Breaking Dawn Read Online Free Page B

breakfast to find Perry already sitting at the table with my parents. Dad looks me over with an arched brow, like he’s trying to work out if I’m sober.
    ‘You kids must have had a good time last night,’ Dad says, looking over to Perry who is trying to hide his hangover and failing to do it.
    Perry smiles sheepishly as I sit down across from him and his cup of coffee and plain toast. Perry isn’t a coffee drinker, I know, but Dad has had his share of hangovers in the past and he knows a cup of coffee and plain toast will do Perry good.
    My Mom and Dad don’t support teenage drinking, but they understand that teenagers make mistakes. They know the home Perry comes from, and they don’t want to get angry with him or say anything that might scare him away. They know what our family means to him. My parents are cool in their own way.
    Later in the morning, Perry changes back into his own clothes. We’ve been watching some television in the living room for about an hour when the phone rings. Mom comes in and hands me the phone. It’s Brian.
    ‘I wanted to ask if you were doing anything today…’
    It’s nice to hear his voice. It proves that last night wasn’t just a dream. I’m thrilled that he’s called me and I can’t wait to see him again. But even I know that I shouldn’t sound too desperate.
    ‘Just my usual winter Saturday,’ I tell him, ‘which basically means veging out on the sofa in front of the television.’
    ‘Would you want to see a movie with me this afternoon?’ Brian hesitates. There’s an air of uncertainty in his voice. ‘Just the two of us?’
    My heart flutters and I want to screech in the kind of girly excited way that usually annoys me. Of course I want to see a movie with him, and as for his comment about just the two of us? I know exactly what he means. And it’s fine by me.
    ‘Sure.’
    ‘Great. My dad’s letting me borrow his car. I’ll pick you up at noon.’
    ‘I didn’t know you could drive.’
    ‘I passed last week. But don’t worry, I’m a good driver.’
    ‘That’s what they all say.’ I laugh.
    As soon as I put the phone down, Perry gives me
the look
. He wants me to feel like I’m abandoning him. I guess that in a way, I am.
    ‘He speaks loud enough on the phone,’ Perry says.
    ‘You heard?’
    Again
the look
. Then he takes the remote and starts flipping through the channels. I refuse to let him ruin this for me. I’m sure that once Perry gets a boyfriend, he will want to spend as much time with
him
as possible too. This is just the beginning of my first relationship, I don’t want to do anything tostunt its growth. Does he expect me to stay single and all his forever?
    ‘It’s not like I’m going to spend the entire day with him.’ I want to reason with him and be able to leave without him making me feel guilty. ‘We can do stuff later and maybe I’ll come back with some juicy gossip.’
    Perry seems to soften his glare with that. ‘I do want to check out that new store at the mall,’ he says. ‘And maybe we can grab a bite to eat.’
    ‘It’s a date.’
    Although I am desperate to leave right away, I don’t want it to appear that way. So I spend another long hour with Perry, watching some cheesy B-rated sci-fi movie, which is actually our weekend norm. But I don’t enjoy it as much as I normally would. I would usually be making fun of the bad acting, but I am too distracted, thinking about my date. What can I wear? What will it be like sitting in a dark cinema with Brian, sharing popcorn and holding hands?
    After a while I go upstairs to get dressed and apply some light make-up. A white hooded sweater and some khakis, and my hair pulled up into a loose pony tail. Yeah, I look good.
    Perry leaves just minutes before Brian arrives. My parents are uncomfortable about sending me off with an inexperienced driver so I have to stand idly by as Dad speaks to Brian about his driving experience and safety issues. Dad obviously isn’t going to