The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

trusted them, they went in for the grope. They pretended to want to work on a history project or volunteer on your blood drive committee to get your attention. But as soon as they got it through their skulls that you didn't want to go out with them, they suddenly weren't interested in time lines or dire blood shortages. Worst of all, on occasion they even went out with one of your best friends to get close to you, and broke that same best friend's heart when the truth came out. Lena preferred plain guys to cute ones, but even the plain ones disappointed her.
    She personally thought that the only reason most girls put up with most boys at all was because they needed reassurance that they were pretty. That was one thing, maybe the only thing, Lena knew about herself without reassurance.
    Lena's friends called her Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. The beauty part was more or less on target, but the love part was a joke. Lena was not a romantic.
    â€œLena, this is Kostos,” Grandma said. Lena could tell Grandma was trying to be cool, but she was just about blowing a gasket with excitement.
    â€œKostos, this is my granddaughter Lena,” Grandma said with a flourish, as though she were presenting a game show contestant with his new red car.
    Lena stuck her hand out stiffly and shook his, heading off any spontaneous Greek cheek-kissing.
    He studied her face while he shook her hand. She could tell he was trying to hold her eyes for a moment, but she looked down.
    â€œKostos is going to university in London in the fall,” Grandma bragged, as though he were hers. “He tried out with the national football team,” she added. “We are all so proud of him.”
    Now Kostos was the one looking down. “Valia brags more than my own grandmother,” he mumbled.
    Lena noted that his English was accented but sure.
    â€œBut this summer, Kostos is helping his
bapi
,” Grandma announced, and literally brushed a tear from the corner of her eye. “Bapi Dounas had a problem with his . . .” Grandma patted her hand over her heart. “Kostos changed his summer plans to stay home and help.”
    Now Kostos looked genuinely uncomfortable. Lena felt sudden sympathy for him. “Valia, Bapi is strong as ever. I always like to work at the forge.”
    Lena knew he was lying, and she liked him for it. Then she had a better idea.
    â€œKostos, have you met my sister, Effie, yet?” Effie had been bobbing around nearby the whole time, so it wasn't hard to find her elbow and pull her over.
    Kostos smiled. “You look like sisters,” he said, and Lena wanted to hug him for it. For some reason, people always paid more attention to their differences than their similarities. Maybe it took a Greek to see it. “Who's older?” he asked.
    â€œI'm older, but Effie's nicer,” Lena said.
    â€œOh, please,” Grandma said, practically snorting.
    â€œJust a year older,” Effie chimed in. “Fifteen months, actually.”
    â€œI see,” Kostos answered.
    â€œShe's only fourteen,” Grandma felt the need to point out. “Lena will be sixteen at the end of the summer.”
    â€œDo you have brothers or sisters?” Effie, the eager subject-changer, asked.
    Kostos's face became subtly guarded. “No . . . just me.”
    â€œOh,” both girls said. Judging from Kostos's expression, Lena could tell there was more to the story than that, and she silently prayed Effie wouldn't ask any more about it. She didn't want to get into intimacies here.
    â€œKostos . . . uh . . . plays soccer,” Lena tossed in, just to be sure.
    â€œPlays soccer?” Grandma practically shouted as though scandalized. “He is a champion! He's a hero in Oia!”
    Kostos laughed, so Lena and Effie did too.
    â€œYou young people. You talk,” Grandma ordered, and she vanished.
    Lena decided this could be a good opportunity to give Kostos and Effie a moment.