Read Online Van Bender and the Burning Emblems (The Van Bender Archives #1) by S. James Nelson - Free Book Online
Authors: S. James Nelson
Ads: Link
the circle, she drew a squiggly line from the top of the circle to the bottom.
“What does this spell do?” I said.
The last of the brink had rubbed off her hand into the air. She turned to look at me as she reached into her pocket.
“I’m going to make sure it’s safe to go to SOaP.”
She withdrew from her pocket a pink lighter with Hello Kitty stamped on both sides. As she turned back to the spell, she lifted the lighter and flicked her thumb. The lighter sparked, but didn’t light.
“Nick Savage said a good lighter is important,” I said. “You never want it to—”
She turned back to me, her face annoyed, her mouth opening to talk. But at that exact moment Mom entered the dressing room—without even knocking. As usual.
I didn’t even have a chance to feel guilty about what was going on—and what had gone on—because as usual, she totally freaked out.
Then I about freaked out, because Kurt came in with her. And Sandra followed.
Chapter 13: Surprise! Mom embarrasses me in front of my friends
I’m not a huge fan of crowded rooms. Especially when there’s an angry mom present. See the crap I put up with for Richie?
-Sandra Montoya
Mom’s eyes moved from me to Marti to the spell—and widened with understanding.
Sandra’s gaze went from me to Marti to me to Marti.
I hadn’t been alone with Sandra since we were just twelve. Suddenly here I was, alone with another girl in my dressing room.
“No!” Mom said. She leaped toward Marti and me. “Don’t you dare light that!”
“Marti Walker?” Sandra said. She pointed in her accustomed manner, lifting a hand and turning it upside down. “The CMI was Marti Walker ?”
Kurt paled. His mouth gaped then curled as if he’d eaten a rotten fish. “Marti freaking Walker?”
I stepped out of Mom’s way, toward Sandra. Marti began to object to Mom’s mad dash by crying out. She actually moved in front of Mom and held her hands out. With a grunt, Mom shouldered her aside like a football player throwing a block, shoving Marti away from the brink.
“Mrs. Van Bender!” Marti said. “Let me explain.
Mom huffed and puffed. Her face turned red and she tried to speak, but seemed to fail because of anger. She stepped in front of the brink, as if to separate us from where it hung, tinkling and sparkling.
Sandra’s brow furrowed and her mouth hung open. She had a dark complexion, and long brown hair. “Really? Marti Walker ?”
“No, no,” I said. “The CMI wasn’t Marti Walker. She just got here a minute ago.”
“Who was it, then?” Kurt said. His light brown hair was sculpted into a pointed wave all the way down the center of his head.
“Who are these people?” Marti said. “What’s going on here?”
“Who am I?” Sandra said. She stepped away from me and over to Marti, back straight, head tall. “Who am I? I’ll tell you who—”
“Stop!”
I jumped at Mom’s shout. She still stood there, trembling, glaring at us. Keeping Marti away from the brink.
Marti and Sandra each took a step back. Marti gave Sandra a dark look, and Sandra lifted her eyebrows at Marti. Kurt seemed to want to meld into the floor.
“Richie David Van Bender,” Mom said, “what’s going on here? Not only are you alone with a girl in your dressing room—”
“Mom!”
“—but you’re also doing brink?”
“Holy crap, Mom. Chill out.”
I didn’t really care so much that she was upset, but worried more about what Sandra thought of this. It wasn’t like Sandra and I were a thing, but we’d been best friends since kindergarten, and all through my cancer she’d been the only friend to stick around when my hair fell out. She’d visited me everyday. Nothing had changed when I hit it big. She was my best friend, and had been ever since I could remember.
I glanced at Sandra. She looked surprisingly serene, as if she’d managed to calm her emotions.
“Mrs. Van Bender,” Marti said, “I can explain everything. I’m from SOaP.”
Mom’s
“What does this spell do?” I said.
The last of the brink had rubbed off her hand into the air. She turned to look at me as she reached into her pocket.
“I’m going to make sure it’s safe to go to SOaP.”
She withdrew from her pocket a pink lighter with Hello Kitty stamped on both sides. As she turned back to the spell, she lifted the lighter and flicked her thumb. The lighter sparked, but didn’t light.
“Nick Savage said a good lighter is important,” I said. “You never want it to—”
She turned back to me, her face annoyed, her mouth opening to talk. But at that exact moment Mom entered the dressing room—without even knocking. As usual.
I didn’t even have a chance to feel guilty about what was going on—and what had gone on—because as usual, she totally freaked out.
Then I about freaked out, because Kurt came in with her. And Sandra followed.
Chapter 13: Surprise! Mom embarrasses me in front of my friends
I’m not a huge fan of crowded rooms. Especially when there’s an angry mom present. See the crap I put up with for Richie?
-Sandra Montoya
Mom’s eyes moved from me to Marti to the spell—and widened with understanding.
Sandra’s gaze went from me to Marti to me to Marti.
I hadn’t been alone with Sandra since we were just twelve. Suddenly here I was, alone with another girl in my dressing room.
“No!” Mom said. She leaped toward Marti and me. “Don’t you dare light that!”
“Marti Walker?” Sandra said. She pointed in her accustomed manner, lifting a hand and turning it upside down. “The CMI was Marti Walker ?”
Kurt paled. His mouth gaped then curled as if he’d eaten a rotten fish. “Marti freaking Walker?”
I stepped out of Mom’s way, toward Sandra. Marti began to object to Mom’s mad dash by crying out. She actually moved in front of Mom and held her hands out. With a grunt, Mom shouldered her aside like a football player throwing a block, shoving Marti away from the brink.
“Mrs. Van Bender!” Marti said. “Let me explain.
Mom huffed and puffed. Her face turned red and she tried to speak, but seemed to fail because of anger. She stepped in front of the brink, as if to separate us from where it hung, tinkling and sparkling.
Sandra’s brow furrowed and her mouth hung open. She had a dark complexion, and long brown hair. “Really? Marti Walker ?”
“No, no,” I said. “The CMI wasn’t Marti Walker. She just got here a minute ago.”
“Who was it, then?” Kurt said. His light brown hair was sculpted into a pointed wave all the way down the center of his head.
“Who are these people?” Marti said. “What’s going on here?”
“Who am I?” Sandra said. She stepped away from me and over to Marti, back straight, head tall. “Who am I? I’ll tell you who—”
“Stop!”
I jumped at Mom’s shout. She still stood there, trembling, glaring at us. Keeping Marti away from the brink.
Marti and Sandra each took a step back. Marti gave Sandra a dark look, and Sandra lifted her eyebrows at Marti. Kurt seemed to want to meld into the floor.
“Richie David Van Bender,” Mom said, “what’s going on here? Not only are you alone with a girl in your dressing room—”
“Mom!”
“—but you’re also doing brink?”
“Holy crap, Mom. Chill out.”
I didn’t really care so much that she was upset, but worried more about what Sandra thought of this. It wasn’t like Sandra and I were a thing, but we’d been best friends since kindergarten, and all through my cancer she’d been the only friend to stick around when my hair fell out. She’d visited me everyday. Nothing had changed when I hit it big. She was my best friend, and had been ever since I could remember.
I glanced at Sandra. She looked surprisingly serene, as if she’d managed to calm her emotions.
“Mrs. Van Bender,” Marti said, “I can explain everything. I’m from SOaP.”
Mom’s
Similar Books
