Shift (The Neturu Chronicles) Read Free

talked to him?”
                   
“Yeah, he’s kind of cold.”
                   
“Whatever you say. He was just in advanced calculus and corrected Mr. Smith.”
                   
With a tug, Kayla opens her locker.  “He’s in advanced calc?  Good
for him.”
                   
“Hey, he’s an intelligent and attractive guy. Maybe I shouldn’t be the one curious
about him,” Tracy quips as she playfully elbows her.  Kayla shoves her
books in her locker and ignores her friend.
    “Watch out, here comes
Jude,” Tracy whispers.
                   
Kayla stiffens and closes her eyes.  She shuts her locker door and turns
around to watch Jude approach her. 
    “Good morning, Kayla,” Jude
says.
                   
“What not-so-charming platitude do you have to bore me with today?” she asks.
                   
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jude replies with a cocky attitude
and an evil smirk.
                   
Kayla crosses her arms.  “What do you want?”
                   
“I heard you got corrected in class today.  That doesn’t happen very
often, huh?  Maybe the smartest girl in school really isn’t that smart.”
                   
Narrowing her eyes, Kayla says, “I never said I was perfect.”
                   
“That’s obvious.”
                   
“Why don’t you go jump off a bridge?” Kayla suggests with a smile.
                   
Jude smirks. “That would make you happy, wouldn’t it?”
                   
“Do you know what would make me happy? Kicking you between the legs.”
                   
“If you really want to get him, take the inside of your shoe and shove it down
his shin.  You have hard soles on; it’ll leave a mark.”  Kayla turns
toward the voice to see Jackson standing behind her.  “And if you are
going to kick him between the legs, do it from behind him, that hurts more, but
it may also keep him from reproducing.”  He shifts his eyes to Jude. 
“Not that that doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
                   
Tracy laughs.  Kayla can’t even move her lips.
    “Dude,” Jude says. “ Who in the hell do you think you are?”
                   
“Your worst nightmare if you aren’t careful,” Jackson replies.  He glares
at Jude for a second and then brushes past him, but not before shoving him into
the lockers with his shoulder.
                   
“That was awesome!” Tracy exclaims as she laughs harder.
                   
Jude growls. “I’m surprised to see a guy defend you.  I didn’t even think
you liked guys.”
                   
“I like guys,” Kayla retorts.  “Just not pigheaded losers with
small…minds.”  Tracy doubles over laughing as a large smile spreads across
Kayla’s face.
                   
“Whatever,” Jude spits out before storming away.
                   
Tracy steps in front of Kayla.  “Whatever you said to the new guy must
have left an impression.”
                   
“I guess,” Kayla whispers, staring down the hall where Jackson disappeared into
the crowd, confused by why he stood up for her.
                   
The girls look for Jackson in the cafeteria at noon, but they don’t see
him.  Tracy can’t keep quiet and immediately tells their friends what
happened with Jude.  Kayla is lost in her thoughts and eats her lunch quietly. 
She can’t seem to get Jackson off her mind, and everyone talking about him
isn’t helping.
                   
Her next two classes pass without incident, and she totally forgets about the
new guy.  Finally, she heads off to last period, creative writing. 
Kayla takes her seat by the windows.  She fishes out