Page 10 of The Spider & the Storm

God, where the hell is Luke?

My hands started to shake and grew clammy. My heart began to flutter wildly when I remembered that Dad had told us to be home no later than ten.

I didn’t even want to come at all.

“Hey.”

I turned abruptly at the sound of a girl’s voice to find a pretty face I didn’t recognize looking right at me. She was smiling, and she was holding a cup identical to mine.

“H-hi.”

Ugh. I sounded so stupid, like a little boy.

I had no business talking to a girl as pretty as her, easily three years older than me. But she didn’t seem to notice my stutter as her smile grew wider.

“Are you having fun? You’ve been standing over here for a long time.”

She noticed?I felt my cheeks growing hot as I swallowed, trying to not feel so embarrassed.

“Um … y-yeah, kinda.” I cleared my throat. “I-I mean, I’m kinda having fun … I guess.”

“Are we in class together?”

She leaned against the wall beside me, and I couldn’t believe she’d want to stand there instead of hang out withsomeone else. Like Ritchie or Tommy or Luke. Someone way cooler and older. Someone who wasn’t me.

I shook my head. “I-I don’t, um … I d-don’t go to school.”

“You don’t go to school?” Her eyes widened like it was the most awesome thing she’d ever heard in her life. “I’m so jealous. I wishIdidn’t have to go to school.”

“W-well, I mean … I still ha-have homework and stuff,” I answered stupidly even though she hadn’t asked. “My m-mom teaches me.”

Her mouth opened in a wide O as she nodded. “Ohhh, so wait. You’re homeschooled?”

“Yeah.”Good. I didn’t stutter this time.

She didn’t look as impressed now, but she didn’t stop smiling either. “That’s still pretty cool. Do you get to sleep late?”

I lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “I-I guess. I—”

“Ooh, what’s going on over here?” Ritchie sauntered over, his lips curled into a smile I immediately didn’t trust. His eyes twinkled with mischief as they bounced from me to the girl leaning against the wall beside me. “Melanie, I see you’ve met Charlie boy.”

The girl—apparently named Melanie—sighed, like the last person on the face of the planet she wanted to talk to was Ritchie Wheeler. I quickly glanced at her in time to watch her eyes roll.

“Go away, Rich.”

I stiffened and held my breath, scared of what Ritchie might do to her. Nobody talked to him like that. Everyone knew better. My eyes moved cautiously to watch as anger darkened Ritchie’s gaze for a split second, but the smile never left his lips.He slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward his side.

“Ah, come on. I’m just teasing,” he said, allowing his fingers to fiddle with the ends of her shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair. “I’m just glad someone’s keeping my little buddy company. Did you know we grew up together? His brother’s my best bud.”

“Oh, that’s cool. I didn’t know Luke had a brother.” Melanie’s eyes met mine as the smile returned to her face. “But, uh, yeah, we were just talking about how he’s homeschooled.”

Ritchie nodded. “It’s pretty cool, right?” He almost sounded sincere.

Something didn’t feel right. Ritchie never thought anything I did was cool, and I couldn’t figure out why he’d be saying that now. Unless he was trying to impress this girl, and I didn’t like that either. She seemed nice, and Ritchie was anything but.

“I mean, yeah,” Melanie replied, giggling and hugging the cup to her chest. “I’d love to stay at home all day.”

She grinned at me, and I smiled back despite that sick feeling in my belly. Ritchie noticed, his eyes looking from her to me and back to her.

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