First Dance Read online

  by Lea Taddonio illustrated by Mina Price over

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  First Dance

  by Lea Taddonio illustrated by Mina Price over

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  First Dance

  Spellbound

  An Imprint of Magic Wagon

  abdopublishing.com

  To PB &J, my favorite combo —LT

  For Mom & Dad —MP

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  Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright © 2017 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Spellbound™ is a trademark and logo of Magic Wagon.

  Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota.

  102016

  012017

  Written by Lea Taddonio

  Illustrated by Mina Price

  Edited by Heidi M.D. Elston Art Directed by Candice Keimig Series lettering and graphics from iStockphoto Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Taddonio, Lea, author. | Price, Mina, illustrator.

  Title: First dance / by Lea Taddonio ; illustrated by Mina Price.

  Description: Minneapolis, MN : Magic Wagon, 2017. | Series: Head over heels ; Book 1

  Summary: Lola Jones does not think her big brother’s best friend and basketball teammate C.J Kline knows she’s alive, until one magical night at a high school dance changes everything.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016947655 | ISBN 9781624021923 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 9781624022524

  (ebook) | ISBN 9781624022821 (Read-to-me ebook) Subjects: LCSH: High school students--Juvenile fiction. | Best friends--Juvenile fiction. |

  Interpersonal relationships--Juvenile fiction. | Human behavior--Juvenile fiction.

  Classification: DDC [Fic]--dc23

  LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016947655

  Table

  of

  Contents

  1 Th

  That O

  One Bo

  Boy...4

  2 The Secret Dance...16

  3 Dance with Me. .26

  4 A Changed World. .38

  1

  That One Boy

  After school I wait for

  my best friend Kizzie

  at our usual spot.

  The hall is cRowDEd

  and noisy. It

  seems like everyone

  at Washington High

  School is talking

  about the dance

  at the same time.

  4

  5

  “Hey, girl!” Kizzie runs

  over with a big smile on her face. “I can’t wait for tonight.”

  “I’m not going to the dance.”

  I hold up my drumsticks. “I have to practice.” I am

  the only freshman

  who made drum

  line and need to

  do my best.

  6

  Kizzie crosses her

  arms. “But the whole

  basketball team will be

  there.”

  “Who cares?” I roll

  my eyes. “If I even talk

  to a basketball player,

  Joseph gets mad”. My

  big brother plays center

  for the Washington High

  WARCATS.

  They are the best team

  in the city.

  8

  9

  Kizzie sighs and pushes

  her braids off her face. “This is a problem because C.J Kline

  will be there too.”

  10

  “So what?” I try to ignore

  the flutter in the pit of

  my stomach. C.J Kline is the Warcats’ star point guard and my brother’s best friend. He has black hair, brown eyes, and the kind of smile that makes you feel good all over.

  11

  “I heard C.J thinks you’re

  cute.”

  “But he doesn’t talk to me.”

  My cheeks feel hotter than fire.

  “He never even looks at me.”

  Every girl has that one boy.

  The one she has had a crush on since forever. C.J Kline is that boy for me.

  13

  “Trust me, Lola. He does.

  You’re just too shy to

  notice.” Kizzie puts her arm around my shoulder. “Come out

  . I know just what

  outfit you should wear.”

  Oh No. What have I gotten

  myself into?

  14

  15

  2

  The Secret Dance

  My normal style is jeans

  and a T-shirt. Now I’m in the school gym in Kizzie’s dress.

  It’s pink and knee length, with an open back. I feel

  .

  17

  “Don’t worry,” Kizzie says.

  “That color makes you pop.”

  “I’m not worried,” I mutter.

  “Is that right?” Kizzie

  puts a hand on her hip.

  “You look like you want

  to be somewhere else.”

  “Yes. I want to be

  at HOME watching

  movies or listening to

  music.”

  19

  “Look!” Kizzie jumps

  up

  and down. “The basketball team is here.”

  The Warcats strut into the

  gym like the kings

  of the school.

  20

  Everyone whispers and

  giggles, but who cares? The DJ has put on my song.

