Read Online Everyone's a Critic by Rachel Wise - Free Book Online Page A

a reason I’ve always liked you,” Allie said to Hailey with a wink. Then they high-fived. Oh boy, now I was starting to feel a little sick, and it wasn’t because of all that ice cream.

    The next morning I jumped out of bed. Today was the day before the night of my almost first date with Michael Lawrence. How was I going to eat? What was I going to wear? I couldn’t do this alone. I was so glad Hailey and I had figured things out, because I didn’t think I’d get through this day without her.
    After breakfast I called her.
    â€œI need outfit advice,” I cried when she answered the phone.
    â€œI’ll be over in an hour,” she replied, and hung up.
    Mom let me use her digital camera so we could take pictures of each outfit I tried on. We pulled out a bunch of choices from my closet. Long skirts, short skirts, jeans and blouses, scarves,everything I had that would possibly be almost Saturday-night dateworthy. We played music and did rounds of combinations, and Hailey took pictures of all my looks. Then we downloaded them on the computer.
    We were looking at two pictures side by side on my computer screen, comparing a pink embroidered T-shirt with a long gray skirt to skinny jeans and my silky green tunic, when there was a thud at the door.
    â€œWhat are you guys doing in here?” Allie said frantically when we opened the door. “I can’t hear myself sing!”
    That would probably be a first.
    â€œYou don’t want to wear yourself out. You still have two more shows,” I said, in the nicest possible way I could. I really didn’t want to set Allie off now. She had two shows today, one in a couple of hours.
    â€œI know,” Allie said, sitting down on my bed and heaving a big sigh. “Maybe you’re right.”
    I’m right ? Did Allie just say I’m right? I wish I could have recorded it.
    â€œSo what’s going on?” Allie demanded, getting up again and examining the clothes that were thrown everywhere, picking up the silky pale pink T-shirt with the flower embroidered in the same color on the front.
    â€œIs this mine?” she said. Before I could answer, she went on. “Wait a minute . . . wait a minute, I know what’s going on here. You’re going to the play tonight with Michael Lawrence!” she said, and poked me in the chest.
    I turned beet red. Hailey looked at me and back at Allie, opened her mouth to say something, and then seemed to think better of it.
    â€œIt’s just a . . . thing for the paper,” I said, shrugging. Now I completely regretted mentioning this to her casually the other night after dinner. Allie hadn’t teased me for it then, probably because she was so wrapped up in rehearsals, but now I had a feeling she was going to make up for lost time.
    Allie had a big smirk on her face. “Yeah, just a thing. Uh-huh.”
    â€œWhatever, Allie. You’re in a different moodevery other second, and you haven’t been that nice to any of us. I know the play is a lot of work, but it has kind of, well”—I thought for a moment, both Hailey and Allie staring at me, waiting for what I would say next—“taken over your life. And not always in a good way. So if you’re going to be obnoxious about it, just leave us alone.” There! I’d said it. I wasn’t afraid of Allie’s reaction, either. She needed to hear it. I glanced at Hailey, and her mouth was hanging open. She quickly closed it. At first Allie looked surprised; then a little hurt; then her face softened.
    â€œShow me your top outfits. We’ll get you looking so good, Michael won’t be able to pay attention to the show,” she said as she started holding up shirts against me.
    My shoulders relaxed. Maybe she’d actually heard me for once. “And you promise you’re not going to freak out and starting screaming at us about something?” I asked