Moonstone Read Online Free

coming or not?”
    Kelsey glanced back at the bus again. She could see Joy at the back of the bus. The windows were open and Joy’s hand was sticking out like she was catching raindrops only it wasn’t raining. Her skin was golden brown and she stood out among all the pale kids who jostled to get a seat.
    Joy’s father was Dr. Henderson—the eye doctor in town. When she was a kid, Kelsey’s mom had taken her along on eye appointments to help pick out new glasses. Kelsey had loved the long stories Dr. Henderson would tell to keep her occupied while he flipped switches and gadgets and then peered into her mother’s eyes. She’d sit at the foot of the chair, listening to the click of the lenses. His hands worked the buttons on the machine while the toe of his brown leather shoes tapped out a beat to a song he’d sometimes hum aloud. Dark brown pants were paired with the brown shoes, a tan shirt and a brown tie. His skin was only a shade lighter than the tie and when he laughed his Santa Claus belly made the tie dance. He seemed to love to laugh. Joy’s father looked nothing like her mother—pale, blond and willowy thin. She wore bright headscarves, big hats and sunglasses year round as if she planned on the fog layer breaking at any moment. Kelsey had seen them together in the grocery store, Dr. Henderson in his brown suit and Mrs. Henderson with a wide-brimmed yellow sunhat and a red sundress, holding hands and smiling at each other. She’d never seen her parents hold hands. Ever. People said the Hendersons were an odd match, but Kelsey knew it was only because Dr. Henderson was black and Mrs. Henderson wasn’t. As far as couples went, she didn’t know of two people who looked happier together.
    Joy stood out more because of how she acted than anything about her parents or the color of her skin. Everyone else was moving from seat to seat and yelling, tossing balls and throwing backpacks, but she was ignoring all of it, looking up at the clouds. She seemed like she was light years away from the school bus. Light years away from Raceda High. Kelsey thought of the orange juice again and couldn’t hold back a grin.
    “Who are you looking at?” Nate asked.
    “No one.”
    “Let me guess. Your boyfriend rides the bus?”
    “I don’t have a boyfriend.” He was wrong of course, but perceptive if nothing else. That was Nate.
    “I can tell when you’re hiding something,” he insisted. He scanned the bus windows. “What’s he look like? I can’t believe your boyfriend rides the bus—he’s gotta be a complete nerd. Should I be looking for pocket protectors?” Nate laughed. “How old is he? If he’s riding the bus, he probably doesn’t even have a permit. Fifteen?” Nate leaned back on his seat and grinned. “Now I get it. That’s why you still want to take the bus home, isn’t it?”
    “There’s no boyfriend, jackass.” There was so much Kelsey could add. But she didn’t. Nate was still chuckling. “Shut up.”
    “It’s not like I care anyway,” Nate said. “So you have a boyfriend who rides the bus.”
    “There’s no boyfriend,” Kelsey said. Maybe the tone was a little harsh. The volume was definitely louder than she’d planned.
    Nate held up his hands. “Fine. I get it.” After a minute he added, “Maybe you need one. You do need to get out more. All you do is swim and study.” He pointed to a kid in a cowboy hat pushing past another kid. “How about him?”
    Kelsey shook her head. “He’s an asshole.”
    Nate shrugged. “You should go to the parties at Mad River. That’s where I used to hang out every weekend. People hook up there all the time.”
    “You’re giving me advice on where to go for a hookup?” Kelsey wanted to say that she’d already been to plenty of bonfires at Mad River. Mad River was where she’d kissed Andrew O’Reilly. But that wasn’t the important part. It was a terrible kiss. His lips were wet and pressed too hard. She’d pushed away, wiped off the