97 (Rise of the Battle Bred) Read Free Page B

briskly I thought maybe her neck would snap. She mouthed, ‘ Go with him! ’
    “Um, yeah. Sure,” I said to her and zipped my book into my book bag and hefted it off the floor while reaching for the door handle. But Mr. TDH had already opened it, and I stumbled out of the car as if I had just learned to walk yesterday.
    He grabbed my hand so that I didn’t do a total face plant, and steadily guided me until I found my feet.
    “Thanks,” I said breathlessly.
    Oh my word.
    I did not just say something breathlessly. How embarrassing. I shook my head. I am not one of the Ticks; I do not need to be all ‘helpless female in distress’.
    I swallowed and straightened my shoulders. “So, where are you from?”  I didn’t croak or squeak. I was cool. Cool as a cucumber. Thanks Mom. I ticked the phrase off my mental list.
    “Out east,” He shrugged dismissively. “What’s your name?”  He asked me, his voice was deep and resonant.
    I bet he had great projection. I didn’t do theater, but if he did, I would try out today.
    “I’m Jane. Plain Jane,” I said what I usually do when I introduce myself. I didn’t even think about it anymore; it’s just the way I’ve always introduced myself. The new guy stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me full on.
    His eyes darkened and his brows furrowed as he looked at me so intently I thought I might combust.
    “Never plain,”
    And t hen the blushing commenced. Curses!
    I held his gaze, deciding the only way to overcome the blush was to pretend it wasn’t right now turning my skin as red as a sunburned butt. “Okay,” I said simply and kept walking. I looked over my shoulder at him. “What’s yours?”
    “William,” He resumed walking alongside me.
    “So, William,” I started. “Are you already registered and stuff, or do you need to go to the office first?”
    “My dad registered me online. I just have to get my schedule.”
    “Okay then. Follow me,” I said lightly. I felt my skin cooling; my stoicism was working; the blush was fading away. I could do this. And then I thought I heard him say something under his breath. To the ends of the earth?  I looked at him, but his attention was focused on the posters on the wall. I must have imagined it.
    We resumed walking, me glancing at the posters, wondering what was so danged interesting about them that William was ignoring me now in favor of homecoming announcements, poorly rendered mascot drawings, and such titillating phrases as ‘Seniors Rule!’ With nothing else interesting to say to each other, I resigned myself to admiring him from afar.
    His skin was dark, like he spent a lot of time outdoors. I couldn’t figure out where he got such cool clothes to dress his gigantic frame. His shoulders were so broad and it looked like he had muscles on his muscles. The white shirt pulled across his back, accenting his sculpted shoulders. His waist tapered into narrow hips. His jeans were clean, dark and stylish. He walked with the grace of someone much older than a high school kid. He didn’t have the sway and swagger of the football team jocks. He walked more like he was ready to run or something. Yeah, that was it. He looked ready. Ready for what, I could only wonder.
    I got William settled at the office and left him there. I could only stand so much…so much…just, so much. I found Crady in the library. When she saw me, her eyes got as big as saucers and she stood up, letting books and papers fall to the floor. I approached her, feeling other eyes on me as well. I ignored the other library patrons and stopped at Crady’s table.
    “Well?”  She drew out the word with pregnant expectation.
    I smirked a little. “What?”
    “Well, how hot is he?  Was my old man right, or what?”  Crady practically jumped up and down on her two-inch platform shoes that were modified sneakers.
    Crady’s whole approach to fashion was: if it’s quirky, she likes it. So her stacked sneakers didn’t quite match her