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Chapters (67)
  1. Big Boned
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. One Month Later
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. Copyright
  63. About the Publisher
  64. Backad 1
  65. Backad 2
  66. Backad 3
  67. Backad 4

The guy who helped him hit the ball ran up to him with his hand in the air. “That’s it, buddy! High five!” And then I was downright floored to see Zac give this stranger a high five.

But I was even more floored—literally, I almost fell off the wall and landed on the floor—when the stranger turned around and I saw who it was.

7

Jake Jock Kick Me in the Back Handshake-Hot Jones Double Barrel!

He looked so out of place here, and I blinked rapidly to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. I wasn’t. There he was, high-fiving my brother, and it was so strange and utterly surreal that I felt like I’d been suddenly sucked into the canvas of a Salvador Dalí painting, jumping over melted clocks as a giant eyeball stared on.

I didn’t want to see him. Not since the embarrassing ball incident, followed by the even more embarrassing sandwich incident. Crap! What to do?

Hide behind a bush? Wait for him to leave then nab my brother and make a stealthy run for it? But just as I was playing these rather ridiculous scenarios out in my head, it happened . . .

“Lori!” Zac screamed so loudly that I was sure everyone as far away as BWH looked up. He waved, and as he did, Jake’s head began to turn.

It was as if everything started playing out in dramatic slow motion—perhaps even to some dark, ominous soundtrack. Jake’s head turned slowly, so slooooowly and then . . . bam! Eye contact. Followed by a look of recognition and then . . .

Small smile. Why was he smiling at me?

Small wave. Why was he waving at me?

And then he started walking toward me. Oh crap!

I tried to keep cool. I tried to look so indifferent and unfazed and above it all, but knew I was failing dismally. I concentrated hard on trying to get my facial features to behave normally, even though I could feel them wanting to do a bunch of things that would probably just make me look like a weirdo.

Hand on hip? Would that help my cause?

Arms folded? Would that make me look cooler? Or would that just make me look like I had one giant boob?

Run hand through hair nonchalantly? No, it would probably just get stuck in the curly knots.

I was overthinking this to the extreme, and it made me so acutely aware of all my body parts and where they were, and what they were and weren’t doing.

Jake and my brother were coming closer as I shuffled nervously from foot to foot, and then someone joined them. A girl about my brother’s age ran up to Jake and put an arm around his waist.

“Hey, Lori,” Jake said when he finally reached me.

“What the hell are you doing here?” The words flew out of my mouth before I knew what I was saying.