Spring Fling Read online

  “Don’t look now, but I think we have some admirers,” Lindsey whispered excitedly as they walked to the car.

  “Where?” Crystal asked, her head spinning around as her eyes darted everywhere. “Tell me where!”

  “Don’t mind Crystal,” Jade explained. “She’s a little guy crazy.”

  “The house next door,” Lindsey said. “I saw a guy peeking out of the window. I think he was checking us out!”

  “Cute?” Crystal asked as she casually gazed over at the house.

  “Not sure. I couldn’t tell.”

  Crystal slid into the front seat next to Jade. “We’ll have to introduce ourselves once we get back. After all, they’re our neighbors.”

  Spring Fling

  Sabrina James

  Table of Contents

  Cover Page

  Excerpt

  Title Page

  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

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Sabrina James

  Be Mine

  Secret Santa

  To Do List: Read all the Point books!

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  “Where’s my luggage?!”

  Seventeen-year-old Danielle Hollis watched for the third time as the suitcases from American Airlines flight 647 from New York to Miami wound past her. Other travelers were snatching up their suitcases and carryalls, ready to start their vacations, but Danielle couldn’t begin her own vacation because she was still waiting for her bags.

  She took a deep breath, trying not to panic. Her luggage was going to eventually slide past her. It had to. She had packed more than just her clothes. She had also packed her SAT study guides, and she needed those books.

  Looking around the brightly colored airport filled with travelers, Danielle once again wondered how she had wound up so many miles away from home. She should have been sitting in the North Ridge High library, going over vocabulary words, instead of wondering where her suitcases were.

  It had all started the month before when her older sister, Jade, a college sophomore, called one Sunday night in February during a blizzard. Classes had been canceled for the next day, and Danielle had invited her two best friends, Ava Romano and Lindsey Kennedy, to spend the night. They had been watching a marathon of The Real World on MTV when the phone rang. Danielle had been surprised to hear her sister’s voice on the other end of the line. Usually the only time Jade called was when she needed their parents to send her more money. And they had just done that the previous week. Before Danielle could say anything, Jade got right to the point. Would Danielle and her friends like to come down to Miami during spring break?

  “Why would we want to come to Miami for spring break?” Danielle had asked.

  As soon as Ava and Lindsey heard the words spring break, they lost all interest in The Real World and rushed to Danielle’s side, trying to hear Jade’s side of the conversation.

  “My friend Crystal’s aunt owns this fab beach house and she invited us to come down for spring break. Three of our sorority sisters were going to come, but now they can’t make it, and I thought maybe you’d like to. Since I went away to college, we don’t get to spend as much time together as we used to.”

  That was true. When Jade had gone off to Emory University in Atlanta, Danielle had been thrilled to finally have her own bedroom. She and Jade had always shared, and they were complete opposites. While Danielle was neat and organized, Jade was a complete slob. Her side of the bedroom always looked like her closet had exploded. There were usually piles of jeans, sweaters, skirts, and T-shirts—not to mention boxes of shoes!—scattered everywhere.

  Those first few days, when Jade had left to start her freshman year, Danielle had loved having a bedroom all to herself. For the first time in years, everything was put away and in its place. But after the second week of having her own room, she realized something. She missed her sister, especially at night. Usually when they were getting ready to fall asleep, they’d talk to each other across the room and discuss their days. Sure, they kept in touch with texting and e-mail and phone calls, but it wasn’t the same as actually having Jade a few feet away.

  “You know I’d love to see you, but the SATs are in May. I have to study for them.”

  “You can study down here!” Jade had insisted.

  Before Danielle could say anything else, Lindsey had snatched away the phone. After talking with Jade, Lindsey hung up and then filled Ava in on the conversation. It took some arm twisting, but Ava and Lindsey finally convinced Danielle that they had to go to Miami. After all, how could they say no to a free week in a luxurious beach house? With Ava and Lindsey standing by her side, happily jumping up and down and already making plans for their week, Danielle had called her sister back and said they would come to Miami.

  Thoughts of Jade made Danielle check the time on her watch. It was two o’clock. Jade was going to be here any second and she still didn’t have her luggage. Could her bags have slid by her and she didn’t notice?

  “Has anyone seen my bags?” Danielle asked. She expected Ava and Lindsey to answer, but they didn’t. “Guys?” Still no answer.

  Danielle turned around and realized why they weren’t answering. Ava and Lindsey were too busy checking out all the cute guys milling around the airport.

  Okay, she couldn’t blame them. There was lots of eye candy. Tall guys. Short guys. Muscular guys. Guys with ponytails and guys with buzz cuts. She bet the beaches were going to be packed this week.

  Danielle walked over to Ava and Lindsey, snapping her fingers in their faces. “Hello! Is anyone listening to me? I’m in the middle of a crisis and I could use some support.”

  Lindsey, a petite brunette, blinked, tearing her blue eyes away from a cute Jonas brother look-alike. “Sorry? I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “Obviously.”

  “What’s up?” Ava asked, tossing her long red curls over one shoulder.

