Look Both Ways Read Online Free Page A

Columbia?” Zoe asks.

    “Oh, no. I’ve actually got one more year of high school. I’ll probably apply there and to Juilliard, but they’re both long shots.” Just thinking about spending four years under that kind of pressure makes my stomach turn over, but I push the thought away. By the time I’m done with Allerdale, I’ll be able to handle it.
    Zoe shrugs. “You never know. That’s what I thought, too. Hey, are you hungry? I think the dining hall opened a couple of minutes ago. If we want to grab something before the company meeting, we should go soon.” I love the way she says “we,” like she automatically wants to eat dinner with me. Maybe it’ll be easier to connect with people here than I thought.
    The dining hall is packed when we arrive. Half the people seem to be sitting on each other’s laps, touching each other’s hair, and kissing each other’s cheeks, and it kind of reminds me of the way my family acts. As I pass a table full of girls, one of them squeals, “OH EM GEE, we have the same shoes!” and the other replies, “OH EM GEE, besties!”
    Zoe and I get in line for food behind a tall black girl with a poofy cloud of a ponytail and a tiny girl with a blond pixie cut. When we hear them mention Ramsey, we introduce ourselves, and it turns out their room is two doors down from ours. The blonde introduces herself as Livvy, and the other girl says her name is Jessa. When she shakes my hand, she squeezes so hard, it hurts.
    Zoe and I each grab two slices of pizza and a side salad. I was kind of afraid nobody here would eat, but it seems like she’s as hungry as I am. When we head into the fray to find an empty table, Livvy and Jessa trail along behind us, and I realize Zoe’s the alpha dog here. I stay close to her, hoping some of her coolness will rub off.

    The second we sit down, Zoe crams an enormous bite of pizza crust into her mouth, and I almost laugh—she seems like the kind of person who would eat in small, ladylike bites. “I’m so hungry,” she mumbles around the food. “Denver to New York is four hours, and I got to the airport too late to grab a sandwich.”
    Jessa stares at her. “Girl, didn’t anyone ever show you how to eat pizza? You’re supposed to start with the end. ”
    “But that’s the best part. I like to save it for last.” Zoe shrugs. “My boyfriend always makes fun of me for it, too.”
    “Do you eat pie that way?” I ask at the same time that Livvy says, “What’s your boyfriend’s name?”
    “His name’s Carlos. And of course I eat pie like this. Who wants to eat pie crust last?”
    “That is messed up, ” Jessa says, but she’s smiling.
    “So, what shows are you guys hoping for?” asks Livvy, stabbing at her salad. She has so many croutons piled on top that I can barely see the lettuce.
    Jessa rolls her eyes. “I think it’s pretty clear where my black ass is going to end up.”
    “Allerdale’s actually pretty good about color-blind casting,” Zoe says. “When my sister was here, they did—”
    “Are you seriously trying to tell me there’s gonna be color-blind casting for Dreamgirls ? Because that is not gonna happen.”
    “All right, fair enough,” Zoe says.
    “I’ll take anything as long as I don’t have to play someone’s little brother,” Livvy says. “I’m so sick of getting cast as a ten-year-old boy. Maybe I should get a boob job. How do you guys think I would look with a D-cup?”

    “You’d look like someone’s little brother in drag,” Jessa says.
    “Oliver Twisted,” I offer. Zoe snort-laughs into her Diet Coke, and Livvy throws a crouton at me. I love that I barely know these girls and we’re already comfortable enough to tease each other. They don’t seem catty and competitive like the girls at home—maybe they’re confident enough about their talent that they don’t need to cut each other down all the time. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but part of me can’t help wondering whether Zoe