Toe to Toe (On Pointe Book 1) by Penelope Freed (comprehension books txt) 📗

look.” Katy looks over at the group. The girls are stretched out in the sun, their limbs artfully arranged for the boys sneaking glances from the water. “Olivia is the only somewhat tolerable one.”

“Katy!” Jack calls. “Go get the ball!”

“And the nets!” Hunter adds.

“Get them yourself!” Katy bellows back, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the edge of the pool.

Chapter 23 Olivia

“Who does that little bitch think she is?” Allyson growls. I follow her gaze to Andrew and Hannah, sitting cozily on the other side of the pool. He’s running a thumb across Hannah’s cheek. Now, I can’t even get away from her at the Quinn’s? I move to defend Hannah from Allyson’s attack, then I remember Hannah isn’t my problem anymore.

“Seriously, what the hell does he see in her?” Megan pipes up from the other chair where she and Madison are artfully stretched out, ready to throw fuel on the fire as always. Megan has an amazing ability to start drama between other people without ever getting her hands dirty. “She’s not even that pretty,” she adds for good measure.

I stop and assess the trio across from us, trying to look subjectively. Hannah’s long, lean limbs are perfectly toned by her hours in the studio, her fire red hair piled up on her head in an effortless messy bun. Her wide blue eyes are completely innocent and her pale, creamy skin would tempt any boy who wasn’t blind. She may not be my favorite person in the world right now, but I know Megan is full of shit. Hannah has always been pretty. More than one guy paused to watch her pull her leggings off, transfixed by the allure of her long, slim, legs. Not Tyler though, I checked. He was busy hunting for a water bottle for me.

“She’s just a shiny new toy, he’ll be bored of her goody-two-shoes ass in an hour,” I say, fake disdain dripping from my lips. “Andrew has been eyeing you for weeks Allyson, maybe he’s just trying to make you jealous.” Today is the first time my dad’s let me out of the house since the beach incident, no way am I going to waste it on stupid drama. Especially drama with Hannah.

The conversation with my dad hovers at the back of my mind. Technically, I still owe her an apology. I’m surprised at the protective streak I feel towards her hearing Allyson and Megan. I don’t want to be her best friend, but I can’t stand back and watch these girls chew her up and spit her out.

Allyson huffs and crosses her arms over her chest, elbowing me in the arm, conveniently pushing her boobs up a little. I glance around and see that Andrew happens to be looking our way. Of course. I shove her off me, “Go get in the water and claim your man if you’re that worried.”

Allyson swings her legs off the lounger, but turns to face me, pulling her sunglasses down to look me in the eye. “Bitch.”

“That’s Queen Bitch to you,” I fire back without hesitation. “Go on, go get your man.” I make a shooing motion with my hands, then slap her butt as she stands up. “Go get ‘em, Tiger,” I add, laughing at her outraged face. “Love you!”

Allyson stalks towards the edge of the pool, eyes on her prey. I slide my sunglasses down my nose to watch as she carefully sits on the edge of the pool closest to where Andrew is rough-housing with the other boys. She leans back on her hands, deliberately stretching her torso out to expose a smooth expanse of golden skin between the top and bottom of her little red bikini, the perfect lure. I stifle a laugh as Tyler dunks a couple of baseball players, including Andrew, who quit paying attention, distracted by Allyson.

Hunter and Jack appear from the side of the house carrying a large net and a water polo ball. Jack tosses the ball to Katy with a cry of “Quinn Ball!” before he and Hunter start attaching the net to some anchors on the sides of the pool. “Liv!” Tyler calls from the middle of the pool. “Come on!” he yells again, motioning me to come get in the pool.

“You better come too,” I say to Megan and Madison, standing up and pulling off my shorts. “If I have to suffer through this, you guys do too.”

“I’m out. I got my hair done yesterday, no way am I ruining it,” Megan replies, shoving Madison out of the chair and sprawling in it so she can’t sit back down.

Tyler is waiting for me at the edge of the pool, chatting with Allyson. “Come on babe,” he says taking my hand. I sit on the edge of the pool while he turns his back to me. I drape my legs over his shoulders and push myself off the edge and onto his shoulders. I tuck my feet securely behind his back as he pushes off the wall and wades back to the center of the pool. I look across the pool and see that Katy is already perched on Jack’s shoulders, tossing the ball up in the air and catching it. Hunter is getting Lisa up on his shoulders with Hannah’s help.

“Quinn’s can’t be on the same team!” someone shouts from behind me, followed by a chorus of agreement from the other guys.

“I’m coming, hang on,” Hunter shouts from his end of the pool. There’s six of us girls in the pool. I eye Allyson. I better not let her be on the same team as Hannah, who knows what she’ll do. I’m not trying to protect Hannah. I’m not. I swear. I just don’t want to deal with more drama than necessary. Really.

“Come on babe, let’s go be on Jack’s team.” I say, leaning a little that way to force him to move.

Tyler ducks down in the water so I can slide off and cross under the net.