Dream Boy by Mary Crockett & Madelyn Rosenberg

Author:Mary Crockett & Madelyn Rosenberg [Crockett, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2014-07-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

We found Will at the kitchen table, explaining the Pythagorean theorem to Nick.

I tried not to think about the pissing contest Martin and Will had had the last time we’d been together in this room. “Hey.” I aimed for casual. “You’re early.”

“I brought pizza.” Will pointed to two boxes from Giovanni’s on the counter. “Triple veggie for you and Mrs. M, Hawaiian for the squirt.” When his eyes hit Martin, he said, “I didn’t see your car.”

“I walked,” Martin said.

“Right…Nice night for it.” Will was clearly not saying something, clearly holding back. It’s possible he was just choosing a tactic, but I decided to take it as a sign that he was making an effort to get along.

“So, you guys thirsty? We have milk, probably soda, water?”

Martin shook his head, and Will picked up a glass of water he’d already poured and said, “I’m good.”

I went to the counter, cracked open a box, and sniffed the warm pizza. “Yum, thanks,” I said to Will. And then to Martin, I explained, “Will and I usually watch The Wild Side on Wednesdays. Have you seen it?”

Since Martin had only been in the Land of Television for the past few days, I was pretty sure he hadn’t. I mean, what kind of freak would dream about The Wild Side? But then again, it might just be one of those things he mysteriously knew. Anyway, I thought asking would make things sound more normal in front of Will.

When Martin shook his head, as I guessed he would, I went on, “They get these super-cheesy B-grade celebrities and abandon them in a cave or something, and they have to find their way back to civilization. You want to watch with us?”

“Hey, I didn’t mean to interrupt whatever you and Martin—” Will said.

“You didn’t,” I said, which was more polite than true. “Martin was dropping something off. Let’s just—”

“I was leaving anyway,” Martin said.

“Don’t be—”

“No, really, Annabelle. I need to get going,” Martin said, and before I could argue, he was out the kitchen door.

After a second, I followed him, pushing the door back open just as it clicked shut. I called out, “Hey, I’ll…” But the driveway was empty. He’d taken off so fast he might have been swept into space. I shut my eyes, feeling tilted and lost. The way I’d felt when my father left. Crazy Annabelle rippled under my skin.

When I turned to Will, I wasn’t thinking with my rational brain—the brain that could have told me, if I’d bothered to ask, that this was not Will’s fault.

“What’d you do that for?” I demanded.

“Uhh.” Will glanced around the kitchen, like he was missing something. “What?”

“You wanted him to leave.”

“I didn’t do anything. I’ve been giving him a chance, like you asked me to. And what I want…what I want is beside the point.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Will stood up, knocking his chair slightly crooked. “I always mean what I say with you, Annabelle.”

“Dude,” Nick piped up from his corner of the table, “she’s just PMS-ing.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.