First Dance
by Lea Taddonio illustrated by Mina Price over
ove
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First Dance
by Lea Taddonio illustrated by Mina Price over
ove
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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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