Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian Page B

said.
    â€œThe girl wears string bikinis at the town pool,” Aimee put in. “This is Massachusetts. I mean, who can compete with that?”
    Megan stared at Kayla’s back. There was a small birthmark right next to the strap of her white tank top and she was wearing a delicate, antique-looking gold watch on her slim wrist. Everythingabout her was graceful. Even when she lifted her water bottle to twist open the top, she looked like a ballerina.
    Megan glanced over at Finn and he was looking right at her. Not at Kayla, but at her. Megan’s heart skipped a beat at being caught gaping and Finn shot her a quizzical look. He waved and Megan lifted a hand to acknowledge him before quickly turning back to the table. She sank down in her seat, blushing furiously. The one McGowan boy who didn’t think she was a freak and now . . . well, now he did.
    â€œOh! I think we know which McGowan Megan likes,” Ria teased, pointing at Megan. “You’re a Finn girl. I knew we’d get along.”
    â€œNo, I’m not,” Megan replied. “I am so not a Finn girl.”
    â€œPlease. Look at your face!” Ria replied.
    â€œShe’s right,” Jenna said matter-of-factly. “You are blushing rather profusely.”
    â€œWell, that’s just me. I do that a lot,” Megan said, sitting up straight again and clearing her throat. “Trust me. I am not a Finn girl.”
    â€œWhatever you say,” Ria replied, waving her fork again.
    â€œWell, at least you’re not an Evan girl, ’cuz that could be disastrous,” Aimee added.
    â€œYeah,” Megan replied, avoiding all eye contact. “At least I’m not that.”
    Â *  *  *
    Megan headed for the locker room that afternoon, more than ready to take out the frustrations of the day on a soccer ball. Everyone in chemistry was refusing to partner with her becauseof her first-day mishap, and Ms. Krantz had actually scolded her for working ahead of the class level in Spanish class. Apparently she was confusing everyone around her. What was she supposed to do, forget her knowledge of Spanish verb tenses?
    As she came around the corner into the physical education wing, Megan heard a couple of voices talking loudly. Someone was arguing just around the next bend, in front of the school store. And the voices sounded mighty familiar. Was that . . . Evan?
    â€œ. . . know I don’t mean anything by it.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter if I know that. They don’t know that,” Hailey’s voice replied. “Half the girls in school are looking at me like they know something I don’t know. Do you have any idea what that feels like?”
    â€œI don’t understand. What do they know that you don’t know?” Evan replied.
    â€œThey think that you like them, Evan!” Hailey replied. “They think they have something over me because you flirt with them right in front of me.”
    There was an exhalation of air. Megan looked behind her to see if anyone was coming, but the hallway was empty. She didn’t want to be caught spying, but this was good stuff. She couldn’t tear herself away.
    â€œHailey, that’s just the way I am,” Evan said. “I’m a friendly person.”
    â€œYeah, right,” Hailey said sarcastically.
    â€œI am! And you knew that going in,” Evan replied. “Come on, don’t you trust me?”
    â€œOf course I do,” Hailey said. “It’s just . . . well . . . imaginehow you’d feel if it seemed like every guy in school wanted me .”
    Megan blinked as her heart squeezed. Hailey actually sounded kind of vulnerable there. She thought of Pearl’s comment about her Evan-centered sexual fantasy. Maybe it wasn’t the easiest thing, dating the hottest guy in school.
    â€œWell, they do,” Evan said lightly.
    Megan rolled her eyes.
    â€œEvan,