The Seven Devils (YA "New Adult" Romance) Read Free Page A

I’m Neil,” he said softly, just above a whisper. “Would you like to sit with me?” His eyes pored over my face as I hesitated for a moment. Finally I snapped out of my daze and gave a tentative nod.
     
    I thought that once I sat down people would go back to their lunches and forget about me, but the funny thing is that people seemed to stare even more as I followed Neil back to his seat. The room became alive with whispers and pointing. I figured that Neil must be either very popular or not popular at all, but I was past caring about things like that and I tried to ignore the people around us.
     
    We sat across from each other at a table we had to ourselves. I got the distinct feeling that he wanted to say something to me but couldn’t bring himself to, and he went back to eating a slightly burned piece of pizza. Could a guy this good-looking truly be shy?
     
    I had never been very good at knowing what to say around new people, but I found myself especially nervous around Neil. He was so cute that I couldn’t seem to think straight when I looked at him. His dark brown hair was a bit wavy and ended an inch or two above his shoulders, and those eyes! They were the deepest chocolate brown and seemed to hold both kindness and intelligence. His clothes baffled me, though. Everyone else was in t-shirts and shorts, but Neil was wearing a dark pair of jeans and a black long sleeved t-shirt. From the look of his collar, it looked like he was wearing another t-shirt under that one. He must have been unbearably hot in the un-air-conditioned school.
     
    I stared back down at my tray and moved my green beans around with my fork. “Thank you for letting me sit with you,” I said quietly.
     
    Neil’s lips twitched into a half smile and he chuckled. “Letting you? I should be the one thanking you. I can’t remember the last time someone actually sat with me.”
     
    I glanced around the cafeteria and saw nearly half the cafeteria unabashedly watching our every move. I looked down at my tray quickly, my face burning. “What’s with them? Why are they staring?”
     
    Neil rested his chin on his hand and smiled at me as I looked back up towards him. “I think they’re wondering if I’m going to eat you.”
     
    I couldn’t help but laugh.
     
    “That’s more like it,” Neil said, studying my face. He added hesitantly, “You looked like you were having a tough first day.”
     
    I fidgeted in my chair. “It’s that obvious?”
     
    “Don’t let it bring you down, Ellen. The biggest jackoffs in the school also happen to be the loudest, so you were bound to meet them first. Over the next few days you’re sure to run into some of the nicer kids,” he said.
     
    “Like you?” I asked shyly.
     
    I must have said something wrong. Neil seemed to study me for a long moment and then suddenly gave a false-looking smile and shrugged his shoulders. “No comment.”
     
    I tried to eat some of my lunch but my stomach still felt all jittery. Neil seemed a little strange, but okay, and I was dying to make some friends, especially after seeing Austin surrounded by a huge group of people already. I wanted to talk to him but was afraid of saying something stupid.
     
    “You know,” Neil said suddenly, “I usually come across Ellen as a middle name. Is it your first?”
     
    My face immediately reddened and I shook my head slightly. Of all the things to come up! “I don’t usually volunteer this,” I began, “but it’s my middle name. My first name is Myra. Myra Ellen,” I said, fully expecting him to laugh. He did give a wide grin, but he didn’t laugh.
     
    I ate a bit more of my lunch and thought about how lucky I was that he had rescued me at the front of the room. I am not sure how long I would have stood up there like an idiot before finally sitting somewhere or just given up and ran out. I wondered why the people around us still stared and whispered. It always seemed as though cute guys were popular, so I