Read Online First Light by Samantha Summers - Free Book Online Page B

trying to make light of it.
     
    ‘What do you mean you hang out ?’ she asked with exasperation. ‘Don’t you tell me anything any more? I can’t believe you’re falling for the whole bad-boy thing. How tacky.’
     
    I sighed. ‘Have you ever had a problem with any of them?’
     
    ‘Well, no. But I’ve heard–’
     
    ‘Yeah, but have you ever noticed it’s always a friend, or a friend of a friend, who knows something about them? No one’s ever had a run in with the boys personally – it’s always someone they know. I dunno, I suppose I’d like to keep an open mind.’
     
    ‘Did he tell you what he does for a living?’
     
    She had me there.
     
    ‘Exactly,’ she said, when I didn’t answer. ‘You’re only defending him because you think your dad knew him and you don’t want to believe your dad would have been mixed up in anything bad. But think about it, what do they do all day? Why don’t they work or go to school? Who are their parents?’
     
    ‘Look, I don’t know what he does, but I know it’s nothing to do with drugs after his reaction last night. Plus, he doesn’t even drink! And we don’t all have parents, do we?’ I retorted.
     
    A blanket of awkward silence nestled itself between us. I could think of nothing else to say.
     
    ‘Fine,’ Mae continued eventually with a flick of her hand, ‘tell me about him then. What have you two been doing? What’s he like?’
     
    I smiled, feeling my tension dissolve while I considered her words. I couldn’t describe what he was like, because I had no idea where to begin with anything deeper than aesthetic details. I said that he hadn’t told me much yet, but I was working up to finding out, which was mainly the truth.
     
    She eyed my curiously before shaking her head and changing the subject. I wanted to be honest with her, though until I knew more about him myself I wasn’t sure how to do that.
     
    ***
     
    When Mae left I decided to spend the evening cleaning. It would help keep my mind off of a certain hot, but potentially dangerous, boy whom I knew nothing about. Were Mae and Rachel right? Was he bad news? So far he’d been around when I needed him most, I couldn’t see what was so bad about that.
     
    I brushed the thought away and spread some toast with a thick layer of Marmite. Not much of a dinner, but I didn’t see the point in cooking just for me. Once I’d swallowed it down I began to feel marginally better. I got some rubber gloves and cleaning spray from under the sink and took myself upstairs to the en-suite.
     
    I made it all the way to my bathroom before my mind caught up with what I had glimpsed at my bedroom window. I whirled around.
     
    Kalen.
     
    ‘What are you doing here?’ I wanted to sound angry, but it would have been a lie.
     
    ‘You seemed annoyed with me earlier, I wanted to apologise.’
     
    ‘Why are you at my window instead of the front door?’
     
    ‘ I thought it would be romantic.’ The sarcasm in his voice made it obvious he was poking fun at me. That was fine, I could hold my own.
     
    ‘Romanic or class-five stalker behaviour?’ I countered.
     
    He chuckled silently, but I noticed he didn’t deny it.
     
    ‘Nice gloves by the way.’
     
    I tugged them off and threw them on the bed.
     
    ‘Can I come in?’ he asked.
     
    ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
     
    ‘Okay.’ He shrugged, though I could see he was a little taken back. ‘Wanna get out instead?’
     
    ‘And go where?’
     
    ‘Wherever you want.’
     
    Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t stay mad at him. My mood was lifting already, but I did need to know more about who I was hanging out with. ‘Fine, I know what I want to do.’
     
    He lifted one dark eyebrow, waiting.
     
    ‘Where do you live?’
     
    ‘Ah.’
     
    I glared at him. Eventually, he sighed, leaning back against the window frame. ‘Right now, I live on the other side of town.’
     
    ‘Who with?’
     
    ‘Some