Twice Shy Read Online Free
Author: Patrick Freivald
there's a cure, Mom will find it. She knows more about ZV than anyone. Ani pushed away thoughts of the bonfire—the hunger—and ran her thumb along the razor blade in her pocket. Just in case. There were some things Mom didn't need to know.
She stood off to the side and watched the girls play. Every ounce of her being wanted to be on the field, kicking the ball, running, being part of a team. She hated to admit it, but Devon was a great offensive midfielder. Let's hope she slips and breaks a bone. Or five.
Keegan Taylor stepped up next to her. "Explains a lot."
She looked at him sidelong. Interactions with jocks were never good, especially jocks that had had a crush on her in eighth grade. "What does?"
"You. Standing here, looking at a bunch of girls."
"I'm not the one who wore a skirt to school on Monday." The girls executed a near-perfect defensive play and stole the ball. Devon took it at midfield and passed it forward.
"The whole team wore skirts. You're the one staring at the girls."
"So now I'm a dyke?" Her brain scrambled for a witty retort and came up blank. "Sure. Whatever you say, Keegs."
He scowled. "What the hell happened to you, Ani? You used to be cool."
The game was a rout. She didn't clap as the home team scored an easy goal, then turned to look him in the eye. "Life sucks. Then you die." And then it really sucks.
She left him scowling on the sidelines and walked to work.
* * *
Travis was an okay boss, but he loved to hear himself talk. He rambled on about responsibility and customer service, and Ani fought the urge to yawn or roll her eyes or hang herself. The third time 'unsupervised game store kid' knocked over a display item, Ani had thrown him out of the store. His mom had freaked out at her for dumping her child on the street—oblivious to the fact that she was the one who had abandoned him in the Dragon's Lair while shopping down the road—and then Travis came in and freaked out at her for upsetting the customers. It was almost a relief when Dylan showed up with his Magic cards.
As he walked in the door, Ani interrupted Travis mid-freak. "Customer!" She danced out of earshot and leaned against the counter in front of Dylan. He put the cards on the counter and Ani scooped them up.
She had to use the price guide to sort them into 'crap' and 'not-crap' before handing them over to Travis. A full third of them were from the current set. She tapped one with a black plastic fingernail while Dylan stared at her covered wrists. "I thought you said these were old."
Dylan blushed and looked at the gaming tables, then away. "Mine are. I stole some from my brother."
She chewed her bottom lip to keep from talking and sorted a few more. He pointed at one. "That's one I stole. It's worth twenty bucks." He licked his lips as his eyes drifted back to her wrists.
Time to go, Dylan . "You're a bad liar. Fey might bite if you were a bit more real."
"You know what?" he said. "FUCK you!" Face twisted in rage he scattered the cards and stormed out. Travis hollered at his heels as he fled down the sidewalk. Ani had the cards re-sorted before her boss got back, red-faced.
"What the heck was that?" Travis asked.
Ani shrugged. "Just trying to give him some advice."
Travis pointed at the kids in the back. "I can't have your friends yelling obscenities in my store. Parents catch wind, and then who pays my bills, huh?"
"He's not my friend," Ani snapped. Not even my pretend friend.
"Sure he's not," Travis said. "Don't let it happen again."
"It won't." She dropped the worthless cards in the trash and handed him the rest of the stack. "You owe him ninety bucks."
* * *
6:50 p.m. The dance started in ten minutes. A night watching hormone-crazed teenagers molesting each other under the eyes of teachers, who were trying to pretend they didn't see anything, wasn't Ani's idea of a good time. She wanted to be one of those hormone-crazed teenagers, hot and sweating on the dance floor. Failing
She stood off to the side and watched the girls play. Every ounce of her being wanted to be on the field, kicking the ball, running, being part of a team. She hated to admit it, but Devon was a great offensive midfielder. Let's hope she slips and breaks a bone. Or five.
Keegan Taylor stepped up next to her. "Explains a lot."
She looked at him sidelong. Interactions with jocks were never good, especially jocks that had had a crush on her in eighth grade. "What does?"
"You. Standing here, looking at a bunch of girls."
"I'm not the one who wore a skirt to school on Monday." The girls executed a near-perfect defensive play and stole the ball. Devon took it at midfield and passed it forward.
"The whole team wore skirts. You're the one staring at the girls."
"So now I'm a dyke?" Her brain scrambled for a witty retort and came up blank. "Sure. Whatever you say, Keegs."
He scowled. "What the hell happened to you, Ani? You used to be cool."
The game was a rout. She didn't clap as the home team scored an easy goal, then turned to look him in the eye. "Life sucks. Then you die." And then it really sucks.
She left him scowling on the sidelines and walked to work.
* * *
Travis was an okay boss, but he loved to hear himself talk. He rambled on about responsibility and customer service, and Ani fought the urge to yawn or roll her eyes or hang herself. The third time 'unsupervised game store kid' knocked over a display item, Ani had thrown him out of the store. His mom had freaked out at her for dumping her child on the street—oblivious to the fact that she was the one who had abandoned him in the Dragon's Lair while shopping down the road—and then Travis came in and freaked out at her for upsetting the customers. It was almost a relief when Dylan showed up with his Magic cards.
As he walked in the door, Ani interrupted Travis mid-freak. "Customer!" She danced out of earshot and leaned against the counter in front of Dylan. He put the cards on the counter and Ani scooped them up.
She had to use the price guide to sort them into 'crap' and 'not-crap' before handing them over to Travis. A full third of them were from the current set. She tapped one with a black plastic fingernail while Dylan stared at her covered wrists. "I thought you said these were old."
Dylan blushed and looked at the gaming tables, then away. "Mine are. I stole some from my brother."
She chewed her bottom lip to keep from talking and sorted a few more. He pointed at one. "That's one I stole. It's worth twenty bucks." He licked his lips as his eyes drifted back to her wrists.
Time to go, Dylan . "You're a bad liar. Fey might bite if you were a bit more real."
"You know what?" he said. "FUCK you!" Face twisted in rage he scattered the cards and stormed out. Travis hollered at his heels as he fled down the sidewalk. Ani had the cards re-sorted before her boss got back, red-faced.
"What the heck was that?" Travis asked.
Ani shrugged. "Just trying to give him some advice."
Travis pointed at the kids in the back. "I can't have your friends yelling obscenities in my store. Parents catch wind, and then who pays my bills, huh?"
"He's not my friend," Ani snapped. Not even my pretend friend.
"Sure he's not," Travis said. "Don't let it happen again."
"It won't." She dropped the worthless cards in the trash and handed him the rest of the stack. "You owe him ninety bucks."
* * *
6:50 p.m. The dance started in ten minutes. A night watching hormone-crazed teenagers molesting each other under the eyes of teachers, who were trying to pretend they didn't see anything, wasn't Ani's idea of a good time. She wanted to be one of those hormone-crazed teenagers, hot and sweating on the dance floor. Failing
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