Page 72 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“Thanks, Tucker,” Shelly said. “You,too.”

Tara nodded her head but didn’t speak. Her mind was still racing, trying to process what he’dsaid.

When he was gone, Shelly leaned forward. “You should have seen the way he was looking down at you while you were sitting there allflabbergasted.”

Tara frowned and then croaked. “What are you talkingabout?”

“He was looking at you with greed and desire. Like a starving wolf staring down the first site of prey in months.” She shuddered. “It wascreepy.”

Tara sighed. “Great, just what I need. A creepy wolf disguised as a man, pondering ways to kill me and eatme.”

“Since you’re not technically going on a date with him, I’ll drive us. It prevents you from being alone withhim.”

“Why didn’t I just say no?” Tarahuffed.

Shelly didn’t answer. Instead she started singing, “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf? Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf, la, la, la, la,laaaaaaaa.”

“Thank you forthat.”

Shelly saluted her. “I live to entertain you. Now,focus.”

“The last time you told me to focus, I ended up finding the first guy I’ve ever had feelings for,” Tara pointedout.

“That wasn’t my fault,” her best friend told her. “That was just bad luck. But that’s beside the point. We needdresses.”

Tara bit her lip to keep from groaning. It hadn’t crossed her mind when she’d said she’d go that she couldn’t wear her jeans and T-shirt. Stupid dance with its stupid dressrequirements.

“We can go this coming weekend,” Tarasaid.

Shelly frowned. “That’s whole daysaway.”

“You’llsurvive.”

“Fine, but I want the record to show that I am not pleased with the decision,” she said, raising a hand in the air with a finger pointed skyward as if to punctuate herremark.

“Noted. Though it doesn’t change a thing.” Tara gathered her leftover lunch and stood. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and glanced at her best friend. “Is there no one you want to go to the dancewith?”

Shelly got up and followed Tara to the trashcan and then back inside the school. “I can think of several guys I’d like to go to the prom with. But I’m pretty sure that a couple are way too old and possibly inappropriate for the event, and the others would probably get restraining orders against me for stalking if I attempted to contactthem.”

“I’m glad that I’m seeing some impulse control, Shell,” Tara said with a grin. “That’s showing real personalgrowth.”

“You can take your personal growth and shove it up your gluteusmaximus.”

“And I take itback.”

Chapter 19

The week flew by. Even though Tara only received one text message a day from Elias, she refused to pine away like a lost puppy. Instead, she grumbled over the fact that Shelly kept reminding her they were going dress shopping on Saturday. And because she was a butthead, her best friend even went so far as to tell Carol, which meant her foster mom got all giddy and excited. Shelly knew Tara couldn’t stand to disappoint Carol, which pretty much guaranteed she wouldn’t get cold feet and back out of buying adress.

“You play dirty.” Tara huffed from the passenger seat of Shelly’s car. They were headed to Riverbend for their dress shopping. Thirty minutes in the car with her torturer didn’t improve Tara’smood.

“You’ve known that since we met in the park,” Shelly said. Which wasn’t a lie. “Have you told Elias about thedance?”

“Why do I have to tell him? We’re not dating. He’s just a friend.” Tara wasn’t trying to convince Shelly. Her friend didn’t believe her for a second and wasn’t going to believe her. She was trying to convince herself … and failingmiserably.

“And I’m a monkey’s uncle.” Shelly laughed. “You can say you’re just friends until pigs fly and cows start bottling their own milk, but that doesn’t mean it’strue.”

“He’s only sent me one text a day. It’s not like I’ve had an opportunity to tellhim.”

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