Page 37 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

Why areyou reading my aptitudething?

I’m curious.

Don’tyou have work to do? Isn’t that why you are still inBuffalo?

I’m on break.

Of course he was.I’m not. I’m inclass.

Which class?

“Oh my gosh, you are a liar,”Shelly said as she snatched Tara’sphone.

Tara grabbed for it, but her skinny, graceful friend moved like a freaking elf and jumped up on a table. “Shelly, give me back my phone or so help me I will not be responsible for myactions.”

“Hush, I’mbusy.”

Tara climbed up on the table and headed for her friend, but the ass just leaped to the next table, still texting. Maybe Tara wasn’t the only one with some sort of mutated superpower. Maybe Shelly was a nymph or fairy or something else that could jump and leap with perfect balance and never look up from the phone she was staring at, all while smiling with way too much glee. Tara was scared to find out what her BFFF had texted Elias. Thank goodness there wasn’t a teacher in study hall or they’d have been hauled off fordetention.

Finally, after six table hops later and much yelping and cursing, Shelly tossed Tara her phone and sat down in a chair, throwing her legs up on the table and sighing in satisfaction. Tara looked down at her phone and nearlychoked.

I’m actually in study hall and have plenty of time to answer some questions. As long as you will answer some of mine. Quid pro quo, Mr.Creed.

All right.So, whymountains?

I findthat I can relate to the large peaks. I have things in common with them.“No. She. Didn’t.” Tara practicallysnarled.

That’s very candidofyou.

Why areyou so interested inme?

I have been askingmyself the samequestion.

Wow,if that’s not an asshole answer, I don’t know whatis.

It’s the truth.Are you seriously interested inTGTE?

I’m seriouslyinterested in something that TGTE has. At least I was until it morphed into the hole of a butt. Nobody is interested in the hole of a butt.Amendment: no girl is interested in the hole of abutt.

Why doI get the feeling that this isn’t Tara I’m textingwith?

It’smy turn to ask a question. Do you have agirlfriend?

Wouldthat impact your decision to come to workhere?

You seemto be forgetting how quid pro quo works. You’re supposed to answer a question before you askone.

No,I am not in a relationship withanyone.

That wasthe last text Shelly had sent before giving Tara back her phone. Tara could feel the heat coming off her face as she glared at her soon-to-be-deadfriend.

“You’re welcome,” Shelly said with a smile as if she hadn’t just made Tara look like a lovesickfool.

“I can relate to the large peaks?” Tara snapped “Really? The hole of a butt! Did you hit your head sometime between yesterday and today and suffer brain damage that I need to know about? Or maybe you started doing drugs in the past fifteen minutes, and that’s why you sent those absurd texts to a guy I barelyknow?”

“Psh, I’m not doing drugs and you know it. I’ve been with you for the past couple of hours. I think you would have seen or heard me snortingsomething.”

Tara ignored her and sent off a text of herown.

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