Read Online King 02 - Breathless by Tawdra Kandle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tawdra Kandle
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bit my lip and sighed as I picked up a tray and joined the line.
“Hey, Tas!” Cara sailed into the line and gave me a friendly bump on the shoulder. “Joining the rest of us commoners in the lunch line this year?”
Michael treated her like a princess. Bet it’s hard for her to get used to doing things on her own now.
I fought to keep a frown off my face and Cara’s voice out of my head. I didn’t need her teasing today, no matter how good-natured it might be. And I wasn’t entirely sure anymore how harmless Cara was. Between her parents’ suspicion of me and her own murky feelings toward Michael, I found that my trust in Cara was waning.
I wanted to tell her that I had never asked Michael to spoil me as he had. It was part of him, an integral aspect of his make-up, just as he treated Anne and Brea with an affectionate deference, just as he was lovingly protective of both his sister and his mother.
But it wouldn’t do any good to make these protestations. Cara wouldn’t want to hear them.
Instead I smiled weakly at her and replied vaguely, “Yes, it really is a change.” We slid our trays along the metal bars, and with a pang I was back in time, a year ago, when I had first laid on eyes on Michael. I saw his warm eyes, his welcoming smile with just a hint of astonishment, for amazingly he had been waiting for me years before we knew each other.
With a sigh, I grabbed a salad and roll, added a bottle of water and paid for my food. As I returned to our table, I noticed that Liza, Julie and Casey were sitting at their old table, too. Liza’s eyes met mine as I passed.
There she is. Not so high and mighty now that her knight in shining armor isn’t around. She’s probably feeling sorry for herself. Well, now she knows how it feels to lose someone. Now she knows how we all felt last year after Nell… left.
I looked away from Liza, as much to hide my impatience as to stop hearing her thoughts. It was exasperatingly amusing that she chose to remember the events of last year so much differently than they had actually happened. In reality, Liza had been tired of Nell’s controlling nature and questionable practices. And after everything had happened, Liza had as much as admitted to me that Nell’s behavior had frightened her. But now she was willing to blame me for her former friend’s absence.
Cara was right behind me as I sat down at the table. A few moments later, Amber joined us. We chatted idly about our mornings, and I carefully avoided sharing my talk with Ms. Ross about the independent study. Amber was still very uneasy about Ms. Lacusta, and rightfully so. She had seen the teacher in some very unorthodox and scary settings, and I knew that she didn’t feel completely safe when Ms. Lacusta was around.
A few juniors sat down at the end of our table and glanced at us curiously. I smiled at them welcomingly, remembering all too well how it felt to be lonely at lunch time. One girl introduced herself to us.
“I’m Tricia,” she announced. “Sorry if we’re taking up space here. This is where we sat the last two years, when we had fourth period lunch. I didn’t even think that we’d have to find a new place this year.”
“It’s not a problem,” I assured them. “Our friends—the ones who used to sit here with us—they graduated last spring. So we’ve got room, if you want to sit here.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes wandered over us inquisitively. “Didn’t you used to date that gorgeous senior? Well, the one who graduated, I mean.”
My smile became a little more forced. “If you mean Michael Sawyer, yes. I did—do date him. He’s away at school right now.”
Tricia and her two friends sighed rapturously. “He is so cute,” the girl nearest me announced breathlessly. “I heard no one was ever good enough for him. How did you snag him?”
I wanted to roll my eyes. It wasn’t the first time that someone had questioned my relationship with Michael—the best-looking guy in the
“Hey, Tas!” Cara sailed into the line and gave me a friendly bump on the shoulder. “Joining the rest of us commoners in the lunch line this year?”
Michael treated her like a princess. Bet it’s hard for her to get used to doing things on her own now.
I fought to keep a frown off my face and Cara’s voice out of my head. I didn’t need her teasing today, no matter how good-natured it might be. And I wasn’t entirely sure anymore how harmless Cara was. Between her parents’ suspicion of me and her own murky feelings toward Michael, I found that my trust in Cara was waning.
I wanted to tell her that I had never asked Michael to spoil me as he had. It was part of him, an integral aspect of his make-up, just as he treated Anne and Brea with an affectionate deference, just as he was lovingly protective of both his sister and his mother.
But it wouldn’t do any good to make these protestations. Cara wouldn’t want to hear them.
Instead I smiled weakly at her and replied vaguely, “Yes, it really is a change.” We slid our trays along the metal bars, and with a pang I was back in time, a year ago, when I had first laid on eyes on Michael. I saw his warm eyes, his welcoming smile with just a hint of astonishment, for amazingly he had been waiting for me years before we knew each other.
With a sigh, I grabbed a salad and roll, added a bottle of water and paid for my food. As I returned to our table, I noticed that Liza, Julie and Casey were sitting at their old table, too. Liza’s eyes met mine as I passed.
There she is. Not so high and mighty now that her knight in shining armor isn’t around. She’s probably feeling sorry for herself. Well, now she knows how it feels to lose someone. Now she knows how we all felt last year after Nell… left.
I looked away from Liza, as much to hide my impatience as to stop hearing her thoughts. It was exasperatingly amusing that she chose to remember the events of last year so much differently than they had actually happened. In reality, Liza had been tired of Nell’s controlling nature and questionable practices. And after everything had happened, Liza had as much as admitted to me that Nell’s behavior had frightened her. But now she was willing to blame me for her former friend’s absence.
Cara was right behind me as I sat down at the table. A few moments later, Amber joined us. We chatted idly about our mornings, and I carefully avoided sharing my talk with Ms. Ross about the independent study. Amber was still very uneasy about Ms. Lacusta, and rightfully so. She had seen the teacher in some very unorthodox and scary settings, and I knew that she didn’t feel completely safe when Ms. Lacusta was around.
A few juniors sat down at the end of our table and glanced at us curiously. I smiled at them welcomingly, remembering all too well how it felt to be lonely at lunch time. One girl introduced herself to us.
“I’m Tricia,” she announced. “Sorry if we’re taking up space here. This is where we sat the last two years, when we had fourth period lunch. I didn’t even think that we’d have to find a new place this year.”
“It’s not a problem,” I assured them. “Our friends—the ones who used to sit here with us—they graduated last spring. So we’ve got room, if you want to sit here.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes wandered over us inquisitively. “Didn’t you used to date that gorgeous senior? Well, the one who graduated, I mean.”
My smile became a little more forced. “If you mean Michael Sawyer, yes. I did—do date him. He’s away at school right now.”
Tricia and her two friends sighed rapturously. “He is so cute,” the girl nearest me announced breathlessly. “I heard no one was ever good enough for him. How did you snag him?”
I wanted to roll my eyes. It wasn’t the first time that someone had questioned my relationship with Michael—the best-looking guy in the
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