Read Online Boyfriend From Hell (Falling Angels Saga) by E. Van Lowe - Free Book Online
Authors: E. Van Lowe
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place.
It’s just the house settling, I told myself. Old houses make creaky noises all the time.
I lay back down, had just shut my eyes, when I heard it again. This time the sound came to me more clearly. It wasn’t creaking. It was the sound of laughter—soft masculine laughter.
Is Armando here?
I jerked upright, a chill knifing through me. I recalled the laughter in Armando’s eyes that afternoon.
The sound of the laughter grew.
I shut my eyes tight, just as I’d done as a little girl when boogey men lived under my bed.
“La, la, la, la.” I attempted to drown it out, but the laughter increased, louder and more raucous. There was no shutting it out as it bounced around inside my head. I began rocking back and forth—
please stop, please stop, please, God, make it stop.
I woke up with a start, bolted upright, my sweat-drenched nightgown clinging to my clammy flesh. Blessed morning sunlight streamed through the shutters. The digital clock winked a hearty 6:30.
What a spooky dream
, I thought, as I got up to get ready for school. It was then I noticed the faint odor of incense.
#
The county-wide mathlete championships were being held at Salesian High in Phoenix, a forty-minute ride from Glendale. Even though Tran, Guy, and I were the only ones competing, Mrs. Brewster thought it was a good idea for the rest of the team to come along for support. So Saturday morning the entire team converged on the school parking lot where we crammed into a mini yellow school bus and began the trek to Salesian.
Erin and I sat together. Guy was on the aisle across from us.
Perfect,
I thought. It was as if we were sitting together—almost.
“Listen up, people,” Tran barked as the bus pulled out. He was patrolling the aisle like a football coach before the big game. He moved to the front of the bus: “This is an important meet. We win this, we’re onto the regional championships. Let’s put our game faces on, people.”
Guy drooped the corners of his mouth into an exaggerated, cartoonish frown. Only I saw it. A loud guffaw escaped my lips.
Tran’s eyes moved to me. He folded his arms across his chest like an angry parent. “Barnett, you got a problem?”
The rest of the team sat silent.
“No. Umm… I was just agreeing with you. Game faces. Game faces all the way to Salesian. What a wonderful idea.” I tried looking serious, putting on my game face, but as soon as Guy saw that Tran wasn’t looking he made another face. A soft ‘
ha!’
slipped out before I could catch myself. Tran’s eyes screwed into me.
“Ha, ha—hi, there!” I said with a weak wave of my hand.
“Barnett, you gotta be serious about this!”
“I
am
serious. It’s just that Ga…” I caught myself. I couldn’t implicate Guy. He wasn’t my boyfriend yet, and if I snitched on him he might never be.
“Ga-what?” asked Tran, his face twisted into a scowl.
“Um… Ga-night?” The entire bus erupted with laughter. Everyone that is, except for Tran, who was now staring darts at me.
“Mrs. Brewster,” he called. “I think we should use one of the alternates. Megan’s not game ready.”
“What do you mean? Of course I’m game ready.”
“Come sit down, Tran,” Mrs. Brewster replied calmly from the back of the bus. “Here, sit with me. You’re not supposed to be standing while the bus is moving anyway. I’m sure Megan will be fine.”
As Tran headed for the back, he stopped and leaned into me. “If you can’t take this seriously, we don’t need you.”
“I am taking it seriously.”
“You think I don’t see through you?” He shot a quick glance in Guy’s direction. “You’re like glass.” And with that he took off for the rear.
My cheeks were burning—not from embarrassment. I was angry.
“Didn’t mean to get you in trouble,” Guy said, all apologetic.
“Yes, you did,” I grumbled.
A devilish smile appeared. “You’re probably right.” He laughed. His laughter was like a healing elixir,
It’s just the house settling, I told myself. Old houses make creaky noises all the time.
I lay back down, had just shut my eyes, when I heard it again. This time the sound came to me more clearly. It wasn’t creaking. It was the sound of laughter—soft masculine laughter.
Is Armando here?
I jerked upright, a chill knifing through me. I recalled the laughter in Armando’s eyes that afternoon.
The sound of the laughter grew.
I shut my eyes tight, just as I’d done as a little girl when boogey men lived under my bed.
“La, la, la, la.” I attempted to drown it out, but the laughter increased, louder and more raucous. There was no shutting it out as it bounced around inside my head. I began rocking back and forth—
please stop, please stop, please, God, make it stop.
I woke up with a start, bolted upright, my sweat-drenched nightgown clinging to my clammy flesh. Blessed morning sunlight streamed through the shutters. The digital clock winked a hearty 6:30.
What a spooky dream
, I thought, as I got up to get ready for school. It was then I noticed the faint odor of incense.
#
The county-wide mathlete championships were being held at Salesian High in Phoenix, a forty-minute ride from Glendale. Even though Tran, Guy, and I were the only ones competing, Mrs. Brewster thought it was a good idea for the rest of the team to come along for support. So Saturday morning the entire team converged on the school parking lot where we crammed into a mini yellow school bus and began the trek to Salesian.
Erin and I sat together. Guy was on the aisle across from us.
Perfect,
I thought. It was as if we were sitting together—almost.
“Listen up, people,” Tran barked as the bus pulled out. He was patrolling the aisle like a football coach before the big game. He moved to the front of the bus: “This is an important meet. We win this, we’re onto the regional championships. Let’s put our game faces on, people.”
Guy drooped the corners of his mouth into an exaggerated, cartoonish frown. Only I saw it. A loud guffaw escaped my lips.
Tran’s eyes moved to me. He folded his arms across his chest like an angry parent. “Barnett, you got a problem?”
The rest of the team sat silent.
“No. Umm… I was just agreeing with you. Game faces. Game faces all the way to Salesian. What a wonderful idea.” I tried looking serious, putting on my game face, but as soon as Guy saw that Tran wasn’t looking he made another face. A soft ‘
ha!’
slipped out before I could catch myself. Tran’s eyes screwed into me.
“Ha, ha—hi, there!” I said with a weak wave of my hand.
“Barnett, you gotta be serious about this!”
“I
am
serious. It’s just that Ga…” I caught myself. I couldn’t implicate Guy. He wasn’t my boyfriend yet, and if I snitched on him he might never be.
“Ga-what?” asked Tran, his face twisted into a scowl.
“Um… Ga-night?” The entire bus erupted with laughter. Everyone that is, except for Tran, who was now staring darts at me.
“Mrs. Brewster,” he called. “I think we should use one of the alternates. Megan’s not game ready.”
“What do you mean? Of course I’m game ready.”
“Come sit down, Tran,” Mrs. Brewster replied calmly from the back of the bus. “Here, sit with me. You’re not supposed to be standing while the bus is moving anyway. I’m sure Megan will be fine.”
As Tran headed for the back, he stopped and leaned into me. “If you can’t take this seriously, we don’t need you.”
“I am taking it seriously.”
“You think I don’t see through you?” He shot a quick glance in Guy’s direction. “You’re like glass.” And with that he took off for the rear.
My cheeks were burning—not from embarrassment. I was angry.
“Didn’t mean to get you in trouble,” Guy said, all apologetic.
“Yes, you did,” I grumbled.
A devilish smile appeared. “You’re probably right.” He laughed. His laughter was like a healing elixir,
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