Devin Rhodes is Dead by Jennifer Wolf Kam

Author:Jennifer Wolf Kam [Kam, Jennifer Wolf]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-1-60734-752-1
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Published: 2013-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

Before

DEVIN WALKED IN FRONT OF ME, head up and searching as though she owned the freaking mall. I wondered what it was like to feel that way. To feel like just by being somewhere you’d made the place important. A place where other people wanted to be. Or at least to think that about yourself. The only time I felt that way was when I played guitar. When I played, the world was mine; it was anything I wanted it to be. But then again I was almost always alone when I played, so it didn’t really count.

I noticed guys checking her out as we walked. Everywhere we went they looked at her. She was pretty, but most of them were looking down, checking out below the neck. I noticed them checking me out, too. More like a why-is-she-hanging-out-with-that-hot-chick? look. I was used to it, so I bloused my shirt a little over my pants, looked straight ahead, and pretended I didn’t feel the burning on the back of my neck.

“I told Chad we’d meet them in front of the movie theater,” she said. “We’re a little early.”

“Want to walk around?”

She shrugged. “Sure.”

We wandered toward the food court since it was on the way. It smelled of an enticing combination of Italian and soy sauces.

“I’m starving,” I said, even though I wasn’t. I was stalling, and Devin knew it, but to my surprise she stopped anyway.

“Do you want to split a hot pretzel?”

“Okay.” That had always been our thing. Ever since we’d started coming to the mall together, we were all about the hot pretzels.

She sighed as we walked over to the pretzel vendor. “One, please,” I said. “With mustard.”

“No mustard,” she said.

“We always get mustard.”

She turned to me. “I’m trying to save you from mustard breath.”

“No one’s smelling my breath.”

Devin sighed again. “Not with that attitude.” She slapped some money onto the counter. “Keep an open mind, and maybe one day someone will want to smell your breath.” She flashed me her Devin smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Mustard, please,” I said to the vendor. I looked at Devin and raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head.

The vendor handed me the pretzel wrapped in thin paper. “Careful, it’s hot,” he said.

“Thanks.” I poured on some mustard and took a bite. It was warm and salty, and I was immediately more relaxed. I broke it and offered Devin half.

“No, thanks,” she said, looking at her phone.

“You said you’d split it with me.”

“I’d say a lot of things if it would get you to chill the hell out.”

I rolled my eyes and took another bite. “You sure?” I said. “It’s really good.”

She sighed. “I don’t want to have to worry about food in my teeth.”

“Okay,” I said, realizing that now I’d have to worry about food in my teeth. I didn’t think the same way as she did anymore. I also knew that if it were a year ago, or, if I were here with Gina and Lizzy instead, it wouldn’t matter if I had food in my teeth.

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