Read Online Diamonds: Life According to Maps | Book Two by Nash Summers - Free Book Online
Authors: Nash Summers
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Perry looked oddly at Benji and then back down at Maps.
“What are you guys doing here?” he asked.
Benji nodded toward Perry, an annoyed expression on his face. “He ran into me as I was walking home from work and refused to go away until I brought him to you. He’s become my annoying shadow.”
“Oh, please,” Perry said, looking at Benji. “I asked once—nicely, I might add—and you agreed. Practically jumped at the chance to be useful.” Perry said the last part in a whisper. “For a change.”
“You asked at least four times and pulled my hair. That is not nicely. Not unless you’re an orangutan.” Benji slowly looked Perry up and down. “So, in your case, fairly nicely.”
Perry’s eyes turned into tiny little slits that Maps thought might’ve actually been able to shoot laser beams. He was just glad that look wasn’t directed at him.
He pretty good at reading people and normal social cues, and he couldn’t be completely sure, but he didn’t think that Benji and Perry liked each other very much.
“Anyway,” Perry said, looking back down at Maps. “I wanted to ask you something.”
“Shoot,” Maps replied. He had nothing better to do than play Twenty Questions with Perry while he waited for decomposition.
“There’s a Halloween party this weekend. Costumes, a dance, the whole thing. Most of the school is going. I was wondering if you wanted to go. With me.” Perry’s cheeks turned red and he couldn’t look Maps in the eyes. It was odd because he’d often caught Perry looking at him. He was such a weirdo.
Maps immediately rolled forward and hopped to his feet, deciding sedimentation would have to wait for another day. If most of the school was going, that meant Lane might be going, and it would be the perfect opportunity for them to talk.
He thought of Lane’s smile and his stomach flopped.
“Yes,” Maps said excitedly.
Perry’s face broke into a huge smile. “Really?”
“Yep.” Maps turned to Benji who had his hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. “You hear that, Watson? We’re going to a Halloween party.”
“What?” Perry and Benji both said in unison.
“What?” Maps asked, confused. He looked between both Perry and Benji. After a few minutes, Benji’s smile became sinister as he directed it toward Perry.
“Great,” Benji said. “I can’t wait.”
Perry’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah. Me neither.”
----
“ W hat are you wearing ?” Perry purred.
“Uh.” Maps looked down at his clothes. “Pants and a shirt?” He didn’t know why he phrased it like a question, as though Perry would inform him otherwise.
Perry laughed on the other end of the phone. “I meant tonight to the Halloween party. What’s your costume?”
Costume. Right.
“I kind of forgot to get a costume,” Maps replied.
Perry was silent on the other end of the phone for a few beats. “How can you forget? It’s a Halloween party!”
“I had other things on my mind.”
Perry sighed. “Like Lane?”
“Basically, yes. I have to talk to him about this whole situation.”
Perry sighed again, longer this time. “Fine. I’ll pick you up and costume before I come over. We can walk to the party together.”
“Okay. And Benji.”
“And Benji what?”
“You and me and Benji can walk to the party together. He’s already here with me.”
“Hey, Perry!” Benji hollered loud enough so Perry could hear it through the phone. “I’m so looking forward to all the time we’re going to be spending together tonight. I’m going to be like your shadow. You’ll never get rid of me, Peter Pan!”
“Ugh,” Perry said into the receiver. “See you in twenty minutes.” And then he hung up.
Maps turned and looked at Benji. Benji sat on the bed, blinking his eyes. Benji’s hair was just long enough to be pulled back into a small ponytail, and he wore a fake bushy beard that matched his hair color perfectly. One eye was covered by an eye patch, and atop his shoulder sat a
“What are you guys doing here?” he asked.
Benji nodded toward Perry, an annoyed expression on his face. “He ran into me as I was walking home from work and refused to go away until I brought him to you. He’s become my annoying shadow.”
“Oh, please,” Perry said, looking at Benji. “I asked once—nicely, I might add—and you agreed. Practically jumped at the chance to be useful.” Perry said the last part in a whisper. “For a change.”
“You asked at least four times and pulled my hair. That is not nicely. Not unless you’re an orangutan.” Benji slowly looked Perry up and down. “So, in your case, fairly nicely.”
Perry’s eyes turned into tiny little slits that Maps thought might’ve actually been able to shoot laser beams. He was just glad that look wasn’t directed at him.
He pretty good at reading people and normal social cues, and he couldn’t be completely sure, but he didn’t think that Benji and Perry liked each other very much.
“Anyway,” Perry said, looking back down at Maps. “I wanted to ask you something.”
“Shoot,” Maps replied. He had nothing better to do than play Twenty Questions with Perry while he waited for decomposition.
“There’s a Halloween party this weekend. Costumes, a dance, the whole thing. Most of the school is going. I was wondering if you wanted to go. With me.” Perry’s cheeks turned red and he couldn’t look Maps in the eyes. It was odd because he’d often caught Perry looking at him. He was such a weirdo.
Maps immediately rolled forward and hopped to his feet, deciding sedimentation would have to wait for another day. If most of the school was going, that meant Lane might be going, and it would be the perfect opportunity for them to talk.
He thought of Lane’s smile and his stomach flopped.
“Yes,” Maps said excitedly.
Perry’s face broke into a huge smile. “Really?”
“Yep.” Maps turned to Benji who had his hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. “You hear that, Watson? We’re going to a Halloween party.”
“What?” Perry and Benji both said in unison.
“What?” Maps asked, confused. He looked between both Perry and Benji. After a few minutes, Benji’s smile became sinister as he directed it toward Perry.
“Great,” Benji said. “I can’t wait.”
Perry’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah. Me neither.”
----
“ W hat are you wearing ?” Perry purred.
“Uh.” Maps looked down at his clothes. “Pants and a shirt?” He didn’t know why he phrased it like a question, as though Perry would inform him otherwise.
Perry laughed on the other end of the phone. “I meant tonight to the Halloween party. What’s your costume?”
Costume. Right.
“I kind of forgot to get a costume,” Maps replied.
Perry was silent on the other end of the phone for a few beats. “How can you forget? It’s a Halloween party!”
“I had other things on my mind.”
Perry sighed. “Like Lane?”
“Basically, yes. I have to talk to him about this whole situation.”
Perry sighed again, longer this time. “Fine. I’ll pick you up and costume before I come over. We can walk to the party together.”
“Okay. And Benji.”
“And Benji what?”
“You and me and Benji can walk to the party together. He’s already here with me.”
“Hey, Perry!” Benji hollered loud enough so Perry could hear it through the phone. “I’m so looking forward to all the time we’re going to be spending together tonight. I’m going to be like your shadow. You’ll never get rid of me, Peter Pan!”
“Ugh,” Perry said into the receiver. “See you in twenty minutes.” And then he hung up.
Maps turned and looked at Benji. Benji sat on the bed, blinking his eyes. Benji’s hair was just long enough to be pulled back into a small ponytail, and he wore a fake bushy beard that matched his hair color perfectly. One eye was covered by an eye patch, and atop his shoulder sat a
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