  “This doesn’t make any sense,” Danielle said. “We all checked in together, and you and Lindsey have your bags. Mine should have come out right after yours.”

  “Everything gets all mixed up when they toss the bags into the plane,” Lindsey explained. “And other people are still waiting.”

  Danielle looked back at the luggage carousel. Yes, there were people still waiting, but not as many as before. She nervously chewed her lower lip. A thought had popped into her mind, but she didn’t want to say it. If she did, she was afraid it would come true. “You don’t think they forgot to put my bags on the plane, do you?” She didn’t wait for Ava and Lindsey to answer. “I bet that’s what happened!” Danielle marched over to the nearest customer service desk. “I’m going to complain!”

  “Danielle, wait!” Lindsey cried out, a note of panic in her voice.

  Danielle stopped and turned around. “What?”

  Lindsey didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. She had a guilty expression on her face.

  Danielle turned to Ava, who had the exact same guilty look on her face.

  Danielle knew that look.

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p; She had seen it many times before. It appeared whenever Ava and Lindsey teamed up to do something they felt they “needed” to do for Danielle.

  Like the time last October when they told Parker Manning, North Ridge High’s star quarterback, that Danielle had a crush on him.

  Or the time sophomore year when they set her up on a blind date with Andrew Monahan.

  Or when they were seven and they pushed her into the pool at the country club after she completed her swimming lessons because she was too afraid to jump into the water and start swimming.

  Danielle marched back over to them. “What did you do?” she asked.

  “We didn’t do anything,” Ava answered.

  “Except maybe we forgot to check your bags,” Lindsey said in a rush.

  Danielle could feel her eyes popping out of her head. “What?! How could you forget to check my bags?”

  “Because we didn’t really forget,” Ava added in her own rush of words. “We did it on purpose.”

  “You did it on purpose?” Danielle shrieked.

  Lindsey hurried to explain. “You’re supposed to be in Miami having fun! Not studying for the SATs. Your bags were filled with test guides. You hardly packed any cute clothes or beachy outfits!”

  “When you went inside to get your e-ticket, we gave your bags back to your parents,” Lindsey explained.

  “My parents were in on this?”

  “They wanted you to have a good time,” Ava said. “They know how hard you’ve been studying.”

  “Because I have to ace my SAT in May!”

  “You already aced the PSAT and you’ve been studying like crazy. You also took that prep class,” Lindsey reminded her. “You’re more than prepared, Danielle. You’re super prepared.”

  Danielle sat down on a bench. “Okay, geniuses, you’ve succeeded with your plan. I’m not going to be able to study while we’re down here. But what am I supposed to wear for the next week? I have no clothes, remember?”

  “That’s the best part!” Lindsey gushed, sitting next to Danielle. “As an early birthday present, we’re taking you on a shopping spree! We’re going to get you a whole new wardrobe. Your parents are chipping in, too!”

  “Not only that,” Ava added, sitting on the other side of Danielle, “but we’re taking you to a salon for new hair and makeup.”

  “We’re giving you a Spring Break Makeover!” Lindsey exclaimed.

  Ava and Lindsey then stared at Danielle, almost holding their breath, as if waiting for her to start shrieking like a contestant on a game show.

  “Am I supposed to be doing cartwheels or something?” she asked.

  Lindsey sighed and rolled her eyes. “Come on, Danielle! Loosen up! A couple of days of relaxing isn’t going to make you forget everything you’ve already learned. You’re one of the smartest juniors at North Ridge High! Everyone knows you’re going to get into whatever college you want.”

  “You’re not mad at us, are you?” Ava asked.

  “Of course I’m mad,” Danielle grumbled. “But I’ll get over it. I always do, don’t I?” After all, they were her best friends. You couldn’t stay mad at your best friends for very long, especially when their intentions were good.

  “Hey! There’s Jade!” Lindsey exclaimed, pointing a finger.

  Danielle looked across the airport. There was no mistaking her older sister. Every guy in the airport had his eyes glued to her. Why wouldn’t they? Jade was gorgeous.

  Today she was wearing faded denim shorts and a white halter top decorated with tiny red hearts. She glowed with a fresh tan, and her long blond hair was slicked back in a ponytail. Crystal, whom Danielle had never met before, was just as gorgeous, with cocoa-colored skin and shoulder-length brown hair streaked with strands of red. She kind of resembled Tyra Banks from America’s Next Top Model.

  “Hey, y’all,” Crystal greeted them, her voice oozing with a Southern accent. “Welcome to Miami.”

  “Okay, what’s wrong?” Jade asked as she approached, giving Ava and Lindsey a quick kiss on the cheek before hugging Danielle. “You have a sour puss and I know that look.” Jade checked her watch. “Are you mad? We’re not that late. Like ten minutes.”

  “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at them. You will not believe what they did to me!”

  Jade took off her oversize sunglasses and perched them on top of her head. “If you’re mad, it can only be something that they needed to do.”

  “How can you be taking their side when you haven’t heard my side?”

  “Because you always overreact.”

  “I do not!”

