The Arrangement 2 Read Online Free

I have eggs and bacon. Well, I had bacon. Mel took that already .
    “It ’s freakin fantabulous. Everyone should eat this for breakfast. Every day. It’s the breakfast of champions.” She shovels another bunch of fluffy pancakes into her mouth. A bead of syrup runs from the corner of her mouth.
    “ That’s Wheaties. And y ou’re looking a little vampy, there.” I touch to corner of my mouth and tilt my head toward her and say, “You’ve got syrup. Or is that drool?”
    Mel’s back stiffens as she wipes away the blot of red . She points a fork full of pancakes at me and says, “I do not drool. Not unless it’s a particularly hot guy. Then I might drool , a little.” She chews and takes a swig of milk, then asks, “So, how’d last night go? Are we still on T eam V?”
    I laugh. “You’re so stupid. Team V. Yeah, I’m still on Team V. Things got out of hand last night. Black showed up and pulled me away.”
    Mel’s jaw drops and the fork freezes half way to her mouth. “No shit!” She leans in closer and lowers her voice, “What the hell happened?”
    I tell her. As I retell the horrible events of last night, I push around the food on my plate. I don’t feel very hungry today. When I finish my story, I look up at her. Mel hasn’t taken a bite. I tell her, “Black said she’d match me to someone else. I got paid a little bit, enough to treat you and pay some bills, but not enough to be home - free the way I thought I’d be. I don’t know what to do.”
    “You’re back to square one.”
    I nod. “Yeah, I suppose so.”
    “Why did Sean do that? It almost seems like he wanted to blow the whole arrangement.”
    “He didn’t. He didn’t react well when I showed up. He left. I chased him. It’s not like he lured me outside to irritate Black. He seemed as surprised as I was when she showed up .”
    “That boy is messed up.” She points her pancake at me before popping it into her mouth.
    “We already knew that.” I sigh and lean my head on my hand. I poke my eggs and paint the yellow yolk across the white plate.
    Mel watches me. “You seem out of it. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were falling for the guy. You’re all doe-eyed, making hearts in your food.”
    “I am not,” I say, straightening up.
    “Wh atever,” Mel says, “I just call it like I see it. You ’ve got that Ba mbi look on your face, like you’re swooning for Mr. Freakshow .”
    I snort- laugh. “You’re so mental. That’s not it. I just don’t know if can do it again.”
    “It’s just one guy, one time,” she reminds me.
    I nod. “That’s what it was supposed to be this time.”
    ____
     
    After breakfast, I head to the library to get caught up on school work. The building is huge and smells like dust and old paper. Once I get into the stacks, the lighting sucks. I navigate my way through the massive building until I find my little chair in the corner. It’s a good spot because no one ever comes back here. There’s a desk and chair against the wall at the end of one of the rows. I toss my book bag on it and pull out my work.
    After a few hours pass, I’m leaning with my hand in my hair, staring at the cinderblock wall in front of me. I can’t concentrate. I have no idea what to do. I thought my financial problems were solved and that I could go back to studying. Sean was ideal bait, but then Black sent him packing. I don’t know if I can do it with someone else.
    Memories flit through my mind and I can feel Sean’s hands on my skin. I wish Black hadn’t shown up. I wish things progressed further. I wonder what it would feel like to have my sweat - covered body slip over his, what he would feel like inside of me. My body warms at the thought.
    I’m so out of it that I don’t he ar Marty until he’s next to me. “ Well, looky what we have here.”
    I jump out of my skin when he speaks and twist in my chair. I had no idea he was there. Marty laughs at me. He’s wearing a pair of dark jeans with