tenebras!
"
"Excuse me?" I ask, unaware they taught Latin at RHS.
Beaming, Taylor says, "'Through science to conquer darkness.' It's the motto of Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium."
"And you know that how?" Celia puts in.
Taylor waves a hand in the air. "Just one of those things you pick up."
"Oh. Okay." Damn, these kids here in Radisson are smarter than I gave them credit for originally. I guess it's not just some backwater 'burb outside of Atlanta. I sit up tall, barely believing that she's interested. She should, like, go on
Jeopardy!
Taylor nods at me. "The motto fits here, don't you think?"
"It sure does," Celia says.
I place my hand on the table and lean in toward Taylor. "So, you're in? You'll ghost hunt with us?"
"Absolutely!" she says loudly, and claps her hands.
"Like hell you will, Taylor. Are you insane?"
I whip my head around to confront the deep-voiced intruder. Of course, the first thing I see is his blue-jeaned crotch.
Yikes! Sorry!
Wasn't expecting that. So I crane my neck up to see who has rained on our very private parade.
I take in the full details of the bellowing guy. Trim waist, athletic build, last season's Old Navy rugby shirt that's been washed too many times and has seen better days, tan arms, thick lips, straight nose. Short-cropped blond hair frames his gorgeous face, and his jaw is firm and clenched...
But as soon as I make eye contact with him, my ears start ringing. A wave of heat passes over me while I stare at his beautiful blue eyes. Breathing becomes difficult, and the pounding in my head returns. Bells, whistles, and lights punctuate my thoughts. It's like I'm in net for the Blackhawks and someone just scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal on me, top shelf, glove side, and I'm sprawled out on the ice like roadkill while the other team celebrates. The blood tiptoes away from my face and I hear Celia say something about "she's gone pale."
"Hey, are you all right?" the guy asks. I see his lips moving, yet his words blend into the noise of my brain that's telling me
This can't be real.
My balance on the lunch-table bench is precarious, and air to my lungs has suddenly become a precious commodity. I sense myself slipping away into oblivion.
Holy shit ... I'm going to pass out, and Dasani-Blue-Eyed Boyâ
he's for real!
âis moving in to catch me as I fall.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"K ENDALL ! K ENDALL! Are you all right?"
I think that's Taylor screaming at me, but I can't be sure as I emerge from my hazy funk.
"Somebody get the school nurse," Taylor instructs.
"No. She's fine," Celia says, knowing I don't want to be poked or prodded. "It's just hot in here." She's waving an empty cafeteria tray over my head in an attempt to give me air.
"I could pour some water on her," Taylor says. "They do that all the time in the movies."
"You'll get me wet too," a male voice says from behind me.
Even though I'm drenched in sweat, I'm chilled to the bone. Crap on a crutch! Why did I faint? I haven't passed out like that since Easter Sunday when I was ten years old. I was singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" in the children's choir and it was scorching hot, so hot that I crumpled to the floor among the lilies of the valley. When I came to then, my dad's strong arms were holding me, just likeânow? Wait! That's not Dad cradling me. It'sâ
Dasani-Blue-Eyed Boy!
That's
why I zonked out. Because he exists! Here in Radisson. In my school.
"You okay?" he asks as he peers at me. Even from my upside-down point of view, he's quite breathtaking. I realize I'm slumped on the floor, half lying in his lap with his arms around me. Mmm ... it feels nice, too. Just like my dream. Whoa. My dream had been some sort of weird foreshadowing of right now. I fell. Dasani-Blue-Eyed Boy caught me. He's eyeing me with major concern on his tanned face. Wow. I'm serious. He's freakin' gorgeous. I guess there
are
guys like him in Radisson. Color me lucky. The brown mole I've seen in my dreams is right there
"
"Excuse me?" I ask, unaware they taught Latin at RHS.
Beaming, Taylor says, "'Through science to conquer darkness.' It's the motto of Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium."
"And you know that how?" Celia puts in.
Taylor waves a hand in the air. "Just one of those things you pick up."
"Oh. Okay." Damn, these kids here in Radisson are smarter than I gave them credit for originally. I guess it's not just some backwater 'burb outside of Atlanta. I sit up tall, barely believing that she's interested. She should, like, go on
Jeopardy!
Taylor nods at me. "The motto fits here, don't you think?"
"It sure does," Celia says.
I place my hand on the table and lean in toward Taylor. "So, you're in? You'll ghost hunt with us?"
"Absolutely!" she says loudly, and claps her hands.
"Like hell you will, Taylor. Are you insane?"
I whip my head around to confront the deep-voiced intruder. Of course, the first thing I see is his blue-jeaned crotch.
Yikes! Sorry!
Wasn't expecting that. So I crane my neck up to see who has rained on our very private parade.
I take in the full details of the bellowing guy. Trim waist, athletic build, last season's Old Navy rugby shirt that's been washed too many times and has seen better days, tan arms, thick lips, straight nose. Short-cropped blond hair frames his gorgeous face, and his jaw is firm and clenched...
But as soon as I make eye contact with him, my ears start ringing. A wave of heat passes over me while I stare at his beautiful blue eyes. Breathing becomes difficult, and the pounding in my head returns. Bells, whistles, and lights punctuate my thoughts. It's like I'm in net for the Blackhawks and someone just scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal on me, top shelf, glove side, and I'm sprawled out on the ice like roadkill while the other team celebrates. The blood tiptoes away from my face and I hear Celia say something about "she's gone pale."
"Hey, are you all right?" the guy asks. I see his lips moving, yet his words blend into the noise of my brain that's telling me
This can't be real.
My balance on the lunch-table bench is precarious, and air to my lungs has suddenly become a precious commodity. I sense myself slipping away into oblivion.
Holy shit ... I'm going to pass out, and Dasani-Blue-Eyed Boyâ
he's for real!
âis moving in to catch me as I fall.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"K ENDALL ! K ENDALL! Are you all right?"
I think that's Taylor screaming at me, but I can't be sure as I emerge from my hazy funk.
"Somebody get the school nurse," Taylor instructs.
"No. She's fine," Celia says, knowing I don't want to be poked or prodded. "It's just hot in here." She's waving an empty cafeteria tray over my head in an attempt to give me air.
"I could pour some water on her," Taylor says. "They do that all the time in the movies."
"You'll get me wet too," a male voice says from behind me.
Even though I'm drenched in sweat, I'm chilled to the bone. Crap on a crutch! Why did I faint? I haven't passed out like that since Easter Sunday when I was ten years old. I was singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" in the children's choir and it was scorching hot, so hot that I crumpled to the floor among the lilies of the valley. When I came to then, my dad's strong arms were holding me, just likeânow? Wait! That's not Dad cradling me. It'sâ
Dasani-Blue-Eyed Boy!
That's
why I zonked out. Because he exists! Here in Radisson. In my school.
"You okay?" he asks as he peers at me. Even from my upside-down point of view, he's quite breathtaking. I realize I'm slumped on the floor, half lying in his lap with his arms around me. Mmm ... it feels nice, too. Just like my dream. Whoa. My dream had been some sort of weird foreshadowing of right now. I fell. Dasani-Blue-Eyed Boy caught me. He's eyeing me with major concern on his tanned face. Wow. I'm serious. He's freakin' gorgeous. I guess there
are
guys like him in Radisson. Color me lucky. The brown mole I've seen in my dreams is right there
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