Read Online Me, My Elf & I by Heather Swain - Free Book Online Page A

with eyebrows raised. “What?” I cringe.
    “You know him?” Jilly asks.
    “We met the other day,” I half explain with an apologetic shrug. “That’s all.”
    Rienna rolls her eyes and snorts. “I’ve known Timber since preschool. He came to my tenth birthday party and we held hands at the seventh-grade spring fling dance.” Then a bell rings, making me jump. The fairies gather their bags. “And still,” Rienna says over her shoulder, “he never says hello to me.” The three scurry off into the rush of people flooding through the hallway.
    “Bye,” I call hopefully after them. “See you later?” But they don’t turn around.
     
    I find my first class, New Music Ensemble, and pick a seat in the back. Two girls and one guy look up briefly from their conversation. I offer them a weak smile, but they ignore me and go back to talking. I’m not looking forward to this class. I wanted to join one of the chamber music quartets, but none of them needed a lute player. The only ensemble that had space in it was this one, where we’ll “explore contemporary vocalization,” whatever that means. I’m already embarrassed by how bad I’m going to be. They’ll probably make me rap and I’ll look like the biggest moron that ever walked the face of the planet! Rapping in an elfin tunic—what would Mercedes say? “Off the hinges!”—sarcastically, of course.
    Someone slips into the seat beside me. I feel the person leaning in close, “Ready to vocalize?” he asks. I peer out of the corner of my eye, then do a big dorky double take when I realize that Timber is sitting right next to me.
    “Oh hi!” I say, my voice as high and chirpy as a nuthatch. I can just imagine Mercedes shaking her head and telling me to tone it down, girl, tone it down. “You’re in here, too?” I ask stupidly.
    “Nope,” he says. “I’m out there.” He points to the hallway. “This is my clone.” He points to himself.
    “Right. Duh.” I snort, which is even more embarrassing. “Obviously you’re in here.”
    Timber leans back in his chair and stretches his legs from under the small desk. He rests his hands across his belly. “Yeah, I’m kind of a musical loser,” he says. “All I can do is sing and pick out a few songs on the piano, so there’s not much choice for me at this school outside of voice ensembles. It’s not like I’m some kind of viola virtuoso who takes private master classes all day.”
    “But I heard you were in a band when you were a kid, so you must be really talented,” I say, then stop abruptly, because again with the gushing. What’s wrong with me? “Not like I’d know,” I add quickly. “I mean, I’d never even heard of your band until someone else told me about it.”
    The people around us snicker and Timber’s face goes through several contortions as I blather. First he’s smiling, then he scrunches up his mouth as if he’s in pain, then he squints at me as if he’s puzzled, finally he laughs in disbelief. “I have no idea what to make of you,” he says, shaking his head.
    “What do you mean?” My cheeks begin to warm. “I’m just talking. You can ignore me.”
    “Not easy to do,” he says, then leans in close to me again. “Especially in that dress.”
    Now my face really burns. I stare down at my clothes, mortified by how ludicrous I must seem—the bizarre new girl nattering away in her strange clothes.
    “What do you call this?” He reaches out and plucks my sleeve between his forefinger and thumb. I can feel his skin graze mine and I get goose bumps up and down my arms.
    “A muumuu,” someone says as she walks past us. I look up to see Bella’s red-haired drone drop into the seat on the other side of Timber.
    “Hey, Chelsea,” Timber says, quickly leaning far away from me.
    She stares icily at me for a moment before turning her attention to Timber. “They were popular in the seventies. Our grandmas wore them.”
    Before I even realize what my body is doing, my