Duality: Vol 1, Melancholia (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) Read Online Free

chairs across the floor.
    “She can sit here!”
    “Take my chair!”
    “I have room!”
    “No, Rae, sit here!”
    The other two just stood there, dumbstruck.
    “Oh, man,” said Kootch, loud enough that everyone around him could hear.  “Guess I’m out.”
    “No, Mr. Kucharski, you’re not out,” said Mr. Adams, wryly.  “Please stand and come to the front.”
    The six guys who offered seats sat down, grumbling.
    Kootch looked at me, his eyeballs practically dancing out of his head.  “Dude!” he man-squealed.  He stood and half-walked, half-skipped up to the front.  “You want me to show her to her seat?  You want me to carry her stuff for her?”
    Never mind that she wasn’t holding anything but a purse. Kootch’s enthusiasm was embarrassing to watch.
    “No.”  Mr. Adams frowned at him.  “I want you to go to another classroom and get her a chair.  We don’t have any extra as you can see.”  He gestured out into the room.
    Kootch calmed down considerably.  “Oh.  Yeah, okay.  I can do that.”  He flexed his right arm for the class, earning a few giggles.  “Be right back.”
    He nodded at Rae on his way out, walking into the door accidentally, apparently forgetting he had to open it first.  Several students laughed as the door shut behind him.
    “Miss Livingston, please take Mr. Kucharski’s seat.  He can use the one he’s bringing in.”
    My heart stopped beating for a few seconds.  She’s going to sit here?  Oh, shit.
    She looked scared.  “Oh, no, that’s okay.  I don’t want to steal anyone’s spot.”
    Mr. Adam’s waved her on.  “It’s fine, just go take it.  He needs to sit up front anyway.  It’ll help him concentrate.”
    More giggles came from around the room.
    Dammit.  Here she comes.
    All the eyes in the room followed her progress.  I could swear I was hearing the music from the movie Jaws playing in my head.
    Duh-nuh.  Duh-nuh.
    I wanted to shout at her to go away.  To go sit somewhere else.  But that would have been rude, and I really don’t like being rude.  She looked like the type that would cry, too.
    Duh-nuh-duh-nuh.
    She smiled at me and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.  She has a dimple in her right cheek, and her two front teeth stick out just the littlest bit.  It made me like her more when all I wanted to do was hate her.  Hating her was better for her health.
    She was only three seats away now.
    Duh-nuh-duh-nuh-duhnuhduhnuhduhnuhduhnuhnaaaaaa!
    She sat down at the desk next to me, and her perfume or the fabric softener in her clothes wafted over and sailed up into my nose.
    I rocketed to my feet.  Before I could figure out what the hell I was thinking, my legs were moving.  I strode to the front of the class, tripping over backpacks and purses on my way but still not stopping.
    “Mr. McNamara!  Please take your seat.”  Mr. Adams sounded as confused as I felt.
    “I can’t,” I said, standing there in the front of the room in a panic, begging Mr. Adams with my eyes to let me leave.
    “Well, sure you can.  Just turn around and march your feet back in the direction they just came from.”  He waved a finger at me dismissively.  “Go on.  Sit.”
    Everyone laughed.
    “I have to … help Kootch.  Kucharski.  Caden.  With the chair.”
    Mr. Adams actually rolled his eyes at me.  “Mr. Kucharski can manage, I’m pretty sure.”
    I took more steps towards the door.  “I’ll just go check.”
    “Mr. McNamara!”
    His frustrated voice followed me out into the hallway, but I ignored it.  I ran.  I had to get away.  That girl is a nice person, I can tell.  She isn’t loud or showy or anything.  Just nice.  Smiling with that dimple.  Plain but not plain.  I couldn’t mess her up like I’d messed up so many others.
    I tried to calm myself down as I walked, looking for solutions where there probably weren’t any.  Somebody’ll take my seat next class, and I’ll sit as far away from her as