David: Sophomore Year (Three Daves #1) Read Online Free Page A

after placing the order, Jen asked, “Have you ever thought about doing that?”
    “Doing what?”
    “Dating someone to make Ashley jealous?”
    “Wouldn’t that be mean to the other girl?”
    “The other girl would have to be in on the plan. You couldn’t lie to her.”
    He lowered his thick eyelashes, focusing on the clear, bumpy surface of his glass. “How about you?”
    “Me what?”
    “You be the girl I date to make her jealous.” He kept his gaze lowered, wiping streaks in the condensation with the tip of one thumb.
    Jen opened her eyes wide, giving him a firm and immediate, “Not a chance.”
    “Why not?” He jerked his head up. Jen was surprised by the intensity of his glare.
    “Because…” she started, looking at him and then away. She was tired of fighting off the “what ifs” and obviously wasn’t any good at it. Setting herself up as his fake girlfriend would only be jumping headlong into the trap of hoping things would turn real. Besides, why would she want to help him get back together with someone like Ashley? Of course, she couldn’t tell him any of these reasons. “Just no, all right?”
    “Don’t get so tense. Forget it,” David snapped. The guy from behind the counter came over and dropped their baskets of burgers onto the table. David stared at his, not making any move to eat it.
    “David, don’t be mad. I just—”
    “I said forget it.” He snatched the hamburger from the basket and bit off a third of it at one go. His jaws worked double time, grinding the meat. Before he’d finished chewing, he shoved two fries into his mouth.
    Jen shrugged and bit into her own burger. When the silence stretched on, she asked, “How were classes today?”
    “Fascinating,” he mumbled through the hunk of food in his mouth. He continued shoving more in, as if he stood to win a truckload of cash for being the first to finish.
    Jen took another halfhearted bite of the bacon and beef, then sat back, twirling a skinny fry between her thumb and forefinger, not able to work up the desire to eat it. David was already almost finished. “I guess I’ll get a box for this,” she said.
    David stood. “I’ll get it for you.”
    He was back in a flash, leaving Jen with no time to figure out how to make this better. She wanted to be supportive of her friend, but fake dating wasn’t an option. The only thing she could do for now was let David work his own way out of his snit. She boxed her food, and as soon as they walked out the front door, he made an excuse to go in the opposite direction of her.
    He didn’t text or call Jen for a full week afterward. She didn’t see him again until the following Thursday as she crossed the central quad on her way to the library. He stood by a fat, nearly leafless oak tree, bouncing a hacky sack, his mouth pulled tight in concentration. She stopped dead upon first spotting him and almost turned around to head the other way, but resisted the instinct. The friendship wasn’t over just because of one stupid conversation—at least not on her end.
    There could be a million different reasons he hadn’t gotten in touch during the past several days. He may have simply been busy with schoolwork. She had been, too. The only way she’d find out if he was intentionally avoiding her would be so say hi.
    The tiny sack bounced off his knee a couple of times, then fell further to be kicked straight up by his deft ankle.
    “Show off!” Jen shouted.
    He caught the toy in his hand and jerked his head toward her, breaking into a wide grin. Tiny, happy prickles ran up Jen’s arms, bringing a relieved smile to her face.
    “Where are you going?” he asked.
    She moved down the sidewalk toward him. “To the library. I have research to do for a big econ paper.”
    “Wrong answer,” David said. “You’re coming over here for your first hacky sack lesson.”
    “I suppose I have time for a short one.” She threw her backpack onto the dried leaves at the base of the tree.
    He