Read Online Candid (True Images Series) by Michelle Pennington - Free Book Online Page A

my arm and pulled me to a gentle stop. I glanced down at his hand on my arm and was glad he was staying with me, but I was still reeling from what Jordan had said.
    “Hey, why don’t we skip this thing and go talk somewhere? You’re as white as a sheet.”
    We were close to the door now, and the mass of students concentrated and closed in around us. Someone’s backpack, heavy with textbooks, knocked into me and threw me off balance. Lee reached out to steady me and pulled me closer to him, shielding me from being jostled again. I looked up at his face and saw concern in his eyes.
    A distant part of my brain registered that this was an interesting development when combined with the fact that he’d wanted to go to the pep rally with me, but I didn’t have room in my brain for that puzzle right now. I shook my head and managed to say, “We can’t. They monitor the halls pretty heavy during these things.”
    He nodded and followed me into the gym. Wishing I had a dark hole to climb into, I followed behind Lee as he climbed up the bleachers and threaded his way through people till we were at the top. I was grateful to feel the cool cinder block wall behind me. I felt less exposed this way, even if I was in a room with hundreds of people. Everyone was talking and laughing, making my silence seem more pronounced.
    Sitting close to Lee, I appreciated the comfort I felt with him, but I noticed that his attention was somewhere else. Following the direction of his eyes, I saw that he was looking at a group of teachers standing near the doorway on the other side of the gym. His eyebrows were drawn together in concentration and I realized that he was looking at Mr. Greeley, who stood draped over his crutches as he talked to another teacher.
    “You don’t think it’s true, do you?” I asked, finally needing to sort out the disturbing idea that Jordan had planted in my head.
    For an answer, Lee shrugged and slightly shook his head. He was quiet for a while. Then the cheerleaders came out onto the floor and started a cheer where the student body was supposed to participate. My school spirit was practically zero right then, but watching Jordan smiling and cheering like she didn’t have a care in the world sure put me in the fighting spirit. What I wouldn’t have given for a poisoned dart gun right then.
    “What do you think?” Lee finally asked.
    I gave up trying to slay Jordan with my glare, and said, “I don’t know. I mean, my mom never dates, and Mr. Greeley isn’t her type anyway.”
    Lee hesitated, obviously sorting out his words. “If she never dates, how do you know what her type is? ”
    That gave me a pause. “I guess I don’t. What if they got married? How weird would that be?”
    “Weird, maybe, but he’d probably make a pretty cool stepfather. It does make things more complicated though.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “First, can I ask you something? Do you really not want to date, or do you just not want to, um, round the bases like your mom is worried about?”
    It took me a second to figure out what he was talking about. When I finally did, I replied, “I wouldn’t mind dating, if the guy was fine with not getting past first base.” I think Lee was using the analogy so I wouldn’t be embarrassed, but I felt my face flush anyway.
    He grinned at me, finding me funny I’m sure, and said, “That makes me a perfect candidate.”
    “Really?”
    His expression grew serious and he said firmly, “Really. I was going to ask if you wanted to go out this weekend, but it wouldn’t do any good, huh?”
    I shook my head, really bummed.
    “Would you have said yes, if you could have?”
    He looked nervous waiting to hear my answer, which was just bizarre. What girl would ever turn him down? I should probably play it cool, but we’d already been too honest about other things to hold back now. “Definitely,” I told him.
    He seemed to relax when he heard my answer, and said, “Well, I haven’t had much time