Read Online Footloose by Paramount Pictures Corporation - Free Book Online
Authors: Paramount Pictures Corporation
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stop him from doing it again, anyway. Looked like Ariel wasnât the only one who could make an entrance.
Chapter 7
Maybe he should have disconnected his iPod from the tornado siren.
Ren expected a few turned heads when he pulled up to school, being the new kid and all. But the way every single student in the parking lot gaped at him like he just came down from the mother ship was a bit more attention than he had anticipated. Nobody stared that way when he drove up to his old school with the radio blaring; usually they just tuned to the station he was listening to and sang along. Yet another reminder he was a long way from home.
He went to public school in Boston. Not in the richest part of town, but the kids lucky enough to have cars there usually had models from this millennium. The Bomont High parking lot was filled with cars that had been around longer than their drivers. It almost went without saying that everyone who owned a car probably knew how to fix it; theyâd have to if they wanted to keep it on the road. Ren was one of the few kids back home who had those skills.
Ren pushed open the driverâs-side door and stepped out, giving everyone a better view of him. He tried to play it cool, but the stares were unnerving as he walked to the entrance.
In the sea of faces, the first one that stood out was the one he met the day before. Ariel seemed determined not to notice him, but her friend clearly wasnât in on the plan.
âThatâs a nice tie,â the friend said as he passed. âI mean it. Donât let anyone tell you different.â
Again with the tie â¦
Ren couldnât tell if she was being sarcastic or if she really meant it. She seemed friendly enough, bright and cheery, while Ariel continued to be cool and aloof. Ren stammered out a âThanks,â hoping he wasnât being grateful for an insult. He tried to remember the girlâs name, but he couldnât. Ariel had said it yesterday when she needed someone to back up her lie. Dusty, maybe?
âRusty,â she said, providing her name with a warm smile that seemed genuine enough.
He nodded and looked to her friend. He definitely remembered her name, but didnât want to look like he did. âAriel, right?â
âVery good.â She casually turned away from him and walked away. Rusty was quick to follow.
Nice , Ren thought. Just enough disinterest to keep him interested. She might not know much about lying to adults, but she sure had practice messing with guysâ minds. He was going to have to figure out some way to force her to really notice him one of these days. That kind of project could make this town a bit less boring.
The high school wasnât any more interesting than the rest of Bomont. It was a standard-issue redbrick building that looked exactly as Ren imagined it would.
Everyone stared at him inside the building, too. Some guys made fun of the tie. Girls whispered and giggled. He was prepared for the gossip, but this was ridiculous. He hadnât even done anything worth talking about yet. Didnât these people have more interesting things going on in their lives?
Probably not.
Ren passed a large window looking into the principalâs office. Roger, the man he had met after church yesterday, was inside, trying to look casual as he kept an eye on every single student who passed. The name on the door was âDunbar.â
Ren pretended not to notice Principal Dunbar waving as he passed the window. The last thing he needed was for everyone to think they were old friends.
Since he just saw the principal, Ren figured the main office was nearby. He had to pick up his class schedule and locker assignment, fill out all the proper paperwork, and other stuff. Preferably before the first bell rang.
A display case on the wall distracted him. A funeral wreath hung behind the Plexiglas along with a framed photo of five students. They were clearly close friends by the way they
Chapter 7
Maybe he should have disconnected his iPod from the tornado siren.
Ren expected a few turned heads when he pulled up to school, being the new kid and all. But the way every single student in the parking lot gaped at him like he just came down from the mother ship was a bit more attention than he had anticipated. Nobody stared that way when he drove up to his old school with the radio blaring; usually they just tuned to the station he was listening to and sang along. Yet another reminder he was a long way from home.
He went to public school in Boston. Not in the richest part of town, but the kids lucky enough to have cars there usually had models from this millennium. The Bomont High parking lot was filled with cars that had been around longer than their drivers. It almost went without saying that everyone who owned a car probably knew how to fix it; theyâd have to if they wanted to keep it on the road. Ren was one of the few kids back home who had those skills.
Ren pushed open the driverâs-side door and stepped out, giving everyone a better view of him. He tried to play it cool, but the stares were unnerving as he walked to the entrance.
In the sea of faces, the first one that stood out was the one he met the day before. Ariel seemed determined not to notice him, but her friend clearly wasnât in on the plan.
âThatâs a nice tie,â the friend said as he passed. âI mean it. Donât let anyone tell you different.â
Again with the tie â¦
Ren couldnât tell if she was being sarcastic or if she really meant it. She seemed friendly enough, bright and cheery, while Ariel continued to be cool and aloof. Ren stammered out a âThanks,â hoping he wasnât being grateful for an insult. He tried to remember the girlâs name, but he couldnât. Ariel had said it yesterday when she needed someone to back up her lie. Dusty, maybe?
âRusty,â she said, providing her name with a warm smile that seemed genuine enough.
He nodded and looked to her friend. He definitely remembered her name, but didnât want to look like he did. âAriel, right?â
âVery good.â She casually turned away from him and walked away. Rusty was quick to follow.
Nice , Ren thought. Just enough disinterest to keep him interested. She might not know much about lying to adults, but she sure had practice messing with guysâ minds. He was going to have to figure out some way to force her to really notice him one of these days. That kind of project could make this town a bit less boring.
The high school wasnât any more interesting than the rest of Bomont. It was a standard-issue redbrick building that looked exactly as Ren imagined it would.
Everyone stared at him inside the building, too. Some guys made fun of the tie. Girls whispered and giggled. He was prepared for the gossip, but this was ridiculous. He hadnât even done anything worth talking about yet. Didnât these people have more interesting things going on in their lives?
Probably not.
Ren passed a large window looking into the principalâs office. Roger, the man he had met after church yesterday, was inside, trying to look casual as he kept an eye on every single student who passed. The name on the door was âDunbar.â
Ren pretended not to notice Principal Dunbar waving as he passed the window. The last thing he needed was for everyone to think they were old friends.
Since he just saw the principal, Ren figured the main office was nearby. He had to pick up his class schedule and locker assignment, fill out all the proper paperwork, and other stuff. Preferably before the first bell rang.
A display case on the wall distracted him. A funeral wreath hung behind the Plexiglas along with a framed photo of five students. They were clearly close friends by the way they
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