Read Online Rhythm & Clues: A Young Adult Novel by Rachel Shane - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel Shane
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ends.”
“What if we find other people to sit with? Then can we have that table for six?” Sabrina asks.
The hostess shrugs. “When they’re finished.” She nods toward the table of businessmen.
I push Sabrina into a corner, away from eavesdroppers. “We don’t even know if we have time to wait. Come on, Sabrina. You’re a master at tricking people. Use your skills.” I mean it to come off as a joke, but Sabrina’s scoff clues me in that my delivery lacks comic finesse.
“Oh, right. I’m the master of tricking people?” She crosses her arms. “Are you forgetting the months you spent stringing my brother along, knowing he had feelings for you?”
Her words are an icepick stabbed through my gut. I don’t want to admit that he strung me along too. From the tone of her voice, I know no explanation would ever suffice and because of that, Sabrina will never understand where I’m coming from. Will never get me. There are things I could tell her—like how we’d kissed and then Gavin told me afterward that he didn’t want to start something up with me—that would make her suck back her words, but the truth is, I just don’t trust her.
“Yes, clearly I’m the enemy here,” I say in a cutting tone, hoping the venom covers the hurt I feel. “You did the right thing trying to get him away from me.” I roll my eyes at her. “Ever think that maybe your big mouth is what made Gavin run away? Because you ruined his one chance at following his dream by tattling on our band.”
I hate myself for saying it. I know it’s not true. Because I can’t help but feel responsible myself. If I hadn’t pushed him so hard to rebel…if I hadn’t made-out with him and confused him even more…if I hadn’t given him reason to cut the strings that attached him to Milford.
She glares at me for a moment, but then her face softens. “Fine. Let’s try to be somewhat civil until we rescue my brother.” She uses her charming smile on me. Still doesn’t work. “Then we can go back to hating each other.”
I cross my arms and nod, my acceptance of the deal confirmed in my silence. Who would have expected Sabrina would take the mature fork in the road? But she’s right. Gavin’s safety is more important than anything else.
I nod toward the restaurant. “I found the last clue. You do this one, if you love your brother as much as I—” I clamp my mouth shut, then recover with, “As I think you do.”
Sabrina scrutinizes my face for a moment before she gives up and marches back inside.
I follow close behind her. She continues right past the hostess stand and walks up to the table of the six businessmen. Their attention diverts from the man with glasses talking with his hands, his back to Sabrina.
Sabrina clasps her hands in front of her and leans into the table. “I know the last thing you want me to talk about is business.”
The men all laugh in unison, probably mistaking her for the waitress.
“But I’m curious if any of you have seen a post-it note on the table?” She pushes back her wavy brown hair with one hand while she places the other on the shoulder of the man with gray hair and glasses. “Maybe under it?”
Like a synchronized swimming performance, all six men duck their heads under the table. One by one they pop up, shaking their heads. Sabrina’s face falls, and she retreats back to me with her head down.
“Maybe the clues aren’t so literal,” she says. “We could be reading them wrong.”
I turn away from her and stare at the tables, trying to figure out where Gavin would hide the clue instead. One of the business men moves his briefcase out of the way, revealing an oval leg stand at the table. I distinctly remember banging my knee on the sharp corner of the square leg.
I gasp. The tables must be in different locations. I tap on the podium. Emily doesn’t look up when she says, “Still a thirty minute wait.”
“Do you stack your tables at night?”
She holds out her hand, palm
“What if we find other people to sit with? Then can we have that table for six?” Sabrina asks.
The hostess shrugs. “When they’re finished.” She nods toward the table of businessmen.
I push Sabrina into a corner, away from eavesdroppers. “We don’t even know if we have time to wait. Come on, Sabrina. You’re a master at tricking people. Use your skills.” I mean it to come off as a joke, but Sabrina’s scoff clues me in that my delivery lacks comic finesse.
“Oh, right. I’m the master of tricking people?” She crosses her arms. “Are you forgetting the months you spent stringing my brother along, knowing he had feelings for you?”
Her words are an icepick stabbed through my gut. I don’t want to admit that he strung me along too. From the tone of her voice, I know no explanation would ever suffice and because of that, Sabrina will never understand where I’m coming from. Will never get me. There are things I could tell her—like how we’d kissed and then Gavin told me afterward that he didn’t want to start something up with me—that would make her suck back her words, but the truth is, I just don’t trust her.
“Yes, clearly I’m the enemy here,” I say in a cutting tone, hoping the venom covers the hurt I feel. “You did the right thing trying to get him away from me.” I roll my eyes at her. “Ever think that maybe your big mouth is what made Gavin run away? Because you ruined his one chance at following his dream by tattling on our band.”
I hate myself for saying it. I know it’s not true. Because I can’t help but feel responsible myself. If I hadn’t pushed him so hard to rebel…if I hadn’t made-out with him and confused him even more…if I hadn’t given him reason to cut the strings that attached him to Milford.
She glares at me for a moment, but then her face softens. “Fine. Let’s try to be somewhat civil until we rescue my brother.” She uses her charming smile on me. Still doesn’t work. “Then we can go back to hating each other.”
I cross my arms and nod, my acceptance of the deal confirmed in my silence. Who would have expected Sabrina would take the mature fork in the road? But she’s right. Gavin’s safety is more important than anything else.
I nod toward the restaurant. “I found the last clue. You do this one, if you love your brother as much as I—” I clamp my mouth shut, then recover with, “As I think you do.”
Sabrina scrutinizes my face for a moment before she gives up and marches back inside.
I follow close behind her. She continues right past the hostess stand and walks up to the table of the six businessmen. Their attention diverts from the man with glasses talking with his hands, his back to Sabrina.
Sabrina clasps her hands in front of her and leans into the table. “I know the last thing you want me to talk about is business.”
The men all laugh in unison, probably mistaking her for the waitress.
“But I’m curious if any of you have seen a post-it note on the table?” She pushes back her wavy brown hair with one hand while she places the other on the shoulder of the man with gray hair and glasses. “Maybe under it?”
Like a synchronized swimming performance, all six men duck their heads under the table. One by one they pop up, shaking their heads. Sabrina’s face falls, and she retreats back to me with her head down.
“Maybe the clues aren’t so literal,” she says. “We could be reading them wrong.”
I turn away from her and stare at the tables, trying to figure out where Gavin would hide the clue instead. One of the business men moves his briefcase out of the way, revealing an oval leg stand at the table. I distinctly remember banging my knee on the sharp corner of the square leg.
I gasp. The tables must be in different locations. I tap on the podium. Emily doesn’t look up when she says, “Still a thirty minute wait.”
“Do you stack your tables at night?”
She holds out her hand, palm
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