Times Squared Read Online Free Page B

back over to the drama group.
    And then we climbed on the bus! It was huge! There were doors in the front and near the back. The seats were high and soft and separate from one another. There were two seats on each side of the aisle.
    I followed Tess until she stopped at a row halfway to the back.
    â€œHow’s this?” she asked me.
    â€œGreat!” I said, and Tess sat down in the seat by the window. I stuffed our bags in the overhead above us.
    â€œHere’s a seat!” someone across from me said.
    Cashmere? Sydney’s BFF (best friend/follower).
    â€œCashmere?” I said. “You’re not in Drama Club.”
    â€œShe is now.” Sydney followed behind Cashmere. “She just joined.”
    â€œCashmere, you should try out for the next show,” Tess said. “You were so good as the Cat in the Hat in our elementary school play.”
    I didn’t know that Tess and Cashmere went to the same elementary. I also didn’t know she starred in a school play.
    â€œCashmere is a good actress and has a really good singing voice,” Tess continued.
    â€œCashmere is just joining drama to come to New York with me,” Sydney explained. “She’s not trying out for any plays.”
    â€œI don’t understand why I can’t,” Cashmere whined.
    I understood. I remembered that Sydney hadn’t wanted Cashmere to join drama. It must have been because Sydney wanted to be the star! She was afraid of the competition!
    â€œSave our seats,” Sydney snapped at her. She tried to lift her giant suitcase.
    â€œOh, there’s Nick. He can help me with my bags.”
    Nick came down the aisle. He helped Sydney put her two huge chocolate brown and pink suitcases into the overhead compartment. Then she slid into the seat with her stuffed tote bag on her lap.
    â€œWhew! That’s a lot of stuff!” he said.
    â€œNick to the rescue,” Sydney said. “My hero!”
    Gag.
    But I couldn’t say anything. I could barely look at him! Nick stopped next to where Tess and I were sitting.
    â€œHey, guys,” he said.
    I blushed and looked down.
    It’s not like I wanted to avoid Nick. I just didn’t know what to say! I couldn’t believe it. I used to makefun of Emma for not being able to talk to boys. And now I was the one turning purple.
    â€œIs anyone sitting here?” he asked, pointing to the seat in front of us.
    â€œWhere’s Reilly?” Sydney asked. “Reilly might want to sit there.”
    Nick was cute. But Reilly was definitely the hottest guy in drama. He was in eighth grade and didn’t seem into Sydney, but that didn’t seem to stop her from trying.
    â€œReilly’s already sitting up front.” Nick pointed to the front of the bus. “So I guess it’s cool if I sit here.”
    He slid into the seat in front of me. Tess poked me. Yay! I could stare at the back of Nick’s head for the whole trip!
    â€œDude!” A guy named Charlie came down the aisle and stopped at Nick’s seat. “I’m sitting with you.”
    â€œSorry, Sam’s already planning on it,” Nick said.
    â€œNot anymore,” Charlie said cheerfully. “Burkle is making us change seats. She doesn’t want me sitting with Reilly because we’re trouble with a capital T .”
    â€œGo tell Burkle to let Reilly sit here instead of you,” Sydney told him.
    â€œ Pht , I’m not going up there.” Charlie shook his head. “It’s all teachers. Besides, Burkle told Reilly sheneeded to keep an eye on him. She blames him for the eighth-grade campout bus spitball incident last month.”
    We all leaned to look. Sure enough, Reilly was sitting next to Mrs. Burkle. He was going to have a loooong trip!
    Coach Babbitt called for the mathletes to get on the bus from the back door.
    â€œThe back seats are so much cooler.” I sighed. “Why do the math geeks get to sit in the