Crumbling Walls (Jack and Emily #1) Read Online Free
Author: Laura Strandt
shot.
▪▪▪
Before their ride the next afternoon, Emily spoke quietly to her obviously third-hand bike, “You are the best bike ever, you know that?”
Jack tilted his head in her direction, “Are you giving her a pep talk?”
“I firmly believe that if I don't, she'll fall apart when I'm the farthest from home.”
With a laugh, “Well, call me if that happens. I'll come find you and fix her up in a flash.”
“Thanks.” Kind of enjoying the warm feeling in her chest from his comment, “Um, you ready to go?”
“Lead on.” After their tour of the school grounds and a few other highlights, they were back on her front lawn, Jack teaching her how to play Rummy on the walkway between them. As he waited for her to organize her cards, “I meant to ask you the other day, where do your parents work? Do they work crazy hours or something?”
“Um, it's only my mom and she's a nurse up in York. Her hours are always changing.”
“Is York close?”
“About a half-hour away.”
Quickly laying her cards down, “Is this right?”
Immediately distracted by her completely wrong hand, “Nope. Here’s what you need.”
▪▪▪
And so it went for the rest of the week and through the last weekend before school started. They played cards, rode bikes, swung on the swings, and every day, Jack showed up at the restaurant at 8 p.m. to walk her home.
The first time he showed up, Emily wasn’t quite sure what to do with him. When she had walked out the back door to go home, she was startled to see him leaning on the wall. Staring at him for a moment, she raised an eyebrow at him and walked past, with him immediately taking stride next to her.
They were part way home before she finally cracked the silence, “You don't have to walk me home.”
“I know.”
And that was the extent of their conversation that night, with Jack leaving her at her gate and turning down the street to his own house with only a wave good-bye.
The next day, they spent the afternoon together and again, without warning, he was there when she finished her shift.
“You really don’t have to walk me home.”
“Do you mind that I do?”
With a shake of her head, “No.”
And with that said, he quietly wound his fingers with hers and they walked home in silence.
Chapter 3
School began the following Tuesday and Jack, with Tim in tow, showed up at her front gate promptly at 7:30 a.m. wearing a smile, “Morning.”
Tim immediately stuck out his hand, “Hi, I’m Tim and none of what Jack has ever told you about me is true.”
She liked him immediately and as she shook his hand, “He’s never said anything bad. Promise.”
Cuffing his younger brother on the back of the head, “Then apparently I need to smack him around a bit more.”
Jack punched him back lightly, “Shut up.” Turning to Emily, “Ready to go?”
“Yup.” Pointing over her shoulder towards her backpack, “I've got a blank notebook, two pencils and an intense dislike for math all ready to go.”
Before Jack could reply back, Tim stopped suddenly and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Handing it to her, “Do you know anything about these teachers? From what I hear, at least one is a spitter.”
As Jack prodded his brother to get him moving again, she smiled before looking at the paper, “Yeah, your spitter is 3rd period and you’ve got a fast talker for 6th, but your 5th period’s a multiple choicer and your 1st is a definitioner, so you got lucky there.”
“A what?”
“Sorry. 5th period likes multiple choice tests and 1st period usually has a lot of definitions on her exams.”
“Ahh, okay.”
“Hey, you’ve got art class with me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, 4th period with Tassleman. That’s advanced drawing. Jack never mentioned you drew.”
Tim
▪▪▪
Before their ride the next afternoon, Emily spoke quietly to her obviously third-hand bike, “You are the best bike ever, you know that?”
Jack tilted his head in her direction, “Are you giving her a pep talk?”
“I firmly believe that if I don't, she'll fall apart when I'm the farthest from home.”
With a laugh, “Well, call me if that happens. I'll come find you and fix her up in a flash.”
“Thanks.” Kind of enjoying the warm feeling in her chest from his comment, “Um, you ready to go?”
“Lead on.” After their tour of the school grounds and a few other highlights, they were back on her front lawn, Jack teaching her how to play Rummy on the walkway between them. As he waited for her to organize her cards, “I meant to ask you the other day, where do your parents work? Do they work crazy hours or something?”
“Um, it's only my mom and she's a nurse up in York. Her hours are always changing.”
“Is York close?”
“About a half-hour away.”
Quickly laying her cards down, “Is this right?”
Immediately distracted by her completely wrong hand, “Nope. Here’s what you need.”
▪▪▪
And so it went for the rest of the week and through the last weekend before school started. They played cards, rode bikes, swung on the swings, and every day, Jack showed up at the restaurant at 8 p.m. to walk her home.
The first time he showed up, Emily wasn’t quite sure what to do with him. When she had walked out the back door to go home, she was startled to see him leaning on the wall. Staring at him for a moment, she raised an eyebrow at him and walked past, with him immediately taking stride next to her.
They were part way home before she finally cracked the silence, “You don't have to walk me home.”
“I know.”
And that was the extent of their conversation that night, with Jack leaving her at her gate and turning down the street to his own house with only a wave good-bye.
The next day, they spent the afternoon together and again, without warning, he was there when she finished her shift.
“You really don’t have to walk me home.”
“Do you mind that I do?”
With a shake of her head, “No.”
And with that said, he quietly wound his fingers with hers and they walked home in silence.
Chapter 3
School began the following Tuesday and Jack, with Tim in tow, showed up at her front gate promptly at 7:30 a.m. wearing a smile, “Morning.”
Tim immediately stuck out his hand, “Hi, I’m Tim and none of what Jack has ever told you about me is true.”
She liked him immediately and as she shook his hand, “He’s never said anything bad. Promise.”
Cuffing his younger brother on the back of the head, “Then apparently I need to smack him around a bit more.”
Jack punched him back lightly, “Shut up.” Turning to Emily, “Ready to go?”
“Yup.” Pointing over her shoulder towards her backpack, “I've got a blank notebook, two pencils and an intense dislike for math all ready to go.”
Before Jack could reply back, Tim stopped suddenly and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Handing it to her, “Do you know anything about these teachers? From what I hear, at least one is a spitter.”
As Jack prodded his brother to get him moving again, she smiled before looking at the paper, “Yeah, your spitter is 3rd period and you’ve got a fast talker for 6th, but your 5th period’s a multiple choicer and your 1st is a definitioner, so you got lucky there.”
“A what?”
“Sorry. 5th period likes multiple choice tests and 1st period usually has a lot of definitions on her exams.”
“Ahh, okay.”
“Hey, you’ve got art class with me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, 4th period with Tassleman. That’s advanced drawing. Jack never mentioned you drew.”
Tim
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