How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation by Simone Elkeles
Authors: Simone Elkeles
Tags: Fiction, General, People & Places, History, Juvenile Fiction, Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12), Social Issues, Man-Woman Relationships, Love & Romance, israel, School & Education, middle east, Soldiers, Social Issues - General, People & Places - Middle East, Military Bases, Basic training (Military education)
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boyfriend." It's the honest truth: When I started kissing Nathan that last time, in front of Bicky, I was totally imagining he was Avi when we were last together--which was seriously the best night of my life. After fooling around in the car didn't work, Avi and I moved onto the deserted beach. His touches and kisses and caresses were more than OMG!
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"He's looking at me like he wants to kill me," Nathan complains.
"Good. Now that he's watching us, kiss me," I whisper softly, moving my lips closer to his for a repeat performance.
Nathan pries his fingers loose and steps away, although we're far enough from our other team members that nobody can hear us. "Are you kidding? First of all, didn't you sign the Sababa rule sheet attached to the brochure? It said, specifically, no fornicating. We're in Israel. For all I know fornicating might include kissing."
"No. It said no going off in private and fornicating. You really need to read the details more carefully. Anyways, nobody under the age of fifty knows the actual definition of fornicating so it won't hold up in a court of law."
"I told you I'm not doing this, Amy. "Well, unless we pretend to date, and then after we're done with the Israeli army portion of the trip I pretend to break up with you and you pretend 'to be devastated in front of Tori. You can tell Tori after the fake breakup that I'm good at everything. You know, make me sound like the stud you know I am. You have to promise to set us up, without her knowing you're setting us up. Then you've got what you want, and I've got what I want. Deal?"
I don't mention that if he was a real stud, he wouldn't need me pretending he's one. I also don't mention that Tori hates me, so the last person she'll listen to is me. But whatever. "Fine."
110
Before I can think twice about my deal with Nathan, he takes my hand and leads me to the middle of where our group has assembled around Avi. Avi is standing with his arms crossed, waiting impatiently. His jaw is clenched as he watches us walk up.
"No hand holding," he barks.
Nathan gazes at me with love and tenderness, then kisses the back of my hand before letting it go.
Avi explains that we'll be racing against another team, and it's up to us to make sure everyone participates in each obstacle.
"What if I can't scale that wall?" Miranda asks.
"Have one of your teammates help you over it," Avi tells her. "You're a team. Nobody is left behind. Everyone finishes or everyone loses."
I hate races. They cause me too much stress. But Avi is a pro at this, and I'm ready to prove I'm not all talk and drama. I can kick some serious obstacle course butt when it comes right down to it.
I think.
The first heat is our team against Liron's team. I want to beat her team so bad, I can taste victory in my mouth. If only I paid more attention when they explained how to climb up that rope.
Sergeant B-S blows his trusty whistle.
We all run to the balance beam. One after another we walk across it. Next up are the monkey bars. I haven't done them since third grade, when I caught Michael Mat-
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thews looking up my pink-and-white plaid skirt. When I fell right on top of that little perv, and my knee connected with his face, I was secretly glad he went crying to Mrs. Feinstein with a bloody nose.
Tori is first. She maneuvers across the monkey bars easily enough, although she skipped the last three bars because she fell. David goes after her, skipping every other one and finishes effortlessly. Mirandas next.
"I can't do this," she tells us.
"Try," I say.
"Why try when I know I can't do it?"
She sounds more and more like me every day--it's scary. Avi said we have to do it, and work as a team, so how can she do it without actually doing it? I'm trying to think outside the box. It's a little hard to think when I see that four people from Liron's team have already successfully crossed the bars.
Ah, I've got it!
"What if we get on all fours and you step on our backs?"
Miranda
109
"He's looking at me like he wants to kill me," Nathan complains.
"Good. Now that he's watching us, kiss me," I whisper softly, moving my lips closer to his for a repeat performance.
Nathan pries his fingers loose and steps away, although we're far enough from our other team members that nobody can hear us. "Are you kidding? First of all, didn't you sign the Sababa rule sheet attached to the brochure? It said, specifically, no fornicating. We're in Israel. For all I know fornicating might include kissing."
"No. It said no going off in private and fornicating. You really need to read the details more carefully. Anyways, nobody under the age of fifty knows the actual definition of fornicating so it won't hold up in a court of law."
"I told you I'm not doing this, Amy. "Well, unless we pretend to date, and then after we're done with the Israeli army portion of the trip I pretend to break up with you and you pretend 'to be devastated in front of Tori. You can tell Tori after the fake breakup that I'm good at everything. You know, make me sound like the stud you know I am. You have to promise to set us up, without her knowing you're setting us up. Then you've got what you want, and I've got what I want. Deal?"
I don't mention that if he was a real stud, he wouldn't need me pretending he's one. I also don't mention that Tori hates me, so the last person she'll listen to is me. But whatever. "Fine."
110
Before I can think twice about my deal with Nathan, he takes my hand and leads me to the middle of where our group has assembled around Avi. Avi is standing with his arms crossed, waiting impatiently. His jaw is clenched as he watches us walk up.
"No hand holding," he barks.
Nathan gazes at me with love and tenderness, then kisses the back of my hand before letting it go.
Avi explains that we'll be racing against another team, and it's up to us to make sure everyone participates in each obstacle.
"What if I can't scale that wall?" Miranda asks.
"Have one of your teammates help you over it," Avi tells her. "You're a team. Nobody is left behind. Everyone finishes or everyone loses."
I hate races. They cause me too much stress. But Avi is a pro at this, and I'm ready to prove I'm not all talk and drama. I can kick some serious obstacle course butt when it comes right down to it.
I think.
The first heat is our team against Liron's team. I want to beat her team so bad, I can taste victory in my mouth. If only I paid more attention when they explained how to climb up that rope.
Sergeant B-S blows his trusty whistle.
We all run to the balance beam. One after another we walk across it. Next up are the monkey bars. I haven't done them since third grade, when I caught Michael Mat-
111
thews looking up my pink-and-white plaid skirt. When I fell right on top of that little perv, and my knee connected with his face, I was secretly glad he went crying to Mrs. Feinstein with a bloody nose.
Tori is first. She maneuvers across the monkey bars easily enough, although she skipped the last three bars because she fell. David goes after her, skipping every other one and finishes effortlessly. Mirandas next.
"I can't do this," she tells us.
"Try," I say.
"Why try when I know I can't do it?"
She sounds more and more like me every day--it's scary. Avi said we have to do it, and work as a team, so how can she do it without actually doing it? I'm trying to think outside the box. It's a little hard to think when I see that four people from Liron's team have already successfully crossed the bars.
Ah, I've got it!
"What if we get on all fours and you step on our backs?"
Miranda
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