  “You do, too!”

  “No, I don’t,” Danielle insisted through gritted teeth.

  Jade sighed. “Okay, you don’t.”

  “Where are your bags?” Crystal asked.

  “Back in New York,” Danielle answered.

  “Why are they in New York?” Jade asked, sounding puzzled.

  “THAT’S what I’m so mad about!”

  Danielle quickly updated Jade and Crystal on Ava and Lindsey’s latest scheme.

  “The worst part is that Mom and Dad were in on it with them!” Danielle finished.

  “If you want my opinion,” Crystal said, “I don’t know why you’re so mad. After all, you’re getting a shopping spree! What’s so bad about free clothes?”

  “Can I give you some sisterly advice?” Jade offered.

  “What?” Danielle asked.

  “They did the right thing.”

  “Thank you, Jade!” Lindsey exclaimed.

  “I knew you were going to take their side!” Danielle hissed.

  “I’m not taking sides,” Jade insisted. “You can’t always be studying, Danielle. You need to give yourself some downtime. Otherwise you’re going to burn yourself out. Why are you worrying about your SATs anyway? You’re going to ace them and get into any college you want. Besides, you’re taking the exam twice, right? If you’re not happy with your score from the May exam, you’ll be taking it again in the fall. Forget about being Danielle the Bookworm. For the next couple of days, try being Danielle the Party Girl instead!”

  Aren’t you the party girl in this family? Danielle wanted to say. But she didn’t. She could see there was no way she was going to win this argument.

  “Well, let’s head out to the car,” Jade said, taking one of Ava’s bags while Crystal reached for another.

  “Need any help with those?” a deep voice asked.

  Danielle turned around and saw two guys, wearing University of Miami T-shirts with cutoff sleeves, standing behind them.

  Crystal gave them a warm smile. “Thanks, sugar. You’re so thoughtful. Follow me.”

  “So what’s the plan for this afternoon?” Lindsey asked as they headed for the parking garage.

  “Why don’t we go to the beach house first, drop off the bags, grab some lunch, and then head to the nearest mall so we can get my baby sister some new clothes,” Jade suggested. “I’ll even buy her some new things.”

  “Count me in!” Crystal called over her shoulder. “I never say no to shopping!”

  “Okay with you, Danielle?” Jade asked. “Or would you rather do something else?”

  “That sounds fine,” Danielle said, pasting a smile on her face while secretly counting down the days until they left Miami.

  When the girls got to the beach house, they met Crystal’s aunt Sharla, who was on her way out the door. Sharla was in her early thirties and just as gorgeous as Crystal. She almost looked like her older sister.

  “Feel free to make yourselves at home,” she said after introducing herself. “I’m afraid the cupboards are a bit bare. I only opened the house yesterday and I haven’t had a chance to go shopping.”

  “Don’t worry, Aunt Sharla. We’ll do it,” Crystal offered. “We’re heading out to the mall in a little bit and we’ll stop at the supermarket.”

  “Great!” she said as she slid behind the steering wheel of her car, a vintage 1969 cherry red Mustang. “Have fun!”r />
  “Your aunt is beautiful,” Danielle said as they walked into the house.

  “She used to be a model, but now she works as a photographer. She does a lot of traveling. There’s a gallery in downtown Miami that shows her photos. That’s why she’s in town this week. She’s getting ready to do a new show.” Crystal turned to everyone. “Ready for the grand tour?”

  The beach house was gorgeous. Walking around from room to room, Danielle felt like it was something out of a design magazine. The floors were blond wood and the furniture was all super comfy, in bright ocean colors with huge cushions and pillows. The walls were painted a sky blue, and the curtains and drapes were all sheer. Seashells were scattered everywhere, and there were tons of plants and bouquets of flowers. The whole interior of the house felt as if a little bit of the beach had been brought inside.

  After the tour, the girls headed upstairs and divided themselves into bedrooms. Ava and Lindsey decided to share a room while Jade and Danielle took another and Crystal had her own. Once everyone had finished unpacking, they headed outside to go to the mall.

  “Don’t look now, but I think we have some admirers,” Lindsey whispered excitedly as they walked to the car.

  “Where?” Crystal asked, her head spinning around as her eyes darted everywhere. “Tell me where!”

  “Don’t mind Crystal,” Jade explained. “She’s a little guy crazy.”

  “The house next door,” Lindsey said. “I saw a guy peeking out of the window. I think he was checking us out!”

  “Cute?” Crystal asked as she casually gazed over at the house.

  “Not sure. I couldn’t tell.”

  Crystal slid into the front seat next to Jade. “We’ll have to introduce ourselves once we get back. After all, they’re our neighbors.”

  As everyone got into the car, Danielle glanced over her shoulder, trying to see if anyone was still peeking out at them. She didn’t see anything.

  As she buckled up her seat belt, she listened to the conversation in the car. There was no mistaking the excitement in everyone’s voices. They were all looking forward to having a good time this week. It got Danielle to thinking.

  Maybe, just maybe, she would try to loosen up and have a good time, too.