Strawberry Crush
A brand new story of crushes, first love and friendship from the original Queen of Tween – Jean Ure!When Maya falls off her bike and into the arms of Jake Harper, her cousin Mattie thinks the crush that follows will be as short-lived as the rest – especially as Maya is a Year 8 nobody and Jake is a Year 12 god. Mattie’s pretty sure that Jake's taken, anyway.But if Jake’s got a girlfriend then why does he keep offering Maya lifts around town? And why does Maya accuse Mattie of being jealous of her? Perhaps there’s more to this crush than meets the eye…
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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2016
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Copyright © Jean Ure 2016
Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2016
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Jean Ure asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
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Source ISBN: 9780007553969
Ebook Edition © January 2016 ISBN: 9780007554027
Version: 2016-01-29
Contents
I was there the day it all started: the day Maya fell off her bike straight into the arms of Jake Harper.
Well, not actually straight into his arms. But practically right in front of him.
It was the start of the summer term and we were on our way back from school, cycling up Layhams Hill, two abreast cos there wasn’t that much traffic around. We were busy talking – as usual! – when Maya suddenly gave this great wobble, lurched into the kerb and slid with a startled squawk over the handlebars.
I have to admit it looked pretty dramatic, but I wasn’t particularly alarmed. Maya was always coming off her bike. Unlike me, who is quite chunky and solid, Maya is a tiny little creature, almost elfin, but she’s the one who is forever tripping over her own feet or shutting her fingers in the door. Still, we were both wearing helmets so I reckoned she couldn’t have done that much damage.
I skidded to a halt and turned back to look at her. “You OK?”
I was sure that she was. She’d already started to pick herself up, so obviously nothing was broken and I couldn’t see any blood. But then a car pulled in on the other side of the road, the driver’s door was flung open and Jake came rushing across.
“Do you need any help?”
Honestly, it was like some kind of magic spell. Some kind of automatic reaction. Before I knew it, Maya had sunk back on to the pavement and burst into heart-rending sobs. I felt so embarrassed! I mean, it was just so obvious.
“Are you OK?” Jake had squatted down beside her and put an arm round her shoulders. “That looked painful!”
Oh, please, I thought, don’t encourage her!
“Have you done any damage?”
Maya, weeping piteously, held out one of her hands. She’d grazed it on the pavement, but it was hardly gushing blood.
I shook my head. Un-be-liev-able! Shameless, in fact. Talk about a drama queen.
“Best have that looked at,” said Jake. “You could have got some dirt in it. Let’s get you into the car and I’ll give you a lift home.”
With the help of Jake’s supporting arm, Maya tottered feebly to her feet.
“Can you manage to walk?”
She sniffed, heroically. “I’ll try.”
“Well, take it slowly. Mattie, do you want to grab her bike?”
I thought, Oh, if I must.
“We can put yours in, too, if you like. I might as well give you both a lift. You’re just round the corner from each other, aren’t you?”
I was about to say, rather ungraciously, that I didn’t need a lift, we were only five minutes away, but then I thought, who in their right mind would turn down a ride in a car with the great Jake Harper? Just about the coolest boy in the school!
I wheeled both bikes across the road, pulling a face behind Maya’s back as I did so. She was really playing things for all they were worth!
“Easy does it,” said Jake, helping her into the car. Needless to say, she got the front seat. I had to sit crammed into the back, against the bikes, with my legs all curled up and handlebars digging into me.
“OK?” said Jake.
I said, “Fine!” I didn’t want him thinking I was as big a wimp as Maya. A little bit of discomfort was nothing to me.
“I’d better go in first,” I said, “and tell your mum.”
Maya’s mum tends to panic. Although she and my mum are twins they are so not identical. Mum is really down to earth and practical; she takes things in her stride. I think I am a bit like her. Auntie Megs, on the other hand, is more of a nervous type. I guess that’s where Maya gets it from. I knew if I didn’t go ahead and break the news, gently, Auntie Megs would immediately think Maya was at death’s door.
But then, omigod! As I uncurled my legs and clambered my way out of the car I saw that Jake had already gone round to the passenger side and was actually preparing to
