mysterious, then.â He gave a quick nod.
I heard a slight snore, and we both turned our heads to see Carter drooping, head hitting the desk. Benjaminâs eyes connected with mine again, this time in obvious mutual amusement. My breath caught in my throat at the way his eyes danced. I found myself wanting to know more about this guy. Who he was and why he liked reading such an odd collection of books.
The bell rang. My pulse raced with a strong stutter when I realized I was going to see him on Sunday. Though it was a school project, it would be in a casual environment. A chance to get to know him a little better.
Neither he nor I moved from our desks, though Carter awoke with a snort and gathered his stuff.
âHave a great weekend!â Mrs. Brandwright said as she gathered her belongings too and then followed students out the door.
Benjamin eyed me for a moment longer, and I could tell that he wanted to say something. Instead, he grabbed his belongings and stood. With a quick nod at me, he headed out of the room.
God, that guy was driving me nuts! Looking at me, not looking at me. Talking to me, then not talking to me. Was it any wonder I was so utterly confused? Maybe I should talk to Joshua, see whathe thought. He had a wiener; surely he could help translate Man Language for me.
My phone vibrated. I groaned and dug it out of my pocket. Zach had backed off texting as much after I promised weâd talk on the phone this weekend about prom plans, but Iâd managed to avoid the date issue so far.
But it wasnât Zach. It was a number I didnât recognize.
Iâll be at the mall at 11:30 Sunday. If you want, we can grab lunch and strategize beforehand.
The air locked in my chest. It was Benjamin. Had to beâI hadnât given Carter my number. So he had gotten my note.
And he wanted to meet with me before our group meeting.
What did that mean? Was it really just about the project, or was there something else?
Only one way to find out. My stupid fingers trembled like crazy as I typed out, Okay, see you then.
I gathered my stuff and walked out of the classroom. Because Iâd dawdled so long, the halls were empty except for a few other stragglers. Normally, Iâd find Joshua and weâd walk home together, but I knew he was staying late today, so I meandered to my locker. Gathered my things. Walked down the hallway, my feet thudding across the slick gray tiles.
About twenty feet away, I realized Iâd headed right to the library. I couldnât blame my subconscious for it; I knew I wanted to check out The Canterbury Tales and see what it was all about.
I looked up its code on our library computer and went to the right spot. Found several editions of the book and looked for one with a fairly easy-to-read translation. I gripped the paperback and made my way to the checkout desk right before the libraryclosed for the weekend. I could read a chapter or two before Sunday, like the one on the Wife of Bath, and it might give us something to talk about if conversation turned awkward. God knew Carter wasnât going to be any help in that department, if he even showed up.
I tucked the book into my bag and walked home. Now all I had to do was figure out what the hell I was going to wear that would be casual yet alluring.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Joshua
D ammit.â Wrong chord. That sounded like total crap. I strummed the right chord a few times to help my fingers remember, then wrote it down on the blank sheet music. âMuch better.â
Milkshake meowed her approval and curled up in a tighter fur ball on my pillow.
âJosh,â Dad hollered from downstairs, âdid you finish the laundry?â
âYes,â I yelled back, glad he couldnât see me rolling my eyes. âYour basket is on your bedroom floor.â Where I always put it.
âOh. Uh, thanks.â
Poor man. He always got forgetful when in writing mode. For the next twenty minutes, I focused on
I heard a slight snore, and we both turned our heads to see Carter drooping, head hitting the desk. Benjaminâs eyes connected with mine again, this time in obvious mutual amusement. My breath caught in my throat at the way his eyes danced. I found myself wanting to know more about this guy. Who he was and why he liked reading such an odd collection of books.
The bell rang. My pulse raced with a strong stutter when I realized I was going to see him on Sunday. Though it was a school project, it would be in a casual environment. A chance to get to know him a little better.
Neither he nor I moved from our desks, though Carter awoke with a snort and gathered his stuff.
âHave a great weekend!â Mrs. Brandwright said as she gathered her belongings too and then followed students out the door.
Benjamin eyed me for a moment longer, and I could tell that he wanted to say something. Instead, he grabbed his belongings and stood. With a quick nod at me, he headed out of the room.
God, that guy was driving me nuts! Looking at me, not looking at me. Talking to me, then not talking to me. Was it any wonder I was so utterly confused? Maybe I should talk to Joshua, see whathe thought. He had a wiener; surely he could help translate Man Language for me.
My phone vibrated. I groaned and dug it out of my pocket. Zach had backed off texting as much after I promised weâd talk on the phone this weekend about prom plans, but Iâd managed to avoid the date issue so far.
But it wasnât Zach. It was a number I didnât recognize.
Iâll be at the mall at 11:30 Sunday. If you want, we can grab lunch and strategize beforehand.
The air locked in my chest. It was Benjamin. Had to beâI hadnât given Carter my number. So he had gotten my note.
And he wanted to meet with me before our group meeting.
What did that mean? Was it really just about the project, or was there something else?
Only one way to find out. My stupid fingers trembled like crazy as I typed out, Okay, see you then.
I gathered my stuff and walked out of the classroom. Because Iâd dawdled so long, the halls were empty except for a few other stragglers. Normally, Iâd find Joshua and weâd walk home together, but I knew he was staying late today, so I meandered to my locker. Gathered my things. Walked down the hallway, my feet thudding across the slick gray tiles.
About twenty feet away, I realized Iâd headed right to the library. I couldnât blame my subconscious for it; I knew I wanted to check out The Canterbury Tales and see what it was all about.
I looked up its code on our library computer and went to the right spot. Found several editions of the book and looked for one with a fairly easy-to-read translation. I gripped the paperback and made my way to the checkout desk right before the libraryclosed for the weekend. I could read a chapter or two before Sunday, like the one on the Wife of Bath, and it might give us something to talk about if conversation turned awkward. God knew Carter wasnât going to be any help in that department, if he even showed up.
I tucked the book into my bag and walked home. Now all I had to do was figure out what the hell I was going to wear that would be casual yet alluring.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Joshua
D ammit.â Wrong chord. That sounded like total crap. I strummed the right chord a few times to help my fingers remember, then wrote it down on the blank sheet music. âMuch better.â
Milkshake meowed her approval and curled up in a tighter fur ball on my pillow.
âJosh,â Dad hollered from downstairs, âdid you finish the laundry?â
âYes,â I yelled back, glad he couldnât see me rolling my eyes. âYour basket is on your bedroom floor.â Where I always put it.
âOh. Uh, thanks.â
Poor man. He always got forgetful when in writing mode. For the next twenty minutes, I focused on
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