Read Online Veined (A Guardian of the Angels Novel) by Anyta Sunday - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anyta Sunday
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Attic as I forced myself not to stare. He twirled a girl by her hand and walked toward the entrance. What? That wasn’t Ashleigh. Well, didn’t he make the rounds!
In the corner of my eye, I watched him pause as if I’d shouted the insult down the corridor. A fraction of a second later, he continued gracefully out the door and out of sight.
I sighed. “I’m curious about those results. Although if you’re right about names representing character, then I can only guess what his name means.”
Maddy chuckled. “But first we have to find out his actual name. Surely it can’t be Attic. What were his parents thinking?” She put a finger to her lips, mocking a thoughtful expression. “Unless that’s where he was conceived . . .”
When we arrived at English Lit, Marcus had saved Maddy and me seats on either side of him at the back of the class. I sat down. Scanned the room. Attic sat on the left, his back against the wall, looking like a bored angel with his chiseled face and blank stare. Jason came down the same aisle. No, don’t sit there! Too late. Jason slid into the seat in front of Attic. Great. Now every time I wanted to check Jason out, I’d have Attic in view. Darn it.
Ashleigh sat next to the window looking out onto the street. She flashed Attic a small smile. Strange how lightheartedly she seemed to be taking this. Like she couldn’t remember a thing.
I cringed as chalk scratched across the blackboard. Really. Was Mr. Patterson making that sound on purpose? It was time for this school to upgrade to whiteboards. He wrote a word in the center of the board and underlined it twice. Marriage. He wiped his hand on his pants, leaving a white streak across his right thigh. “In The Importance of Being Earnest the nature of marriage is debated. Who can tell me what views there are on the subject?”
One of Ashleigh’s tag-alongs answered. “Whether marriage is business or pleasure.”
“And whether it’s pleasant or unpleasant,” another guy chipped in.
Sneaking a peak at Jason’s profile, I caught Attic’s shudder. So obvious why he would think marriage unpleasant. Monogamy must disgust him and totally defy his character. He chose that moment to look my way and scowl.
As a warm up, Mr. Patterson asked the class to put our thoughts on marriage forward. When no one offered an opinion, Mr. Patterson singled Attic out. “And what do you think, business or pleasure?”
Attic answered smoothly and with absolute conviction. “I agree with Algernon. Marriage is business.” He made no indication he would add to his statement , and Mr. Patterson didn’t push him. In fact, Mr. Patterson rubbed his head and stuttered. He turned, pointed to Marcus and asked the question again.
Marcus hesitated and then replied, his voice serious and his words weighted with sincerity. “I think marriage is romantic. A commitment to be shared by two people in love.”
A low snigger, still clear enough to be heard by the back half of the class, hit me like a foul wind. I scanned the room until my eyes rested on a sandy-haired boy with too much muscle to be good for him. I clenched my teeth and imagined slapping him.
“No fag like you will ever get married.”
What! Marcus sucked in an audible breath. It wasn't even aimed at me, and it felt like a punch in the gut. Maddy, next to Marcus, snatched his hand and squeezed it tightly. And before I knew it, I was on my feet, bubbling with anger.
I imagined my face matched the color of my hair. It certainly felt like it did. I hadn’t known Marcus or Maddy long, but still considered them friends. No one messed with my friends.
I thumped my fist on the desk. Worry about the bruising later. “You asshole,” I said. A couple of people, including Maddy, jumped. “Do you think you have a right to treat people like that? Love is love—no boundaries, and any stupid jerk who thinks otherwise will probably never know love even if it managed to bite them in their homophobic
In the corner of my eye, I watched him pause as if I’d shouted the insult down the corridor. A fraction of a second later, he continued gracefully out the door and out of sight.
I sighed. “I’m curious about those results. Although if you’re right about names representing character, then I can only guess what his name means.”
Maddy chuckled. “But first we have to find out his actual name. Surely it can’t be Attic. What were his parents thinking?” She put a finger to her lips, mocking a thoughtful expression. “Unless that’s where he was conceived . . .”
When we arrived at English Lit, Marcus had saved Maddy and me seats on either side of him at the back of the class. I sat down. Scanned the room. Attic sat on the left, his back against the wall, looking like a bored angel with his chiseled face and blank stare. Jason came down the same aisle. No, don’t sit there! Too late. Jason slid into the seat in front of Attic. Great. Now every time I wanted to check Jason out, I’d have Attic in view. Darn it.
Ashleigh sat next to the window looking out onto the street. She flashed Attic a small smile. Strange how lightheartedly she seemed to be taking this. Like she couldn’t remember a thing.
I cringed as chalk scratched across the blackboard. Really. Was Mr. Patterson making that sound on purpose? It was time for this school to upgrade to whiteboards. He wrote a word in the center of the board and underlined it twice. Marriage. He wiped his hand on his pants, leaving a white streak across his right thigh. “In The Importance of Being Earnest the nature of marriage is debated. Who can tell me what views there are on the subject?”
One of Ashleigh’s tag-alongs answered. “Whether marriage is business or pleasure.”
“And whether it’s pleasant or unpleasant,” another guy chipped in.
Sneaking a peak at Jason’s profile, I caught Attic’s shudder. So obvious why he would think marriage unpleasant. Monogamy must disgust him and totally defy his character. He chose that moment to look my way and scowl.
As a warm up, Mr. Patterson asked the class to put our thoughts on marriage forward. When no one offered an opinion, Mr. Patterson singled Attic out. “And what do you think, business or pleasure?”
Attic answered smoothly and with absolute conviction. “I agree with Algernon. Marriage is business.” He made no indication he would add to his statement , and Mr. Patterson didn’t push him. In fact, Mr. Patterson rubbed his head and stuttered. He turned, pointed to Marcus and asked the question again.
Marcus hesitated and then replied, his voice serious and his words weighted with sincerity. “I think marriage is romantic. A commitment to be shared by two people in love.”
A low snigger, still clear enough to be heard by the back half of the class, hit me like a foul wind. I scanned the room until my eyes rested on a sandy-haired boy with too much muscle to be good for him. I clenched my teeth and imagined slapping him.
“No fag like you will ever get married.”
What! Marcus sucked in an audible breath. It wasn't even aimed at me, and it felt like a punch in the gut. Maddy, next to Marcus, snatched his hand and squeezed it tightly. And before I knew it, I was on my feet, bubbling with anger.
I imagined my face matched the color of my hair. It certainly felt like it did. I hadn’t known Marcus or Maddy long, but still considered them friends. No one messed with my friends.
I thumped my fist on the desk. Worry about the bruising later. “You asshole,” I said. A couple of people, including Maddy, jumped. “Do you think you have a right to treat people like that? Love is love—no boundaries, and any stupid jerk who thinks otherwise will probably never know love even if it managed to bite them in their homophobic
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