The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill Read Free

and forth quietly, daydreaming about all the fun he and Henry were going to have this summer. Several yards in front of him, a group of kids was playing kick ball. Joss watched with an air of disinterest, despite the fact that he very much wanted to play with them. But he knew, from times past, that his efforts to interact would be met with denial. Still, when a boy he recognized from the lunchroom misjudged his kick, sending the ball flying in Joss’s direction, Joss’s instincts took over and he leaped from the swing, catching the ball in his hands before his feet had even touched the ground.
    The boy who’d kicked the ball dropped his arms to his side, a look of annoyance on his face. Several heads turned Joss’s way to see what was causing his upset, and each of their expressions darkened as well. Joss’s jaw began to feel very tight.
    Holly Whittaker stepped forward, hands on her hips. “Give us the ball back, Joss.”
    She acted as if it hadn’t been kicked toward him, as if he’d invaded their game and had stolen away the ball on purpose. His jaw ached from the tension. “I didn’t mean to catch it. It just kind of happened.”
    Tommy Hart snorted. “Yeah, just like it kind of happened that you beat Billy at that race last week, cheater.”
    Joss turned the ball nervously over in his hands. The truth was, he hadn’t cheated. But he had forgotten to pull his speed back so that Billy could win and save Joss the embarrassment of being unusually quick. “I didn’t cheat. I’m just fast.”
    Holly stepped closer, her voice filled with venom. “Everybody knows you’re a cheater, Joss. Now give the ball back, cheater .”
    With a clenched jaw, Joss held the red ball up for all to see. “This ball?”
    Then, before she could reach for it, Joss dropped the ball, raising his foot in a kick. The ball went flying. So high that it seemed to be enveloped by the sun. Then it came down, settling atop the roof of the school.
    A feeling filled him quickly, then shrank away again, as if hiding in shame. It was joy for having taken revenge. Joss’s stomach twisted and turned with guilt. He wasn’t proud of his actions. In fact, he was sickened by them. But what was done was done. He blinked at Holly and the others, whose faces wore looks of surprise, anger, and hurt. “I’m sorry.”
    They didn’t believe him. Who would? But Joss was sorry. He’d let his anger and desire for revenge get in the way.
    Before anyone could give him a richly deserved punch in the eye, the bell rang, signifying the end of recess. Joss tried to apologize again, but each member of the kick ball group simply shook their heads, as if they hadn’t expected any better from the likes of him, and gravitated toward the school. Once the playground was empty, Joss followed, hanging his head in shame.
    The rest of the day passed, blissfully, without incident.
    Once at home again that afternoon, Joss lugged his backpack through the front door and flung it into the hall closet. He hurried into the kitchen and had to resist the urge to jump up and down when he saw the answering machine flashing that there was one message waiting. He pushed the button and held his breath hopefully. “Hey, Joss! Henry here. Dad said to tell you we’d be there at five o’clock tomorrow, so get packed and ready. Oh, and Mom said not to bring any bugs. They gross her out. See ya!”
    With happiness moving his feet, Joss ran up the stairs to his bedroom. His suitcase had already been packed by his mother the night before, but Joss wanted to double-check that she hadn’t forgotten things like his magnifying glass, or his well-worn paperback copy of Identifying Insects . Neither were sitting on his desk where he left them, but Joss made a mental note to check his suitcase as soon as he went downstairs. Parents, even well-meaning parents, just couldn’t be trusted with the important things.
    Looking over his room, Joss sighed. The truth was, he was really going to miss