Shadow Keeper Read Online Free Page B

speak only Spanish in her class. I leaned closer and lowered my voice to a whisper. “Come on, Vanetti. I’ll show you how to time your turns better at practice.”
    He hesitated for half a second before giving up the desk. Carson headed for the empty seat, but I stopped him. “Not now.” I grabbed the belt loop on his Wranglers and jerked him into the chair. “Sit in front of me until Lisa gets here so no one takes her spot.”
    Carson flopped into the chair, but turned around and gave me one of his stupid grins. “There’s your girlfriend now.”
    I shushed him, then scrunched down in the seat so I’d look relaxed.
    While Mrs. Hayes looked over the transfer slip, Lisa glanced around the room. When her gaze caught mine, she started to smile, but the teacher summoned her attention. Mrs. Hayes introduced Lisa to the others in the class, then pointed to a couple empty desks. “ Siéntese, por favor, Señorita Stratton.”
    Lisa started down the aisle to Vanetti’s empty desk. I poked Carson in the back.
    The desk feet scraped across the vinyl floor as he climbed from the chair. “Lisa, you can have—”
    “ En español ,” Mrs. Hayes said.
    Carson stumbled for the words. “ Señorita, usted, ah , tomar, ah , mi silla.”
    Lisa glanced at me instead of Carson. “ Gracias .”
    Her smile warmed my body. I smiled back. “ Da nada .”
    She slid into the seat. With one hand, she slipped her fingers behind her neck and flipped her hair away from her back so she could lean against the chair. The shifting of her hair fanned her scent in my direction.
    I love the way girls smell, so sweet and perfumed. Her scent wasn’t strong, just a hint. Roses were the only flowers I could name, but that wasn’t what I detected. Her fragrance reminded me of some exotic, mysterious flower. I leaned over the desk so my face hovered a short distance from her hair and breathed in deeply. Her scent drifted through the air and entered my brain. Heat zinged through my body.
    Giggles and snickers wafted through the air as well as her scent. Lisa turned around and looked at the smirking kids before glancing at me. She yanked her hair over one shoulder “What are you doing?” she asked in a hoarse whisper. “Are you making fun of me?”
    I shook my head, but she’d already turned away.
    My first instinct told me I’d overstepped her comfort zone. She probably thought I was some stupid caveman who liked to sniff girls. Maybe she was right, but I wasn’t making fun of her.
    When Mrs. Hayes dismissed the class, I scrambled from the chair to offer Lisa my assistance. “If you need help finding your next class, I’ll be happy to show you where it is.”
    “No, thank you.” Her lips tightened into a grimace, as if talking to me left a nasty taste in her mouth. Without another word, she walked away, her long, blonde hair swaying down her back.
    “Wow, X–man.” Carson slapped me on the back. “If looks could kill, you’d be dead.”

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    Football practice was brutal. Even after a shower, I still sweated. I tugged on a white tank and pulled the bottom edge over my cutoff jeans. The rest of my clothes were crammed into the backpack except for a hooded sweatshirt. I’d need that after I cooled down.
    “Hurry up, Carson.” I slung the backpack over one shoulder and tossed the hoodie across my other. “I want to get home and eat. I’m starving.”
    “Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m almost done.” He stood in front of the mirror trying to get his hair parted in a straight line.
    “Why don’t you just cut it all off?” I rubbed my hand over my short, damp hair. “Then you won’t have to mess with it.”
    “Don’t rush him.” Paul stuck his foot on the bench and tightened the laces on his shoe. “The hair on his head is all he’s got left.”
    “How would you know?” Carson glanced at Paul’s reflection in the mirror. “You been peeking at me in the shower again?”
    “Yeah,