Pieces of Us Read Online Free

feeling better. I’m imagining what spot on me Derek will touch next. I’m thinking that if someone sees me—just me, not the me standing beside Katie—I may actually look cute. I’m even proud of myself for sticking to the apple slices.
    Then I walk into my kitchen and it’s a Katie fashion show.
    “Oh Julie!” says my mother. “Thank goodness you’re home. We could really use your help pinning up Katie’s hair.”
    Katie looks almost apologetic, but she doesn’t say she doesn’t need me. I sigh. And play. “So, tell me about this night of yours.”
    Katie shrugs. “It’s just a party. Like a welcome-to-the-top-of-the-pyramid thing.” She plays it down, for my sake I guess, but I can see her wanting to bounce, see her toes wiggling with excitement in their sparkly pumps. Her eyes shine in the same way mine did when I got the highest Word Masters score in the school. No one threw me a party for that. No one pinned my hair up when I got my ribbon.
    My mother moves a strand of hair from Katie’s eyes and steps back to get a better look. Her eyes shine with pride. “Ethan won’t be able to take his eyes off of you,” she says, and Katie beams.
    “And what about Alex?” I ask.
    Katie’s smile wavers. We don’t talk about Alex during the school year. Part of their idiotic arrangement. But they hook up every summer. How does she NOT think about him? I mean, Philly is only twenty minutes away.
    “He’s my summer boyfriend,” she says, like it’s that easy.
    “And if Ethan wants to date in the summer?” Nothing should be this easy.
    “Oh, Julie!” Katie ruffles my hair like I’m ten instead of thirteen. “I know what I’m doing.”
    Mama fixes a bobby pin on Katie’s head that I already put in. “Today is your sister’s big night. No need to make trouble, okay?”
    I close my mouth and fix Katie’s hair. By the time she leaves the house, she’s perfection, and my fingers smell like hair spray.
    I wish I’d eaten more fries with Chloe.

Alex
     
    Y o!” I yell when I walk into the townhouse. “Asswipe,
you home?”
    No one answers, and Jasmine giggles. I hate when she does that. It sounds so fake and innocent, and Jasmine is far from innocent.
    “Looks like the coast is clear,” she says.
    She moves to pull me toward my bedroom, then stops. That’s right. I’m the leader. But I know what she wants, and I’m not going to be a dick.
    “I missed you,” I say into her neck, and carry her to my bedroom.
    She nuzzles her head against my neck with a small moan, and I put her down on the bed and get on top of her.
    “Tell me you only want me,” she whispers.
    I want to laugh, but I can’t risk her walking out on my hard-on. “I only want you.” Because you’re the one who’s here.
    She pulls my shirt over my head, and I rip a button taking off hers. She moans extra loud like she’s a fucking porn star. And she wonders why I won’t commit. I don’t commit to whores.
    But they keep me going until I see Katya. She’s too good for this kind of shit.
    I pull off my jeans and move her mouth to where so many have gone before, and let her show her talents. Gotta hand it to her, she knows what she’s doing.
    When I’m done, she moves my hand to her underwear, and I hear the front door open.
    “Hold that thought,” I say.
    Then I cover her with a blanket—the little shit scares so easy, I always have to ease him in—and run to get Kyle.

Katie
     
    C hris’s house is decorated with blue and gold streamers, and the party is in full swing when Ethan and I get there.
    “It’s Ethan and Katie!” yell Leah and Trina when I walk through the double doors into the foyer. Drunk partiers throw confetti on me and Ethan.
    “Schmiiidy!”
    “Pyramid Girl!”
    They give us blue drinks, served in blue plastic cups. Ethan clinks his cup with mine. “To us,” he says, staring deeply into my eyes. I get the meaning behind the stare and look away.
    “To us,” I say. The sweet liquid tastes like