is coming this way, ” Jaz whispered as she nudged me . “I have Brad wrapped around my finger now. He asked me out before winter break and now he is practically in love with me.”
“Do you like him?” I asked . I couldn’t help myself; I really did want to know.
“Yeah, I really do,” s he replied with a smile . “Brad, what just happened with Knightley?”
Brad kissed Jaz ’s head before answering . “Mike just got his ass handed to him. Knightley overheard a conversation we were h aving , and I guess he didn’t like it much . ”
“And what were you talking about?” Jaz probed , her eyes narrowing at him in suspicion.
He looked at me and then looked at his feet . “Err…nothing.”
“It didn’t look like nothing—now tell me word for word what happened, ” Jaz demanded.
“ Babe, it’s kind of embarrassing, ” Brad replied with his voice hus hed.
“For you or Mike?” Jaz dug in.
“For Vera …” Brad replied . N ow he had my interest.
“Me? I doubt something Mike could say would embarrass me, ” I responded as if my stomach wasn’t forming a knot. Whatever he had said it had really pissed Tad off. I had never seen him that angry before.
“Well, Mike was saying how he would like to u mm … ‘hit that’ in reference to Vera . Knightley overheard and said he didn’t want to over hear us talking about hitting any girls. So , Mike got all smart mouth on him and said that it wasn’t that kind of hitting and Knightley said he was well aware what kind of hitting he was referring to, but Mike might want to watch what he said around Vera ’s best friend’s boyfriend because it was bound to get to Vera and she and no girl would be impressed by that kind of talk. Dude, Mike is going to be so pissed at me because I told you Vera , ” Brad finished his ramble with a huge breath.
Jaz shook her head . “That kid has no game. Knightley hit the nail on the head on that one.”
“Even if Mike wasn’t dumb enough to say that , he would never have had a chance anyways, ” I responded , rolling my eyes. No one had a chance .
“This is true. He’s playing anyways; we al l know he’s in love with Ashley, ” Jaz replied , linking her arm in mine . “I’m thir s ty Vera; let’s go get something to drink. Bye , Brad.”
“T hat was really immature of Mike, ” I said agitated . “Sickening.”
“Don’t let it get to you. H e knows he has no ch ance with you. They all know it, ” Jaz replied as she tapped my arm with her hand.
“What does that mean?” I asked , turning to face her.
“The theory that they all have is that you either had your heart broken and you are totally off limits , or you left someone behind in your ol d town that you are waiting for, ” Jaz explained.
“It is d efiantly not the latter, ” I answered as we began to walk again. When I thought of the guy I had broken up with when my parents died my stomach went empty.
Jaz stopped and t urned in front of me so quick I almost ran her over . “ S omeone broke your heart!”
“Oh, no that’s not what I meant, ” I said , stepping back and waving my arms in dismay. It was a bit of an overreaction and there was no way I could cover it up. Jaz’s eyes narrowed on me as they had on Brad.
“So , why are you off limits?” s he pressed.
“Not loving t he maturity of high school boys, ” I stumbled, and it was half truthful.
She thought about it for a second and t hen linked her arm back in mine . “You ’ r e right, they’ re a bit foolish. Well, except for Brad.”
Chapter 2 5
I handed the cashier my cash and picked up my coffee before standing from the line to look up at the flat screen TV playing the news.
“With the third movie in the Crimson Reign s aga releasing next month we are reminded of the rash of killings that were inspired by the movie s and novels . These killings still remain a mystery. T hey began shortly after the first movie released and stopped last year shortly after the
“Do you like him?” I asked . I couldn’t help myself; I really did want to know.
“Yeah, I really do,” s he replied with a smile . “Brad, what just happened with Knightley?”
Brad kissed Jaz ’s head before answering . “Mike just got his ass handed to him. Knightley overheard a conversation we were h aving , and I guess he didn’t like it much . ”
“And what were you talking about?” Jaz probed , her eyes narrowing at him in suspicion.
He looked at me and then looked at his feet . “Err…nothing.”
“It didn’t look like nothing—now tell me word for word what happened, ” Jaz demanded.
“ Babe, it’s kind of embarrassing, ” Brad replied with his voice hus hed.
“For you or Mike?” Jaz dug in.
“For Vera …” Brad replied . N ow he had my interest.
“Me? I doubt something Mike could say would embarrass me, ” I responded as if my stomach wasn’t forming a knot. Whatever he had said it had really pissed Tad off. I had never seen him that angry before.
“Well, Mike was saying how he would like to u mm … ‘hit that’ in reference to Vera . Knightley overheard and said he didn’t want to over hear us talking about hitting any girls. So , Mike got all smart mouth on him and said that it wasn’t that kind of hitting and Knightley said he was well aware what kind of hitting he was referring to, but Mike might want to watch what he said around Vera ’s best friend’s boyfriend because it was bound to get to Vera and she and no girl would be impressed by that kind of talk. Dude, Mike is going to be so pissed at me because I told you Vera , ” Brad finished his ramble with a huge breath.
Jaz shook her head . “That kid has no game. Knightley hit the nail on the head on that one.”
“Even if Mike wasn’t dumb enough to say that , he would never have had a chance anyways, ” I responded , rolling my eyes. No one had a chance .
“This is true. He’s playing anyways; we al l know he’s in love with Ashley, ” Jaz replied , linking her arm in mine . “I’m thir s ty Vera; let’s go get something to drink. Bye , Brad.”
“T hat was really immature of Mike, ” I said agitated . “Sickening.”
“Don’t let it get to you. H e knows he has no ch ance with you. They all know it, ” Jaz replied as she tapped my arm with her hand.
“What does that mean?” I asked , turning to face her.
“The theory that they all have is that you either had your heart broken and you are totally off limits , or you left someone behind in your ol d town that you are waiting for, ” Jaz explained.
“It is d efiantly not the latter, ” I answered as we began to walk again. When I thought of the guy I had broken up with when my parents died my stomach went empty.
Jaz stopped and t urned in front of me so quick I almost ran her over . “ S omeone broke your heart!”
“Oh, no that’s not what I meant, ” I said , stepping back and waving my arms in dismay. It was a bit of an overreaction and there was no way I could cover it up. Jaz’s eyes narrowed on me as they had on Brad.
“So , why are you off limits?” s he pressed.
“Not loving t he maturity of high school boys, ” I stumbled, and it was half truthful.
She thought about it for a second and t hen linked her arm back in mine . “You ’ r e right, they’ re a bit foolish. Well, except for Brad.”
Chapter 2 5
I handed the cashier my cash and picked up my coffee before standing from the line to look up at the flat screen TV playing the news.
“With the third movie in the Crimson Reign s aga releasing next month we are reminded of the rash of killings that were inspired by the movie s and novels . These killings still remain a mystery. T hey began shortly after the first movie released and stopped last year shortly after the
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