Read Online WHO KILLED EMMALINE? by Dani Matthews - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dani Matthews
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out onto the school grounds, conscious of Cord following me. We both automatically start walking in the direction of the tree he likes to sit against, and I ignore the looks we’re receiving from the other students.
Cord sits down against the base of the tree and opens his backpack as he digs out his sketch pad.
I settle on the grass a few feet from him and feel awkward. I’m wishing I’d have thought to bring my homework out here or something. “Why?” I ask, referring to the comment he’d made as we’d exited the building.
He doesn’t look up as he begins pulling his hair back, then he uses a rubber band to keep it in place at the nape of his neck. He then picks up his sketch pad and pencil. “I can’t stand most of the people in this school, but Riley Channing is my main reason,” he says. Now that my question has been answered, he gets to work drawing.
He’s sitting at an angle, so once again, I can’t see what he’s drawing, and now I’m extremely curious to see what holds his focus so intently during lunch period. “What does Riley have to do with anything?” I watch his pencil scrape across the paper in broad, sure strokes.
Cord’s lips pull up into a smirk, and his green eyes meet mine. “He thought you were going to be his own personal plaything to torture here at school. It’s always fun taking away the toy, so to speak.”
“So that’s what this is about? You two have some sort of rivalry?”
“Something like that.” His attention shifts back to his drawing.
I’m tempted to lean closer to him to peer at it, but I think that would be pushing his limit of generosity today. He’s being kind enough to allow me to sit with him to keep me from being harassed, so the least I can do is be respectful of his personal space.
With not much else to do, I chew my bottom lip out of boredom and watch the other students. Riley and his goons aren’t out here today, and everyone else looks happy and chatty. Someone will look this way every so often, but other than that, we’re completely ignored. After all the crap I had to deal with yesterday, I’ll gladly take being overlooked today.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Cord’s voice cuts into my thoughts, and I turn my attention on him. “I brought money.”
Realization dawns across his face when it sinks in that he’d ushered me out here before I could buy myself anything from the cafeteria. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a banana, his eyes meet mine as he holds it out. “Here.”
I look at the banana he’s offering before meeting his gaze once again. “I don’t want to eat your lunch.”
“I’m not hungry, so you might as well eat it.”
Feeling a bit awkward, I accept the banana. “Thank you.”
He nods and goes back to drawing.
I carefully begin peeling the banana, all the while trying not to stare at the enigma that is Cord Bodine.
* * *
“You look different.”
When I hear Cord’s voice, I look up with a start from where I’d been organizing the studded and spiked belts in the men’s section of Cordane’s. I’d come here directly from school, and this evening, Dane has me working the register and organizing the store when there’s a lull between customers. I’d had no idea that Cord would be in tonight, and I feel self-conscious in my new outfit. I’m wearing a black, form-fitting shirt with a collage of grinning skulls on it. I’d paired the shirt with my only pair of black jeans and my black sneakers. I’m perfectly aware that I still don’t exactly fit in, but I’m still hesitant to go full-out and buy some studded skirts or hipster trousers. Though the women’s combat boots have caught my attention plenty tonight. There’s a pair that might be worth splurging on and wearing outside of the store. They’re too expensive just to wear here once in a while, I’d want to get my use out of them.
I meet Cord’s gaze and smile sheepishly. “I look weird. I don’t think I can pull off the store’s
Cord sits down against the base of the tree and opens his backpack as he digs out his sketch pad.
I settle on the grass a few feet from him and feel awkward. I’m wishing I’d have thought to bring my homework out here or something. “Why?” I ask, referring to the comment he’d made as we’d exited the building.
He doesn’t look up as he begins pulling his hair back, then he uses a rubber band to keep it in place at the nape of his neck. He then picks up his sketch pad and pencil. “I can’t stand most of the people in this school, but Riley Channing is my main reason,” he says. Now that my question has been answered, he gets to work drawing.
He’s sitting at an angle, so once again, I can’t see what he’s drawing, and now I’m extremely curious to see what holds his focus so intently during lunch period. “What does Riley have to do with anything?” I watch his pencil scrape across the paper in broad, sure strokes.
Cord’s lips pull up into a smirk, and his green eyes meet mine. “He thought you were going to be his own personal plaything to torture here at school. It’s always fun taking away the toy, so to speak.”
“So that’s what this is about? You two have some sort of rivalry?”
“Something like that.” His attention shifts back to his drawing.
I’m tempted to lean closer to him to peer at it, but I think that would be pushing his limit of generosity today. He’s being kind enough to allow me to sit with him to keep me from being harassed, so the least I can do is be respectful of his personal space.
With not much else to do, I chew my bottom lip out of boredom and watch the other students. Riley and his goons aren’t out here today, and everyone else looks happy and chatty. Someone will look this way every so often, but other than that, we’re completely ignored. After all the crap I had to deal with yesterday, I’ll gladly take being overlooked today.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Cord’s voice cuts into my thoughts, and I turn my attention on him. “I brought money.”
Realization dawns across his face when it sinks in that he’d ushered me out here before I could buy myself anything from the cafeteria. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a banana, his eyes meet mine as he holds it out. “Here.”
I look at the banana he’s offering before meeting his gaze once again. “I don’t want to eat your lunch.”
“I’m not hungry, so you might as well eat it.”
Feeling a bit awkward, I accept the banana. “Thank you.”
He nods and goes back to drawing.
I carefully begin peeling the banana, all the while trying not to stare at the enigma that is Cord Bodine.
* * *
“You look different.”
When I hear Cord’s voice, I look up with a start from where I’d been organizing the studded and spiked belts in the men’s section of Cordane’s. I’d come here directly from school, and this evening, Dane has me working the register and organizing the store when there’s a lull between customers. I’d had no idea that Cord would be in tonight, and I feel self-conscious in my new outfit. I’m wearing a black, form-fitting shirt with a collage of grinning skulls on it. I’d paired the shirt with my only pair of black jeans and my black sneakers. I’m perfectly aware that I still don’t exactly fit in, but I’m still hesitant to go full-out and buy some studded skirts or hipster trousers. Though the women’s combat boots have caught my attention plenty tonight. There’s a pair that might be worth splurging on and wearing outside of the store. They’re too expensive just to wear here once in a while, I’d want to get my use out of them.
I meet Cord’s gaze and smile sheepishly. “I look weird. I don’t think I can pull off the store’s
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