Fluorescence: The Complete Tetralogy Read Online Free
Author: P. Anastasia
squinted and made excited fists, pretending to squeal.
Mrs. Prather’s head rose and she peered over her computer monitor to shoot us a dirty look. I put my nose into my book and went back to my work.
. . .
Brian sauntered into history class—a few minutes late, as usual—and plopped down in the empty chair next to me.
“Last warning, Brian.” Mr. Johnson glared at him snidely and shook his head before going back to whatever he had been typing on his computer.
I tried to ignore Brian, but it was difficult. I felt him watching me and kept locking eyes with him whenever I glanced away from my book. Then, he’d go back to scribbling something in the notebook which he kept opening and closing every couple of minutes. I couldn’t tell what he was doing, but he was using the pen he still hadn’t given back.
Class zipped by. I closed my book bag and set it on my desk, slipping out a little stick of pink lip gloss from the outside pocket and swiping some across my lips. Only English remained before window-shopping time with Sam on the walk home. Too bad none of my friends were in English class.
“Hey… Alice, was it?”
I turned toward Brian and fumbled to snap the cap onto the lip gloss. “Yeah,” I replied, trying not to let my gaze linger on his rich hazel eyes. There was a small dark brown spot in his left iris.
“You’ve lived around here for a while, right?”
I nodded, recalling that the teacher had mentioned something about Brian being from… Montana?
“You know somewhere close by where we could grab a burger?” He tucked my purple pen above his ear. “The school cafeteria sucks and I’ve only seen pizza and Chinese places around so far.”
I cocked an eyebrow and stared at him blankly. New burger dives popped up almost every day in our city. He’d have to close his eyes to not see one.
Right as I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic, my good old brain stopped me. Wait. He wasn’t actually asking me about a burger place. He was… asking me out… in some weird way. I had clearly heard him say “ we” could grab a burger, not “I.”
“Uh…” I stammered, trying to think of a place where we could go. “I know of a few,” was all I managed to get out. Burgers weren’t my favorite but, geeze, he seemed nice. Not to mention really cute. His messy, satiny brown hair complimented his eyes. And his modest grin.
Dang it. Mom would kill me if she caught me alone with a boy before I was old enough to drive.
“Great!” He ruffled a hand through his hair. Brian messed with his hair a lot. “Wanna hit one up after school?”
My chest tightened with excitement and I tried to make my reply not sound too eager. “I’ll have to ask my mom.” I felt dumb saying it.
“Oh. Okay. Whatever.” He grabbed his books out of the metal basket below his desk and shoved them into his black backpack. “Let me know what she says, okay? I’ll catch up with you outside after class. See ya, Al.”
I meant to wave goodbye as he jogged out of the room, but all I could do was stare.
“It’s Alice…”
. . .
The smell of frying oil and grilling burgers saturated the building. My stomach grumbled. We were seated across from each other in a bright red booth. Someone’s nearby brownie sundae caught my eye and I sighed longingly.
College students, likely from the neighboring university, were piled into the place. A family with two little kids sat behind us. The toddlers bounced around on the benches, making my seat vibrate, until their mother scolded them and they sat down. Finally, a bleach blonde waitress who looked barely out of high school herself, came by and introduced herself as Jennifer.
“Welcome to J’s Grill. Is this going to be on one check or…”
“Two,” I replied before she’d gotten the second part out. I grinned at Brian.
We both ordered sweet tea and Jennifer brought them to our table in a flash.
I sucked tea through a straw while grazing over the
Mrs. Prather’s head rose and she peered over her computer monitor to shoot us a dirty look. I put my nose into my book and went back to my work.
. . .
Brian sauntered into history class—a few minutes late, as usual—and plopped down in the empty chair next to me.
“Last warning, Brian.” Mr. Johnson glared at him snidely and shook his head before going back to whatever he had been typing on his computer.
I tried to ignore Brian, but it was difficult. I felt him watching me and kept locking eyes with him whenever I glanced away from my book. Then, he’d go back to scribbling something in the notebook which he kept opening and closing every couple of minutes. I couldn’t tell what he was doing, but he was using the pen he still hadn’t given back.
Class zipped by. I closed my book bag and set it on my desk, slipping out a little stick of pink lip gloss from the outside pocket and swiping some across my lips. Only English remained before window-shopping time with Sam on the walk home. Too bad none of my friends were in English class.
“Hey… Alice, was it?”
I turned toward Brian and fumbled to snap the cap onto the lip gloss. “Yeah,” I replied, trying not to let my gaze linger on his rich hazel eyes. There was a small dark brown spot in his left iris.
“You’ve lived around here for a while, right?”
I nodded, recalling that the teacher had mentioned something about Brian being from… Montana?
“You know somewhere close by where we could grab a burger?” He tucked my purple pen above his ear. “The school cafeteria sucks and I’ve only seen pizza and Chinese places around so far.”
I cocked an eyebrow and stared at him blankly. New burger dives popped up almost every day in our city. He’d have to close his eyes to not see one.
Right as I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic, my good old brain stopped me. Wait. He wasn’t actually asking me about a burger place. He was… asking me out… in some weird way. I had clearly heard him say “ we” could grab a burger, not “I.”
“Uh…” I stammered, trying to think of a place where we could go. “I know of a few,” was all I managed to get out. Burgers weren’t my favorite but, geeze, he seemed nice. Not to mention really cute. His messy, satiny brown hair complimented his eyes. And his modest grin.
Dang it. Mom would kill me if she caught me alone with a boy before I was old enough to drive.
“Great!” He ruffled a hand through his hair. Brian messed with his hair a lot. “Wanna hit one up after school?”
My chest tightened with excitement and I tried to make my reply not sound too eager. “I’ll have to ask my mom.” I felt dumb saying it.
“Oh. Okay. Whatever.” He grabbed his books out of the metal basket below his desk and shoved them into his black backpack. “Let me know what she says, okay? I’ll catch up with you outside after class. See ya, Al.”
I meant to wave goodbye as he jogged out of the room, but all I could do was stare.
“It’s Alice…”
. . .
The smell of frying oil and grilling burgers saturated the building. My stomach grumbled. We were seated across from each other in a bright red booth. Someone’s nearby brownie sundae caught my eye and I sighed longingly.
College students, likely from the neighboring university, were piled into the place. A family with two little kids sat behind us. The toddlers bounced around on the benches, making my seat vibrate, until their mother scolded them and they sat down. Finally, a bleach blonde waitress who looked barely out of high school herself, came by and introduced herself as Jennifer.
“Welcome to J’s Grill. Is this going to be on one check or…”
“Two,” I replied before she’d gotten the second part out. I grinned at Brian.
We both ordered sweet tea and Jennifer brought them to our table in a flash.
I sucked tea through a straw while grazing over the
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