you this as your friend."
"Shut up, Steven!" I yelled, kicking him under the
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table. "Just 'cause you're a terrible teacher ..." Steven had refused to get into a car with me again after I'd accidentally gotten a teeny-tiny dent in his fender when he was teaching me how to parallel park.
"I'm confident in my teaching skills," Jeremiah said. "By the time I'm finished with her, she'll be better than you.
Steven snorted. "Good luck. "Then he frowned. "How long are you gonna be gone? I thought we were going to the driving range."
"You could come with us," I offered.
Steven ignored me and said to Jeremiah, "You need to practice your swing, dude."
I glanced at Jeremiah, who looked at me and hesitated. "I'll be back by lunch. We can go after," he said.
Steven rolled his eyes. "Fine." I could tell he was annoyed and a little hurt, which made me feel both smug and sorry for him. He wasn't used to being left out of things the way I was.
We went out to practice on the road that led down to the other side of the beach. It was quiet. There was no one else out on the road, just us. We listened to Jeremiah's old Nevermind CD from a million years ago.
"It's hot when a girl can drive stick," Jeremiah explained above Kurt Cobain. "It shows she's confident, she knows what she's doing."
I put the car into first gear and eased my foot off the
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clutch. "I thought boys liked it when girls were helpless."
"They like that too. But I just happen to prefer smart, confident girls."
"Bull. You liked Taylor, and she's not like that."
He groaned and stuck his arm out the window. "Do you have to bring that up again?"
"I'm just saying. She wasn't that smart and confident."
"Maybe not, but she definitely knew what she was doing," he said, before exploding into laughter.
I hit him on the arm, hard. "You're so gross," I said. "And you're also a liar. I know for a fact that you guys didn't even get to second."
He stopped laughing. "Okay, fine. We didn't. But she was a good kisser. She tasted like Skittles."
Taylor loved Skittles. She was always popping them into her mouth, like vitamins, like they were good for her. I wondered how I'd stacked up against Taylor, if he thought I'd been a good kisser too.
I sneaked a peek at him, and he must have seen it on my face, because he laughed and said, "But you, you were the best, Bells."
I punched him on the arm, and even then he didn't stop laughing. He just laughed harder. "Don't take your foot off the clutch," he said, gasping with laughter.
I was kind of surprised he even remembered. I mean,
83
it had been memorable for me, but it had been my first kiss and it had been
I was surprised when Conrad held out his hand for a high five. He wasn't a high five kind of person.
When Taylor resurfaced this time, she wasn't laughing. Her blond hair was matted to her head, and she said, "This game sucks. I don't want to play anymore."
"Sore loser," I said, and Conrad lowered me into the water.
"Nice job," he said, giving me one of his rare smiles. I felt like I had won the lottery from that one smile. "I play to win," I told him. I knew he did too.
80
chapter seventeen
A few days after we shared Twizzlers at the movies Jeremiah announced, "I'm gonna teach Belly how to drive stick shift today."
"Do you mean it?" I said eagerly. It was a clear day; the first all week. A perfect day for driving. It was Jeremiah's day off, and I couldn't believe he was willing to spend it teaching me how to drive stick. I'd been begging him since last year to teach me--Steven had tried and had given up after our third lesson.
Steven shook his head and took a swig of orange juice from the carton on the table. "Do you want to die, man? Because Belly will kill you both, not to mention your clutch. Don't do it. I'm telling you this as your friend."
"Shut up, Steven!" I yelled, kicking him under the
81
table. "Just 'cause you're a terrible teacher ..." Steven had refused to get into a car with me again after I'd accidentally gotten a teeny-tiny dent in his fender when he was teaching me how to parallel park.
"I'm confident in my teaching skills," Jeremiah said. "By the time I'm finished with her, she'll be better than you.
Steven snorted. "Good luck. "Then he frowned. "How long are you gonna be gone? I thought we were going to the driving range."
"You could come with us," I offered.
Steven ignored me and said to Jeremiah, "You need to practice your swing, dude."
I glanced at Jeremiah, who looked at me and hesitated. "I'll be back by lunch. We can go after," he said.
Steven rolled his eyes. "Fine." I could tell he was annoyed and a little hurt, which made me feel both smug and sorry for him. He wasn't used to being left out of things the way I was.
We went out to practice on the road that led down to the other side of the beach. It was quiet. There was no one else out on the road, just us. We listened to Jeremiah's old Nevermind CD from a million years ago.
"It's hot when a girl can drive stick," Jeremiah explained above Kurt Cobain. "It shows she's confident, she knows what she's doing."
I put the car into first gear and eased my foot off the
82
clutch. "I thought boys liked it when girls were helpless."
"They like that too. But I just happen to prefer smart, confident girls."
"Bull. You liked Taylor, and she's not like that."
He groaned and stuck his arm out the window. "Do you have to bring that up again?"
"I'm just saying. She wasn't that smart and confident."
"Maybe not, but she definitely knew what she was doing," he said, before exploding into laughter.
I hit him on the arm, hard. "You're so gross," I said. "And you're also a liar. I know for a fact that you guys didn't even get to second."
He stopped laughing. "Okay, fine. We didn't. But she was a good kisser. She tasted like Skittles."
Taylor loved Skittles. She was always popping them into her mouth, like vitamins, like they were good for her. I wondered how I'd stacked up against Taylor, if he thought I'd been a good kisser too.
I sneaked a peek at him, and he must have seen it on my face, because he laughed and said, "But you, you were the best, Bells."
I punched him on the arm, and even then he didn't stop laughing. He just laughed harder. "Don't take your foot off the clutch," he said, gasping with laughter.
I was kind of surprised he even remembered. I mean,
83
it had been memorable for me, but it had been my first kiss and it had been
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