The Orphans Series Vol. 1: The Orphans Read Free Page B

check out Greg all at once, and instead gazed at some of the students sitting in the back. "You know, come to think of it, I'm probably right. How many people get escorts to detention?"
                  Shaun shrugged. "Out of all the kids here, I might be the only one counting down the minutes he has left to live. My dad's kind of good with chemicals...."
                  Greg let out a laugh, one that sounded much more mature than Shaun's. "I really doubt your dad's going to off you when you get home. What kind of chemicals would he have--is he some kind of meth cooker?"
                  Ellie stepped in before Shaun could answer. "Worse! He could give Shaun an overdose of vitamins!" She smiled in a more of a flirtatious way than Shaun would have preferred and continued. "His dad's a biochemist. I don't know how dangerous he really is, but I think Shaun has a chance of pulling through if he just doesn't eat at home the next few days."
                  Knowing how dangerous his dad could be, Shaun smirked cockily. "Yeah, well, when your dad's an ex-Army paratrooper, he can kill you with just about anything. I probably have a half hour ... maybe forty-five minutes left to live. It just depends on how long it takes him speeding and driving like a madman to get here."
                  Greg looked Shaun over, judging the credibility of his story, and knowing that if he was truly worried about his demise he would not be waiting around in a detention room. Greg liked his sense of humor and commented. "Better pray for rush hour, kid."
                  Tina didn't have any interest in Greg or Shaun, but wasn't happy being anything less than the center of attention. "Your dad was a paratrooper? That is so, like, awesome! Does that mean he drove tanks or something?"
                  Shaun thought it out, and came to the conclusion she knew diddly about the military. He shook his head. "It means he can jump out of airplanes, land within a few miles of his destination, go into a camp, kill someone with a bomb, knife, or gun, and then hike it back out of there with his team and not get caught."
                  Tina bit her lip. "So, is your dad like really hot too?"
                  "Where do you think I get my good looks from?"
                  Ellie laughed. "I've been trying to figure out what happened to you for years!"
                  All three of them laughed at Shaun's expense, but he wasn't expecting compliments to come from a loaded question like that.
                  Ellie, unfortunately, was caught in a fit of laughter. She had been trying to play it cool in front of the upperclassmen, but was incapable of stopping the laughs from coming. The more she thought about it, the harder it was to stop. Mr. Smith stared at them, but was unable to see everything going on. He stood up just as she got it under control and shouted. "Who is it back there making all that racket!? Do you want me to tack on time!?"
                  Ellie opened her mouth to take the blame for it, but Greg spoke first. "Sorry, sir! I was just thinking about something and it made me laugh out loud."
                  Mr. Smith trusted Greg no further than he could throw him. "Yeah? And what's so funny, Mr. Thompson?"
                  "Well, sir, I'm working on being a respectable young man, and I don't think Mr. Peterson would appreciate me repeating something like this in front of all these fragile minds!."
                  Mr. Smith shook his head. "I don't know if there are any impressionable minds at this age."
                  Greg smiled and pointed to Ellie. "I don't know, sir. I kind of have a feeling about this one." He gave a quick wink at Ellie, which made Shaun's stomach turn just a little with jealously.
                  Mr. Smith shook his head, sat