Lauren's Beach Crush by Angela Darling Page A

even prettier than usual, and she told her so. Chrissy beamed.
    â€œI’m so glad you are totally abandoning your casual style!” cried Chrissy. “That dress is perfect.”
    Lauren paused. Oh no. Was this dress a total abandonment of her casual style? “Should I not wear a dress?” she asked. “You’re right. Charlie is so casual. Maybe I should just wear shorts instead.”
    â€œLauren,” Chrissy said with a bit of irritation in her voice, “you look beautiful in that dress. Anyone who sees you will see how beautiful you are in that dress . . . in any dress really. You are not going to wear shorts just because you think some guy would rather see you in shorts!”Chrissy’s voice had gotten louder and she stood there with her hands on her hips.
    Lauren blinked. Was Chrissy yelling at her? She wasn’t yelling exactly, but she was using that kind of Mom voice like when Mom was trying to make a point. But then Lauren looked in the mirror. The dress was really pretty. Chrissy was right . . . she should buy the dress and wear it.
    â€œYou’re right,” said Lauren. “This is the dress.”
    â€œI told you so!” squealed Chrissy. “I can’t wait for the party.”
    â€œLook!” cried Lauren. “The sun is coming out now. Beach time!”
    They paid for their dresses, ran home, and got ready for the beach.

chapter 10
    THE BOYS WERE IN THE WAVES, BODYSURFING, when Lauren and Chrissy arrived at their usual spot. The waves were high today, and Lauren spotted Charlie riding in toward the shore, his strong arms propelling him along, his back tan, and as shiny as a wet seal. It took huge amounts of self control for Lauren not to stand and openly gawk at his gorgeousness.
    The beach was much less crowded today, most likely because of the morning rain, but the sand was nearly dry. A warm breeze blew puffy white clouds across the sun, which peeked out frequently, bathing them in warmth. The wind gusted, blowing Lauren’s hair across her face, and Chrissy and Lauren had to make several attempts at spreading out the large faded blanket, which billowed and flapped in the breeze. Finally they plopped down on top of it. Then they helped each other put on sunblock.
    â€œI brought something for us,” said Lauren, her eyes sparkling. She pulled the item from her bag and showed it to Chrissy.
    â€œA volleyball!” exclaimed Chrissy. “I wondered why your bag looked so full! I didn’t know you played.”
    â€œI don’t,” said Lauren, looking at Chrissy over the tops of her sunglasses.
    â€œIs this another plan of yours?”
    Lauren grinned and nodded. “Well, I can’t seem to find the right moment for Operation Cell Phone because the guys never seem to be lying on their blankets. They’re always in the water or playing sports. So I thought I’d play the game too. The net is free. The guys are in the water. You and I can play. And then maybe they’ll come join us.”
    â€œI’m a total fail when it comes to volleyball,” Chrissy said, looking unsure.
    â€œMe too,” said Lauren. “With any luck, the boys won’t care how bad we are. They’ll just think it’s so cool that we’re playing in the first place!”
    Beach volleyball turned out to be extremely fun. Lauren and Chrissy volleyed the ball back and forth to each other, lunging, diving, and laughing as they fell in the sand. After awhile, Lauren saw the boys approaching out of thecorner of her eye. Frank and Charlie stood side-by-side and watched her and Chrissy, arms crossed, grinning.
    â€œWant to play?” Lauren called to them, hoping her tone was just the right combination of casual and friendly.
    Frank and Charlie looked at each other and shrugged. But to Lauren’s disappointment, Charlie joined Chrissy on her side. Frank became Lauren’s teammate. Her heart sank.
    Chrissy