  “Do you hear that?” I take

  ”

  Kizzie’s hand. “Let’s go dance.

  The beat is fast, and I feel the bass through my whole

  body. Music is my life. It is my escape.

  22

  When the song ends, I open

  my eyes and freeze. C.J is

  looking at me from across the room. I glance away. I look back.

  He glances over again. This is the secret dance we do.

  The one I don’t tell

  anyone about.

  24

  Not my brother Joseph.

  Not even Kizzie.

  No one knows.

  C.J smiles and my heart

  pounds because this time he is not only looking. This time he is walking in my direction.

  3

  Dance with Me

  “Hi, Lola,” C.J says. The gym lights are low, but his smile lights up the dark.

  I like my name fine, but

  when he says it, I love it.

  26

  “Hey.” I stare at my feet.

  “You look like you’re having a good time. I saw you out

  ”

  there dancing .

  I shrug and brush my

  hands over my skirt.

  “Are you going to say

  more than one word to me?” he asks.

  I smile. “Maybe.”

  His mouth turns up in

  the corner. “Dance with me.”

  28

  29

  My stomach drops. “You

  know my brother won’t like it.”

  My big brother has told me

  one hundred times never to

  date any guy on his team. C.J is not just my brother’s friend. He is his best friend.

  30

  “Hey! I got you to say more than one word.” His voice is teasing. “And Joseph doesn’t scare me.”

  The next song comes on.

  It is slow and romantic.

  Couples sway around us.

  Kizzie stands behind C.J

  and cLapS her hands.

  “Okay, fine,” I say. “I will dance with you. But don’t say I didn’t you.”

  “You’re worth the trouble,”

  he says with a

  .

  33

  I don’t have butterflies in my stomach. I have dinosaurs stomping around.

  C.J pulls me close and

  puts his hands high on my

  back. He smells good,

  like soap and

  aftershave. He’s

  breathing a little

  fast. Could he be

  as nervous

  as I am?

  34

  “What do you two think

  you’re doing?” Someone

  asks in a loud voice.
r />   I freeze.

  It’s Joseph.

  36

  4

  A Changed World

  “What is going on here?”

  Joseph looks at both of us. “This isn’t

  , Lola.”

  “Let me explain,” I say.

  “I asked your sister to dance.

  She said yes. End of story,”

  C.J says.

  39

  “Yeah, you’re right about

  that. This is the end of the story.” Joseph glares

  at me. “Come on, C.J. Let’s go.”

  He marches over to his team.

  I tap C.J on the arm. “Ever since Dad left, Joseph acts like he’s the man of the house. He worries about Mama working

  too hard, about money, and

  about me.”

  40

  “He doesn’t have to

  worry about you.” C.J touches my cheek. “You’re funny, smart, and the best person on

  the whole drum line.”

  He clears his throat.

  “You’re pretty, too.”

  42

  44

  I open my mouth. No

  words come out.

  “I’m not going to disrespect your brother. Remember, he’s my brother too, and my

  teammate. But I want

  to hang out with

  you. You want

  to hang out

  with me.”

  45

  “It’s impossible,” I say.

  “You heard what Joseph said.”

  “I’m going to figure it out.”

  “It won’t ever happen.” I

  myself. “It’s too hard.”

  “I don’t mind a challenge.

  Do you?”

  “No. But. . . what if this

  doesn’t work out?”

  “What if it does?” He gives me a

  and walks away.

  47

  Everyone is dancing and

  laughing like nothing is different.

  But my world just changed.

  48

  Tadd

  onio

  over

  |PrPircic

  First Dance

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  basketball teammate, C.J Kline, knows she’s alive. Until one magical night at a high school dance changes everything.

  ov

  er

  books in this series

  #1 First Dance

  #2 First Date

  #3 First Fight

  #4 First Kiss

  Document Outline

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: That One Boy

  Chapter 2: The Secret Dance

  Chapter 3: Dance with Me

  Chapter 4: A Changed World

  Back Cover

 

 

  Lea Taddonio, First Dance

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