Read Online A Whispered Darkness by Vanessa Barger - Free Book Online
Authors: Vanessa Barger
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class, all right? I don’t want to cramp your style on your first day of school.”
I laughed. “Cramp my style? What style?”
His eyebrows lifted. “Oh, you’ve definitely got style. In all the good ways.”
Grant snickered on my left and I elbowed him. He pretended to rub his side and then pulled out his schedule. “All right, Sis. See you later. Don’t want to cramp your style by hanging around too long.”
“Wait for it, dude. You’re going to get a girlfriend and all the comments are going to come back to haunt you.”
He grinned. “Whatever. I’m not the one with admirers.” Grant crumpled his schedule in his hands and waved as he headed down a side hallway.
I entered the room and took a seat in the back. No need to draw more attention than I already did. Maybe if I kept a low profile, I could stay under the radar after the initial curiosity wore off. Maybe this time school would be different.
Maybe.
Chapter Nine
Being the new kid, I got many stares, and I tensed each time someone glanced at me. But when I searched their faces for signs of disgust or judgment, to my relief, they only seemed to be curious.
Little by little, I relaxed. The first day is the same no matter where you are. Long, boring, and full of roll calls, seating charts, class expectations, and book assignments. Mind-numbing tasks, mostly. It was easier than I anticipated to be there, in the middle of so many people again. With all their energy pressing in, I was managing better than I thought I might have. It was like traveling up a mountain and feeling the pressure change, but being unable to pop your ears. Just short of being painful, but enough to make your skin crawl if you thought too much about it.
But by third bell, I itched to get out of my seat and get out of the building. My book bag bulged with papers and new books. Things had gone relatively well, and then I walked into my government room. Haven sat in a back corner, politely nodding to something a girl in front of him was talking about.
He caught my eye when I walked in and smiled. A thrill shot through my belly. I pulled my gaze away and picked a seat in the next row. Maybe not the most subtle of moves.
“Hello again.” Haven said.
I propped my book bag up against the side of the desk. “Hey. I hope it’s all right I sit next to you?”
Haven nodded. “Definitely.”
The girl in front of Haven gave me a once over and turned away to talk to a friend. Haven didn’t seem to notice that no one else really spoke to him, beyond a few polite “hellos.” They seemed to avoid even looking too closely at him.
Just before the bell rang, Bryan flew through the door and made his way down the rows of seats to sit on my other side. He leaned over and smiled. “Hey. How’s the day going so far?”
“Good, thanks.” I was saved from any further small talk by our teacher starting class. Bryan meant well, I thought, but he made me uncomfortable. He just seemed too interested too fast. I wasn’t sure why.
Mr. Larsen took a stack of books from the shelf next to his desk and proceeded to pull each of us up one at a time to sign out a textbook. The class erupted into murmured conversations, and I released a long breath.
“So what do you think of Ocean Lakes so far?” Haven asked. He flashed a smile. “Hopefully it hasn’t been too hard being the new girl.”
“You make us sound awful,” Bryan said, shooting Haven a glare.
Haven didn’t respond, but his expression turned icy.
“It’s been okay so far,” I answered. I could have cut the air between them with a knife, though I didn’t understand the animosity.
“Good. Maybe it will stay that way.” Haven said.
Bryan’s voice was like poison. “If you keep hanging out with Haven, no one will bother you. Trust me.”
Irritation flared in my gut. So much for staying under the radar. “Seriously? I don’t know what you two have going on, but you can keep me out of it.”
They both looked away, and
I laughed. “Cramp my style? What style?”
His eyebrows lifted. “Oh, you’ve definitely got style. In all the good ways.”
Grant snickered on my left and I elbowed him. He pretended to rub his side and then pulled out his schedule. “All right, Sis. See you later. Don’t want to cramp your style by hanging around too long.”
“Wait for it, dude. You’re going to get a girlfriend and all the comments are going to come back to haunt you.”
He grinned. “Whatever. I’m not the one with admirers.” Grant crumpled his schedule in his hands and waved as he headed down a side hallway.
I entered the room and took a seat in the back. No need to draw more attention than I already did. Maybe if I kept a low profile, I could stay under the radar after the initial curiosity wore off. Maybe this time school would be different.
Maybe.
Chapter Nine
Being the new kid, I got many stares, and I tensed each time someone glanced at me. But when I searched their faces for signs of disgust or judgment, to my relief, they only seemed to be curious.
Little by little, I relaxed. The first day is the same no matter where you are. Long, boring, and full of roll calls, seating charts, class expectations, and book assignments. Mind-numbing tasks, mostly. It was easier than I anticipated to be there, in the middle of so many people again. With all their energy pressing in, I was managing better than I thought I might have. It was like traveling up a mountain and feeling the pressure change, but being unable to pop your ears. Just short of being painful, but enough to make your skin crawl if you thought too much about it.
But by third bell, I itched to get out of my seat and get out of the building. My book bag bulged with papers and new books. Things had gone relatively well, and then I walked into my government room. Haven sat in a back corner, politely nodding to something a girl in front of him was talking about.
He caught my eye when I walked in and smiled. A thrill shot through my belly. I pulled my gaze away and picked a seat in the next row. Maybe not the most subtle of moves.
“Hello again.” Haven said.
I propped my book bag up against the side of the desk. “Hey. I hope it’s all right I sit next to you?”
Haven nodded. “Definitely.”
The girl in front of Haven gave me a once over and turned away to talk to a friend. Haven didn’t seem to notice that no one else really spoke to him, beyond a few polite “hellos.” They seemed to avoid even looking too closely at him.
Just before the bell rang, Bryan flew through the door and made his way down the rows of seats to sit on my other side. He leaned over and smiled. “Hey. How’s the day going so far?”
“Good, thanks.” I was saved from any further small talk by our teacher starting class. Bryan meant well, I thought, but he made me uncomfortable. He just seemed too interested too fast. I wasn’t sure why.
Mr. Larsen took a stack of books from the shelf next to his desk and proceeded to pull each of us up one at a time to sign out a textbook. The class erupted into murmured conversations, and I released a long breath.
“So what do you think of Ocean Lakes so far?” Haven asked. He flashed a smile. “Hopefully it hasn’t been too hard being the new girl.”
“You make us sound awful,” Bryan said, shooting Haven a glare.
Haven didn’t respond, but his expression turned icy.
“It’s been okay so far,” I answered. I could have cut the air between them with a knife, though I didn’t understand the animosity.
“Good. Maybe it will stay that way.” Haven said.
Bryan’s voice was like poison. “If you keep hanging out with Haven, no one will bother you. Trust me.”
Irritation flared in my gut. So much for staying under the radar. “Seriously? I don’t know what you two have going on, but you can keep me out of it.”
They both looked away, and
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