Read Online Senshi (A Katana Novel) by Cole Gibsen - Free Book Online Page A

others as I climbed out of his car and drove off seconds after I’d shut the door.
    “Where’s he going?” Quentin asked, handing me a half-melted Hey Batter Batter Blast.
    “Sumi called.” I shoveled a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth and chewed angrily. “Another dojo emergency .”
    Michelle rolled her eyes. “That girl doesn’t give up, does she?”
    “Nope.” No longer hungry, I stirred my shake into a soupy mess.
    “Relax, Rileigh.” Braden dug his fingers into my neck in what I guessed was supposed to be a massage but felt more like pressure-point combat. “Nothing will ever break you and Kim up. You guys are soul mates.”
    “I know.” My eyelids fluttered as I fought the urge to wince as his fingers continued to pinch the tendons along my neck. “I just wish that Kim and I could have a normal relationship—without all these obstacles in the way.”
    “It’ll be fine,” Michelle said. “You’ll see.”
    But it wouldn’t be fine. Nothing would ever be fine again until Braden let go of my shoulders. Mercifully, his talonlike fingers released me before he separated my head from my neck. “Wow. You were tense. But you should be good now. I give the best massages. Michelle doesn’t need her neck worked on for a month after I give her one.”
    “Is that so?” I rubbed my screaming muscles and eyed Michelle. She refused to meet my gaze and, instead, studied a black patch of flattened gum on the concrete. I stood and threw my cup away. “Well, you better keep those magic fingers warmed up, Braden. Michelle told me earlier that her neck was bothering her.”
    Braden cracked in his knuckles. “Will do.”
    Michelle shot me a fiery look and mouthed the words, Why do you hate me?
    I stifled a laugh and turned to face Quentin. “Q, it looks like I’m going to need a ride home after all.”
    “Oh.” His eyes widened and darted to Drew and back to me. “Um, I already told Drew I’d give him a ride home because I thought you’d be with Kim. I’d take you but the backseat of my car is loaded with crap and—”
    Braden spoke up. “We’ll give you a ride.”
    “Sure,” Michelle said. “Downtown isn’t that far from South County.”
    Quentin looked relieved. “Problem solved.” He slung an arm around my neck and squeezed me against him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
    Since when was I a problem? “Yeah, okay … ”
    He started to walk away.
    But it wasn’t okay. The growing number of knots in my stomach pulled tighter with each step he took toward his car. “Wait! Q!”
    He stopped and looked at me.
    I couldn’t just sit by and let our friendship disintegrate. If I had to apologize to him every minute of every day to make things right between us, then that was exactly what I was going to do. “I know I’ve already told you, like, a hundred times, but I’m so, so sorry about what happened today.” I pointed to my eyebrows. “I’m working on it. I swear I’ll get it under control.”
    “I know.” He opened his mouth to say more but winced and pinched the bridge of his nose. “God, this headache is something.” He offered a weak smile. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
    I nodded and watched him go with one less knot in my stomach. His headache—of course! That’s what the weird look and attitude was all about. It made perfect sense. But still, I couldn’t ignore the feeling that there was something else going on, festering unseen, like a botfly burrowed into flesh.
    Michelle tugged on my elbow. “You okay?”
    I turned around and saw Braden already sitting in her car. “Oh, sorry. It’s just been a stressful day, you know?”
    Michelle gave me a sympathetic smile. “I know I’m not as close to you as Quentin and Kim, but I just wanted you to know that I’m your friend, too, Rileigh. So if you need anything … ” She shrugged and stared at her feet. “I just want you to know I’m here for you.”
    That was unexpected. For a moment all I could do was