Read Online Going Under by S. Walden - Free Book Online Page A

monstrosity.
    “Okay,” he said, and hurried to the
concession stand.
    I stuck my face against the camera
tentatively and looked through the lens. I tried the large button
on the right side and snapped a picture of the gym floor. I pulled
the camera away to study my shot. It was a blur of muted yellow. I
tried again, shoving my face against the camera and moving it up
and down the bleachers. I couldn’t believe the crowd that showed up
to watch a volleyball game. Not nearly as big as a basketball game
would draw, but it was still a healthy number. The girls’ team
should be proud, I thought.
    I almost put the camera down when I spotted
Ryan sitting in the top corner of the bleachers. He watched me
looking at him through the lens, his brows furrowed. He didn’t look
happy. I tried to focus the lens, and succeeded in getting a
slightly sharper view of him. His hair was a sexy, tousled mess,
like that 1960s throw-back style so popular with the boys right
now. I’m glad his bangs didn’t obscure his piercing eyes, though.
Nothing should ever cover up those eyes.
    His jaw was clenched, and I wondered why he
was angry. I thought absurdly that he was angry with me, and I
couldn’t understand what I’d done wrong. I stood paralyzed, unable
to take the camera off of him. He refused to avert his eyes. I
almost thought he was trying to tell me something, but I was too
stupid to understand.
    “What are you doing?” It was Cal addressing
me from behind.
    I whirled around to face him, peeking from
behind the camera.
    “What do you mean?” I asked.
    Cal looked at me, then up at the stands.
    “You don’t want to have anything to do with
that guy,” he warned. “He’s one of those crazy loners. I think he’s
on meds or something. A ticking time bomb.”
    I lowered the camera. “I don’t know what
you’re talking about,” I said. “I was just taking pictures of the
fans.”
    Cal snatched the camera and searched the
recent shots. “Oh yeah?” he asked, finding no shots at all.
    My face flared up again. “Well, I was trying
to anyway.”
    “I’m serious, Brooke,” Cal said, handing me
a bottled water. “I just want you to be safe.”
    I took the drink, thinking that “safe” had
nothing to do with it. What I really heard underlining Cal’s
warning was, “You get involved with that guy, and you can forget
about me.” I was thrust into the middle of another unfair
situation. Karma, maybe, for my past mistakes. I was undeniably
attracted to Ryan. And I felt an attraction on his end. But I
couldn’t do a thing about it. I couldn’t even talk to the guy, at
least not at school. I couldn’t risk Cal seeing.
    “Did you hear me?” Cal asked. “I want you to
be safe, Brooke.”
    I nodded, looking up at him. He looked at me
with the deepest concern, and I forgot that he was a bad guy. He
didn’t sound like one now. He sounded like he wanted to protect me,
take care of me, and I almost believed him.
    Almost.
     
     
     
     
    Five
    The stairs at the end of Hallway D curve
down so that it’s impossible to stand on the top landing and see
someone standing on the bottom landing. Even if you hang your body
over the edge and strain your neck. The stairwell is accessible by
a door on the top and bottom floors. Secluded, and I imagined
couples dipping under the stairs for quick make-out sessions
between classes. The stairwell was creepy when you found yourself
in it alone, always a little darker than the rest of the school,
like the janitors reserved the leftover, low-quality bulbs for this
section of the building.
    I was on the last stair heading for the
first floor hallway when I heard the door to the top floor open and
a chorus of hushed voices talking in urgent whispers. My instinct
was to move quickly and soundlessly under the stairs, so that’s
what I did.
    I heard a deep male voice. “Is anyone in
here?”
    I remained silent.
    There was a brief pause before the low
talking resumed.
    “Dude, we can totally trust