Casey Barnes Eponymous Read Online Free PDF Page B

realized it needed to be
copied over.   She grabbed a pen and
paper.
    1. Song 1… Alex Deal did not
need a pop song to lure him in.   He
did not need to betold that song #1 was a pop
song.   Alex Deal was in a different
class of music listener than the skinny blonde in the bad sweater or the twins.
    1. Song 1 - “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by
United Rhythms of Brazil.   United Rhythms of
Brazil did an entire album of Guns ‘n Roses covers bossa nova style, of which
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” was the standout.   Casey prayed he had not already heard
it.
    2. Song 2 - “Brothers On a Hotel Bed” by
Death Cab for Cutie.   She had gone back
and forth between two Death Cab for Cutie songs for the number two slot.   “Title and Registration” was the other
choice.   It was transcendent pop, smart
and fast.   “Brothers On a Hotel Bed”
was slower and more emotional.   Yet
the more she thought about it, the more weight she gave to the following
reasoning: transcendent pop would do what it does, i.e. make Alex Deal feel
good and continue his day at its typical pace.   It might even quicken his pace.   But a slower, more emotional song would
get him thinking about love and who his next girlfriend was going to be.   She glanced up.   He placed his book on the shelf and took
another one down.
    3. Song 3 - “God Moving Over The Face Of The
Waters” by Moby.   When she first
heard this song she listened to it seven times in a row until Yull threatened
violence.   And so what if she wasn’t
sure if she believed in God and Moby was vegan (NOT something Casey approved of
in a rock and roller.   How far was a
plate of seitan dogs gonna get you in trashing a hotel room?   Huh?).   So what .   The song was ethereal and
haunting and it made her feel like anything was possible.   Even Alex Deal saying the Melanie
Corcoran interlude had been a horrible, horrible mistake.
    He walked towards them with a book on World War II in his
hand.   She started to fold the list
up but then stopped, grabbed a pen, and scribbled Rehoboth Mix on top.   Her heart
palpitated like a hummingbird.   Mr.
Cole went to pick up the scanner gun.   In one swift movement she beat him to it.   He gave her a baffled look.
    “I got this one,” she said.   He looked from her to Alex Deal.   His face softened.   God, Casey hated the way adults got you
just when you did not want them to.   He backed away from the scanner.  
    Alex Deal reached the checkout counter. He handed the book and
his student ID to her.   His eyes
lingered.   “How’s it going?”
    She shrugged as she held the book under the counter to scan
it.   She slipped the list into the
front cover of the book.   “You know.”
    She handed him the book.   He looked her up and down.   “Joe Cocker?”
    For a moment she was confused.   Then she remembered she was wearing a
Joe Cocker T-shirt.   Oh what those
eyes did to her.  
    She nodded.   “Ever
heard of him?”
    “Of course.   Has
your new guy?”
    She saw it again, in the eyes: A hint of irritation.   Alex Deal was jealous.  
    “Of course,” she said.
    He looked her up and down.   “Ciao.”   He walked out.  
    She was disappointed, even if his leaving was a reasonable
consequence of her telling him about her imaginary boyfriend liking Joe
Cocker.   But then again he had her
list.   And she had a feeling
something else was going to happen as a result of that list.   She just didn’t realize how quickly it
would happen.

8

 
    Math class was built over the gates of hell.   It began freshman year when, upon
entering Walton, Casey scored freakishly well on her math proficiency
exam.   That in turn caused her to be
placed in a math class with sophomores and juniors.   She bombed the first few tests but her
mother insisted she stay in it and hired a math tutor, a calm Indian doctoral
candidate named Raj, whose diligent efforts scraped her through the year with
passing grades.