Toe to Toe (On Pointe Book 1) by Penelope Freed (read with me TXT) 📕

a messy bun and head out the door. “Bye Mom! Bye Dad!” I call as I head to the door, stopping in the hallway to grab a jacket.

“Bye honey!” Mom sticks her head out the kitchen, “have fun, I hope they don’t keep you out too late.”

“I know, I’ll be fine.” I reassure her. I’m really hoping this kid just wants to watch a movie or something so I can relax. I hop in the car and head to Tyler’s house. Pulling up to the curb I hop out, grabbing my big purse and swiping on some chapstick. My pointe shoe sticks into my ribs and I wriggle to get more comfortable. First priority is to get ribbons sewn on.

“You came!” Olivia says, sticking her head out the door. She glances over her shoulder and drags me a little way from the door, letting it shut softly behind her. Olivia could be one of those fashion influencers, she always looks cute. Tonight she’s wearing skinny jeans that perfectly show off her slim legs, a perfectly off the shoulder burgundy sweater, ankle boots that perfectly coordinate, and a smattering of dangly necklaces and earrings, all topped with her freshly washed and curled hair. I look like the homeless version of her with my messy bun, stretched out leggings and Converse. “I wasn’t sure if you would come, you never go out, but I couldn’t think of anyone else who would want to hang out with Trevor for the whole night,” she says, glancing back at the house. How annoying is this kid? “So Trevor is, like, really into comic books and superheroes and stuff like that. And books and shit like that.” Okay…not sure why I need such a run-down on this kid, it’s one night. “He’s kinda a gangly white guy.” Olivia adds, “I guess he’s cute, if you like that nerdy look.” Obviously Olivia doesn’t, but I still don’t understand why it matters if Trevor is cute. I’m babysitting him, not dating…

Crap.

Is this a double date, not a babysitting gig? Ummmmm…how do I play this cool and figure it out? I think quickly. “Hey, uh, how old is Trevor? Um. Tyler never said,” I add, dumbly. Okay, I think I saved it. Crap, I have pointe shoes in my bag and I look a hot mess.

“He’s seventeen,” Olivia chirps. “His family live in Seattle, they were here for Winter Break. I guess they go back home tomorrow.” Tomorrow? Oh well, I guess my lack of attractiveness won’t matter, he’ll be gone. Oh god, but Tyler will be there all night, staring at me and my no makeup and messy hair. Crap, this sweater has a hole in the armpit. Note to self Hannah, do not under any circumstances raise your arms.

“Cool,” I manage to say. I don’t want to stay and watch Tyler and Olivia all night long. I want to go home. I thought I was babysitting. I never would have agreed to come if I knew I was going to be going on a date. Not just any date either. My best friend and the boy of my dreams going on their first date? This is the stuff of nightmares.

But what would Tyler think if I back out now? And what would his cousin think? That would be so rude, wouldn’t it? I would be mortified if that happened to me. Fine, I’ll stay. “What time does the movie start?”

“Oh. I dunno, we’re leaving in just a second. I’ll go get the guys. I just wanted to warn you first. I didn’t want you to think that I thought you were only good enough for Tyler’s dorky cousin, I just didn’t know anyone else who would be nice enough to keep him distracted for me.” I guess I am babysitting. A seventeen year old. Who thinks this is a date.

As Olivia heads back inside, I run back to my car and toss the pointe shoes and sewing kit inside. Maybe I have some makeup in my bag? I scramble through my purse, looking in every pocket. Jackpot! There is a black eyeliner and some powder in the bottom. I quickly swipe on a little eyeliner and get rid of my extra shiny forehead. Okay, I feel slightly better. At least now Tyler won’t be blinded by my face. I debate taking my hair out of its bun, but since I don’t have a brush I leave it. If I take it out now it’ll dry all frizzy and weird.

I look up and see Olivia and Tyler walking out the door, Olivia leading him out by the hand. She’s already holding his hand? I feel my heart break a little inside my chest. They look so perfect together, her blonde hair bouncing as Tyler follows her to his car, his sandy hair flopping just so, perfectly framing his perfect face, his green shirt just tight enough to make me notice the defined muscles of his arms.

“Hi, I’m Trevor,” someone says from above my head. “Thanks for being a good sport about this, Olivia was determined to make this date happen, I guess.”

I look up into a pair of warm brown eyes, the curly brown hair above it a little greasy, but not gross. Trevor’s nose is a little too sharp to say he’s super cute, but it’s not bad. He kind of reminds me of Tom Hiddleston or Benedict Cumberbatch—he shouldn’t be cute, he’s not really cute, but he’s attractive anyway. He’s wearing a gray shirt with a big red, white and blue target with a big white star in the middle. It’s tight enough to show that he has some muscle, although nothing like Tyler’s, maybe that’s what Olivia meant when she called him skinny. It takes me a second to realize it’s the Captain America symbol on his shirt. Oh, that’s right, he’s into that comic book stuff. I’m not such a bunhead that I’ve never seen the movies, my parents have dragged me to see