Winging It by Deborah Cooke

Author:Deborah Cooke
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780749040772
Publisher: Perseus Books Group
Published: 2012-01-30T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

There was no way I was going back to English class. I wasn’t interested in hearing about the weather as a character or in learning what I hadn’t thought about including in my essay. I certainly didn’t want to see that grade.

Instead I went to the library and did what I do best. I worked on that drawing for Derek and thought about what I needed to ask him.

It was shaping up to be a pretty good drawing. The dragon filled the cover of his book. It was rearing back, its tail coiled behind and beneath it, its wings stretching off the edges of the page. It had a fearsome number of teeth and was breathing fire, its claws raised to strike and its eyes flashing.

I’d sketched the pose in pencil, and now was filling it in with marker. First the outline in black, then all the detail of the scales. This dragon had a bit of an Asian look to it, so I’d put the traditional pearl in one claw. On impulse, I drew continents on the pearl, making it into the planet Earth. Kind of an inside Pyr joke, seeing as how we’re supposed to be the defenders of Earth. This dragon was kicking butt in defense of his hoard. I did some Asian clouds behind him, the kind you see in tattoos.

I was trying to decide whether I should go with color or leave it a black line drawing when I felt someone beside me.

Derek.

Of course.

‘Cool,’ he said and sat down beside me.

I knew he was watching me, but didn’t look up. ‘Color or just like this?’ It was his book – he could decide.

He leaned closer, his elbow pressing against mine. I could feel how warm he was, smell his skin. It was an awful lot like the moment I’d had in that other library with Jared in the spring – complete with the librarian watching us like a hawk.

I even felt something fluttery in my stomach. Not as strong as it was with Jared, but it was there.

Awareness.

And just the way I did when I was with Jared, I forgot whatever I was going to say next.

Derek glanced up at me then, those pale blue eyes seeming to pierce right through me. ‘What color would it be?’

I couldn’t quite catch my breath. ‘Whatever you want.’

The corner of his mouth lifted a little, not quite a smile.

‘What do you want? It’s your drawing.’

I looked away from his intensity, studying the drawing. ‘I guess I’d make him shades of purple, with some charcoal. It would contrast with the orange flames.’

‘Him?’

I looked at him again. ‘Sure. All dragons are guys.’

‘What about dragon shifters?’

‘Most of them are guys.’

‘But not all.’ Derek reached for the drawing, turning it to examine it more closely. ‘I want you to color it like a girl dragon.’ And he pushed it back at me, a dare in his eyes.

‘Which is?’ I wasn’t sure whether he’d seen me as a dragon or just as a salamander.

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