Responsible Read Online Free Page B

Responsible
Book: Responsible Read Online Free
Author: Darlene Ryan
Tags: JUV000000
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    If my mouth hadn’t been full I probably would have asked what the hell he was talking about. But I couldn’t talk for a second and that was just enough time for my brain to catch up. He knew what Nick had planned, but I didn’t. But how did he know? There was no way Nick had said anything. He wasn’t that stupid.
    â€œYeah, well that’s not till later,” I said. “How did you know, anyway?”
    Score! His face got all red and he looked down at his feet. “Don’t say anything to Nick, okay?” he whined. “You know I can sort of get around those controls they put on the library computers, so you can’t play games and stuff? I was overriding the program—it’s not that hard to do—and Nick was standing there talking to Zach and Brendan about that girl, Erin.” Oliver glanced up at me. “I have really good hearing. Really. I got tested and everything,and I can hear stuff when other people can’t—”
    I cut him off. “And you heard what Nick said.”
    He nodded. “I haven’t told anyone. I wouldn’t.”
    Right. Except here he was telling me.
    I glared at him. At least I hoped that’s how it came across. I was bigger than he was, and I could pound him if I had to, but I didn’t want to. “What did you hear?”
    Luckily he was the kind of person who talked way too much. He put the last bit of his burger on the paper wrapper and wiped his hands on his jeans. “Not that much, really. I know that you’re going to be waiting for her on the trail after she gets off work and take her down into the woods behind the school.” His voice was so damn whiney I thought I might have to pound him after all.
    I kept on eating the onion rings, like I wasn’t all that interested in what he was saying.
    â€œAnd...and I heard Nick say about herhair. How you’re gonna shave it off and all.” He laughed. “She’s gonna have to go to another school or get a wig or tie a scarf around her head the way people who have cancer do.”
    Nick was going to shave Erin’s head. How did he think he was going to get away with that?
    â€œGo,” I said to Oliver. “Go home and keep your mouth shut. You got it?”
    He nodded. Then he took off. He was afraid of me. He didn’t even stop to grab the rest of his food. Yeah, I was such a tough guy. Except now what was I supposed to do? Go tell Erin? Oh yeah, that had worked so well the last time I’d tried it. Try to stop Nick? I thought about how it still hurt when I took a deep breath. No way.
    What made him think it would work, anyway? Even if they could grab Erin without her seeing them, she’d know their voices. She’d know because who else would want to do something like that to her? Did he think she wouldn’t go to the cops?
    It wasn’t going to work. She’d see them or hear them and run and scream and it wouldn’t work.
    I gathered up the garbage and stuffed it all in one of the cans. Then I went home.

Chapter Six
    Dad was back. He’d had a haircut and he smelled like some kind of aftershave that made my nose prickle. He was standing in front of the little closet, going through his shirts. His guitar was back in its usual place. “Where were you?” he said.
    â€œOut,” I said, dropping into a chair. “Where were you?”
    He looked over his shoulder at me. “Out,” he said, mimicking my voice.
    â€œAt Rusty’s,” I said. Rusty’s was a bar near one of the highway off-ramps. They were always after my dad to play there. He was good, and he knew all the old country and rock stuff people wanted to hear. But it’s kinda hard to be in a bar and not drink a lot, and it was better if he didn’t drink too much. I don’t mean that he got rough or anything. He’d just cry and miss my mom and be depressed for weeks. So it was better if he didn’t go to
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