Page 10 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“Argh. I don’t know,” Tara growled.“That’s why I said it was going to sound crazy. He was looking at me like he knew me or something. Like we were … I don’t know … old friends or something, and he wanted to say something to me and didn’t know what orhow.”

Shelly tapped her chin as she cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure it wasn’t a creeper vibe? That sounds like a creeper vibe to me. I don’t think you know what a creeper vibeis.”

“I know what a creeper vibe is.” Tara gave Shelly a pointed look. “We go to school with Darius Mahoney, don’t we? And Robert Busch. And PaulWinthrop.”

Shelly raised her hands. “Point made. We go to school with a lot ofcreepers.”

“You don’t think it’s …” Tara looked down at thefloor.

“What?” Shellyprodded.

“Nothing. It’sstupid.”

“No, c’mon. What isit?”

“You don’t think maybe he could be like a long-lost family member orsomething?”

Shelly burst out laughing but stifled it quickly when Tara met her eyes. “Sorry,” said Shelly. “It’s just you’re, uh, terribly white and he was … not. If that’s a long-lost relative, then he’sverylong-lost. Like your fifteenth cousin’s uncle, twenty times removed or something likethat.”

“I know,” Tara said through a clenched jaw. She was angry at herself for even thinking it. “I told you it was stupid. Sometimes I just really hate not having any family, ya know? All these years since my parents died, and no one has ever bothered to check on me. My grandparents died when I was young, but I figured somebody—an aunt, uncle, or somebody—might check on me.” She could hear the bitterness in her own voice, and it poured fuel on the simmering anger deep inside of her. She had to get that crap locked down tight. Tara was afraid that if she ever let her rage out, she would never be able to cage itagain.

Shelly put an arm around Tara’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she saidsoftly.

“There’s something else.” Tara cleared her throat and pulled out from underneath Shelly’sarm.

“Okay, what is it?” Shelly asked, not fazed by Tara’s avoidance of any form of affection. Shelly was used toit.

“Something evenweirder.”

“Something weirder than a mysterious giant staring at you like you’re his long-lost cousin even though you are not of the same race? This I gotta hear.” She rubbed her hands togethereagerly.

Tara stood and began pacing. She took a deep breath and released it before she spoke again. “Okay, before I tell you, I need you to promise me you won’t tell anyone else.” She couldn’t believe she was about to do this. Her stomach dipped as she considered the consequences of telling Shelly something so utterly and completely bizarre. But Tara was sick of bearing it alone. If anyone had proven they deserved Tara’s trust, it was Shelly. She sucked in a breath, stopped pacing, and looked at her friend. Tara waited for a response before shecontinued.

Chapter 5

Ipromise,” Shelly saidquickly.

Tara saw a gleam in the girl’s eyes. Shelly probably thought Tara was going to tell her shewasinto girls after all or that she actually had a crush on their hot new biology teacher or something likethat.

“No, Shelly, you don’t understand. I’m dead serious. This isn’t like the time Jesse Hardcastle grabbed my boob at the Winter Formal and I told you not to tell anyone that I’d broken his nose, and the next thing I know we’re both in the principal’s office. You. Cannot. Tell.Anyone.”

Shelly held up her right hand. “Girlfriend’s honor. I won’t tell anyone. Double promise. And I didn’t exactly share that secret with just anyone. I shared it with the principal because the douche, Jesse, shouldn’t have been copping a feel without your permission. And you shouldn’t have to break a guy’s nose after you’ve made it perfectly clear you have NOT given any boob-coppingauthorization.”

“Right, well, this is a little more serious than that,” saidTara.

Shelly’s eyes widened. “I can’t imagine anything more serious than boob copping so pleasecontinue.”

“Would you please stop saying boobcopping?”

“Fine,” said Shelly. “Just tell me what’s goingon.”

Tara took another deep breath and then blurted it out so quickly her words came out garbled. “ICANBAHHUR. There I said. I said it. I finally said it.” She blew out a breath and shook her hands as adrenaline rushed through her body. It was making her as jittery as an addict needing her nextfix.

Shelly’s brow lowered. “What? You can be her? You can be who? What are you talkingabout?”

Tara shook her head. Okay, so maybe she’d said it, just not clearly enough for her friend to understand. “No,” she said slowly now. “I can’t behurt. I don’t get injured, and I don’t feelpain.”

“Psh, duh, that’s not news. I thought you were going to tell me something juicy. Like you had made out with the new biology teacher. You’re one tough chick. Everyone knows that. Don’t rub itin.”

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