Stop the Presses! Read Online Free Page B

should help.”
    â€œI don’t know if Hailey would agree.” I laughed too. “But let’s figure out what we want to find out there.”
    As usual, Michael just sat and talked and listened while I scribbled frantically in his notebook. I wondered what it would be like to have a photographic memory. One thing that would be totally awesome: I could replay word for word every conversation I had ever had with Michael Lawrence. Even something that might seem boring to someone listening in could be thrilling to me. There was always just a tiny detail about the way he raised his voice when he added, “Right,Pasty?” to the end of a statement that made it seem like he was talking about so much more than just writing a story. It was the type of subtle clue that you wanted to rehash a thousand times with your best friend. “Do you think he just meant, ‘We’ll find out tomorrow, right, Pasty?’ because we’re going to the meeting, or do you think there was something deeper behind it?” Hailey would listen to me go on and on and she wouldn’t even seem annoyed by it. If she were around to listen to me go on and on, which of course she wasn’t.
    After our lunch meeting, I was secretly hoping I would bump into Hailey in the halls so I could give her the cold shoulder and show her how it felt to be snubbed by your best friend. No such luck. It was like Hailey had disappeared from the halls of Cherry Valley Middle School. On the way home from school, I turned off my phone, then turned it back on again, sure that I must have missed a call or a text from Hailey and this was all just a big misunderstanding. Nada.
    I moped into the house, so frustrated that I even slammed the door behind me—really loudly.Usually Mom would be all over me for that, but she was so wrapped up in some tax dilemma that I just heard her groan. Great, I’m not even worthy of the attention it would take Mom to reprimand me.
    At least Allie seemed to realize that I was alive. She ran down the stairs, her hands full of fabric swatches.
    â€œSam, I’m so glad you’re home,” Allie cooed. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been checking out some samples in your room, and I think I’ve found the perfect ones.”
    â€œUm, hold on a minute, okay? I think I need to put on some sunglasses first,” I said snarkily.
    The colors might have been trendy, but they were hard for me to look at—a green so bright that a lime would have been jealous; metallic patterns that looked like an optical illusion; and a hideous fuchsia, orange, and turquoise combination that might have been inspired by a melted bowl of rainbow sherbet.
    â€œHere’s a little advice, Sam,” Allie said, obviously not happy with my reply. “When people are trying to help you, you should act appreciativeand grateful, even if you’re not.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Allie,” I said, and I was. “Some things have been bothering me lately, and I took it out on you. I do appreciate that you’re helping me. It’s been a rough week.”
    â€œOh, is it the Hailey thing?” Allie asked.
    â€œHow do you know about the Hailey thing?” I gasped. “Uh, I mean, what Hailey thing?”
    â€œSam, just because you think I’m not paying attention doesn’t mean that I’m not actually paying attention,” Allie said. “Hailey’s usually the first person you talk to when you get home from school, if she’s not actually here.”
    â€œShe’s just busy with school stuff,” I said. “It’s not a big deal.”
    â€œOkay, if you say so,” Allie said. “But believe it or not, I know what it’s like to have a fight with your best friend, and it really hurts. So if you want to talk, I’ll listen.”
    â€œThere’s nothing to talk about.” I laughed, trying to look less upset than I actually was.