Her Best Friend's Brother, T. Dell [good book club books .TXT] 📗

Her Best Friend’s Brother

By: TJ Dell

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter Three

Chapter four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen.

Epilogue

Prologue

“These are good” Tony Marchetti stuffed one chocolate chip cookie into his mouth and scooped the last two cookies off the plate and into the front pocket of his shirt. “’anks ‘ibbyy” he mumbled at her as he stroled out a sliding glass door with crumbs trailing behind him. Libby McKay’s whole face lit up and she beamed a grin after him for many long moments after she could no longer see him.

Libby knew the cookies were good. Chocolate chip was Tony’s favorite, and Libby’s mom owned a bakery. She had taught Libby the secret to making the very best chocolate chip cookies. Libby had loved Tony for more than two years. And two years is a long time when you are nine years old.

Libby met Melanie Marchetti on the first day of second grade. Four days later, on a Friday night, Libby and Melanie took turns braiding each other’s hair in front of the television with a big bowl of popcorn between them—in true slumber party fashion. The back door slammed, Libby turned around, and in walked a boy dressed head to toe in mud. Immediately he began to elbow out of his stained footbal jersey, and using the relatively clean underside of that jersey he swiped most of the mud and dirt from his face. Soft brown eyes appeared out from under the layer of dirt. Dark shaggy hair fel across his forehead. He toed off his shoes and carried them with him into the Marchetti laundry room. When he reappeared he was wearing fresh jeans, and soft white tee shirt. His face and hair were damp, and stil smeared as if al he had bothered to do as far as washing was splash a handful of water on his face. Al of this happened in about 45 seconds. And for 45 seconds Libby stared, with her mouth wide open, and without taking a breath.

“Who’s this Pigtails?” The boy rounded the couch, tugging on the ends of Melanie’s painstakingly braided and styled hair, and plopped into the recliner across from them.

Mel’s hair was exactly color Libby wished for herself—a pale silvery blond; Libby had carefuly gathered it into one pretty French braid for her friend. Libby’s own dark curls had been slightly more sloppily arranged in two braids. Not pigtails realy, but al the same Libby quietly puled them out suddenly hating the childish hairstyle.

“Don’t cal me that!” Mel tossed a handful of popcorn at him. Lunging forward he chomped at the air trying in vain to catch the kernels. “You would need two for pigtails! Libby that’s Tony— my brother. He always cals me that even though I haven’t had pigtails since KINDEGARTEN!” The last word was yeled in her brother’s direction.

“Every day of kindergarten.” Tony chuckled as he brushed the popcorn off his shirt and stroled out of the room.

And that was al it took. Libby was in love. Not that she told Mel. She did have some pride after al.

Besides, Tony was 11 years old – and in Middle School!

After that first week of school Mel and Libby were rarely apart. They ate their lunches together in school, and they did their homework together at Mel’s house after school. On Saturdays they alternated between playing in Mel’s big back yard and playing at the park across from Libby’s apartment building. The first week of January Mel and Libby celebrated their birthdays together at the ice skating rink. Mel’s birthday was actualy in December but she didn’t mind waiting for her party because no one wanted to go to a birthday party right before Christmas anyway. In June when the Marchetti family spent a week in the outer banks Libby was invited along, and in July when Libby and her mom took a long weekend in Wiliamsburg, VA Mel tagged along. Of course a week spent in the outer banks had the added benefit of Tony’s company.

Nothing much changed in the third grade except Mel and Libby were forced to endure being in separate classes. They stil traded sandwiches at lunch time, and they stil watched The Little Mermaid every weekend, and Libby was stil in love with Tony. And that’s how it was year after year; Libby and Melanie were best friends and closer than sisters.

Chapter one

“It’s red.” Libby stared into the three-way mirror in the dressing room. At sixteen she was beginning to like what she saw in the mirror. Her hair was stil a plain dark brown, but Mel had spent the last summer experimenting with home hair dyes, and Libby reaped al the benefits with her almost expertly done low lights. Also over the last year her figure had certainly blossomed. Mel’s tal wilowy frame was more stylish, but Libby secretly preferred her own curves. The red dress that hugged her ful breasts, and draped justso over the swel of her hips would have hung awkwardly on her friend. “Red is not appropriate for a wedding.” Libby twisted slightly admiring how the steep slit winked open displaying one long leg.

“It’s a Christmas wedding Lib. I don’t think those rules apply. Besides it isn’t realy red—it’s more of a wine.” Mel sighed dramaticaly and flounced into a chair. “You can’t realy be considering putting it back. This dress was made for you, if anyone else were to wear it you could sue!”

“It’s not exactly a one of a kind; there is a rack ful of identical dresses waiting to drain other walets of other girls.” Libby was used to Mel’s dramatics. But she stil felt it was her duty to bring her friend’s brain out of fashion magazines and back to earth every now and then.