13 to Life Read Online Free PDF Page A

they were forced to find other seats.
    I tried to ignore him, but Sophia’s eyes slid wisely from him to me and back again. “Sophia”—I pointed to her—“Pietr.” I pointed to him. “Sarah. Pietr.” Again I jabbed a finger in their directions.
    Amy didn’t wait for an introduction. “I’m Amy,” she said. “I hear you’re Pietr.”
    He smiled. Sarah and Sophia giggled at me.
Some friends.
    Pietr speared a piece of mystery meat loaf with his fork and popped the first bite into his mouth, chewing like eating was an exercise in efficiency, not something to be enjoyed. Well,
that
I understood, looking at my own wilted lettuce. “So, what don’t you get?” he asked again.
    I refused to answer, trying to seem absorbed in the search for a crouton with some crunch. I was absolutely unlucky today.
    “There’s really nothing
to
get,” Pietr continued. “He’s out of your league.” Stated with such simplicity it sounded undeniable.
    My eyes must have gone saucer-wide at the insult. Amy’s hand grabbed my wrist; my fingers were tight around the fork I was ready to launch at my newest nemesis.
“What?”
I demanded, narrowing my eyes.
    He hadn’t paused in his eating but had nearly finished his meat loaf and was preparing to move on to a double helping of Salisbury steak. He glanced over my head. “Jess.” He fixed his glinting eyes on me. “You are a thinker. You probably get good grades and may even be on the debate team and school newspaper staff, but you aren’t that guy’s type. He’s a jock.” He chewed and swallowed. He glanced over my head again. “A popular jock, from what I can tell. And they don’t date your type without a reason.” He looked at me, his eyes gleaming boldly. “So what do you think a guy like
that
wants?”
    My hand shook, holding the fork. I could tell without looking that Amy’s fingers had gone white in her effort to restrain me. It was the most Pietr had spoken to me, and every word sliced like a knife.
    Because he was right: Derek definitely wanted something.
    Pietr was well into his Salisbury steak when I finally said, “What business is it of yours?” Amy released her grip on me, patting my hand. Sarah’s eyes stayed on my fork, mindful there might yet be bloodshed. She freaked out pretty easily now, even if she didn’t remember exactly why.
    Sophia simply sucked on her straw, listening intently.
    “I guess it isn’t,” Pietr admitted around another mouthful of meat. “I just thought a male opinion . . .” He looked beyond me
again.
    “What? Because we can’t figure this sort of thing out on ourown?” I leaned across the table, making it clear I could be just as much the aggressor as he could be the transgressor.
    He leaned across the table to meet me, his nose nearly touching mine. The strange and nearly minty crispness of pine made my nose tingle. He smelled like the northern woods in winter. Clean, sharp, and full of mystery.
    He stopped chewing, his eyes holding mine—and glittering dangerously. He swallowed. “Perhaps you should consider the motivation of people a little more honestly.” He glanced again at something behind me.
    I turned in my seat to see what kept taking his attention from our brutal conversation. Was it someone? No. He kept looking above. . . . The clock?
Ugh
. Did he think he was wasting time here? I faced him once more. “So what’s
your
motivation, Pietr? You don’t even know me!”
    He pulled back, a slinking move like shadows sliding. “Good point.” He smiled, a sudden slip of his lips across startlingly beautiful teeth. “I try to look out for people who look out for me. It can be a fatal flaw in my family, I suppose.” His eyes seemed to cloud with memory. A blink cleared them, and he added, “You are my guide, aren’t you?”
    “Maybe I
shouldn’t
be the one guiding you around Junction. There are a dozen girls who’d jump at the chance.” I dropped the fork onto my tray so it clattered, and, reaching