Waking Up to Boys Read Online Free Page A

must have gotten around to staff at the other resorts on the north side of the lake. The sound of guitar music and the smell of woodsmoke drifted down to the dock from the fire pit and Chelsea breathed it in as she helped unload coolers, thinking that the smell of a campfire was a sure sign that summer had really begun.
    “This is spooky,” Sara whispered as the group followed the wobbling beams of their headlamps up the well-trodden path to the fire pit.
    “You can’t seriously be scared,” Chelsea said incredulously. But even as she said it, she realized that she was a little nervous, too. It was late and the woods on the island were dark. Plus, what if they got caught?
    “I’m kinda spooked, too,” another girl piped in. It was that girl from the meeting earlier, Nina or whatever. “But in a fun way. Like at a haunted house or something.” Sara grabbed Nina’s arm, and the girls charged ahead toward the sounds of music and voices.
    The fire pit was set in the middle of an open grove of pine trees not far from the water’s edge. For as long as anyone could remember, the pit had been surrounded by large flat stones and thick fallen logs, and an ancient picnic table rotted nearby. At the moment, a roaring fire illuminated the faces of the revelers, surrounding the group with an orange glow. Summer staffers from all over North Tahoe lounged, laughed, and chatted on the stones and logs, and the picnic table was piled high with snacks.
    Chelsea’s heart caught in her throat when she noticed Todd standing off to the side, the firelight illuminating his sharp, masculine face as he put his hands out to his sides, obviously demonstrating a new wakeboarding move to some guys from the Ridgetop Grille. Chelsea quickly took off her Petzl and ruffled her matted hair.
    Instead of going over and listening to him brag abouthow great he was on a wakeboard, though, Chelsea wandered over to the picnic table to grab a long stick and a marshmallow to roast. Tim from the Mountain Bike Shoppe looked up from where he was assembling s’mores and smiled, brushing his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. “Hey, Little McCormick,” he said, “long time no see. How’s it going?”
    “Great!” she answered, cringing slightly at the old nickname. She sat down to talk to him. But her butt had barely touched the bench before he lowered his voice and moved closer. “Hey,” he asked, cocking his head in Sara’s direction. “Who’s that new girl you came up with?”
    “Oh, that’s my half sister,” Chelsea explained, wanting to roll her eyes. She smoothed her hair out of her face. “She’s here for the summer. She’s doing plant walks or something.”
    “Really?” Tim looked at Sara wistfully. “Introduce me?”
    “Sure, whatever,” Chelsea said, feeling more than a little annoyed.
    “Yo, Sara,” Chelsea called over the din of people talking. Sara looked around and immediately headed toward them, smiling the social-butterfly smile that Chelsea could barely believe she would have to look at all summer.
    “What’s up?” Sara asked, giving Chelsea a perplexed look. A cold breeze rustled the trees around the fire, and Sara pulled Leo’s jacket tighter around her shoulders.
    “Oh—this is Tim. He wanted to meet you,” Chelsea blurted. Tim kicked her under the table before smiling warmly at Sara and extending his hand.
    “Chelsea never told me she had a sister,” he told Sara. “I was curious to see what you’re like.”
    “Half sister,” Chelsea grumbled, running her finger against a heart with the initials A + K carved into the table. But nobody seemed to hear her. In the meantime, it looked like Tim might be blushing. It was hard to tell in the dark.
    Tim’s best friend, Ethan, joined them. At well over six feet, he towered above the group, his face shadowed by a fur-trimmed hunting cap. “Hey,” he said, punching Tim lightly on the shoulder. “How’s it going, man?”
    “Can’t complain, bro,” Tim replied,