Connection (Le Garde) Read Online Free PDF Page A

doing wrong.
    “ Go ahead,” Aaron said, motioning to my bag.
    “ Thanks,” I muttered. I pulled out my algebra book and graph paper.
    We sat in silence as he did his Composition homework and me my Algebra 2 work. I could feel him in my head, asking about Winston and Julia, and I went searching for answers about sine and cosine. It was almost like we were back in middle school. If we weren’t older, if the work wasn’t harder, if he hadn’t grown more attractive, if I hadn’t turned him down, if I had never gone out with Jordan, etc., etc., etc.
    It was about an hour later when I finished my math homework and part of my government homework. Aaron sat back with a satisfied feeling. “Nice. I did this week’s questions, too.”
    I smiled. “Wow. I’m impressed. You want to do US Government and History?”
    “ Seriously, why do we have to take that class?” Aaron asked, throwing up his hands. “Let’s just take a break.”
    A break. Did that consist of us talking? I looked down at my government book, chewing on my lip. Probably feeling my uncertainty, Aaron said, “Why don’t you recommend me some books?”
    I laughed. “You just argued with me about reading two chapters of that.” I motioned to 1984.
    “ Well, it’s old, it moves slowly, it has words I’ve never even heard of,” Aaron said. “What about some modern books?”
    “ All right. Let’s go over to the young adult section.”
    We walked past the clay sculptures again, and Aaron looked on them with disdain. He thought he could do better art. He probably could, honestly. Nothing against the clay artist, but it looked too much like what Allie came home from school with.
    “ Remember those piñatas we had to make in freshman year?” I asked.
    Aaron’s face brightened. “Yeah! I made the boot, and you made the star.”
    I laughed. “And mine lasted way too long because it was too hard.”
    “ I remember Kaylie going red in the face trying to beat that thing.”
    We laughed, and it felt good to feel his amusement blending with my own. It had been so long since I’d felt that. I remember the laughing fits we’d get into, how neither of us could stop laughing, our stomachs hurting, tears streaming down our cheeks.
    I started to show him some of my favorite books that the library had. Some I knew weren’t his style, and I recommended others to him. He made fun of one cover, said another wasn’t something he’d read, but the third he took.
    The fourth one was one of my favorites. I pulled it off the shelf and held it up. “This one is amazing, practically changed my life.”
    “ Does she die in the end?” Aaron asked indignantly.
    My mouth fell open. “You can—you know the ending?”
    Aaron tapped the side of my forehead and shocked me. “Ouch!” we said in unison. I raised my hand to my forehead; the shock was violent compared to most small twinges.
    “ That was crazy,” Aaron said, shaking his hand. 
    I put the book in his hand. Our fingers grazed each another, and another shock ran between us. “Ow, stop that!” I said.
    He threw up his hands. “Oh, right, let me just turn off my static electricity.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Anyways, it’s a great book. Even the ending. I think you’d like it.” I dropped my voice. “I better stop thinking about it, or you’ll know everything about it.”
    Aaron looked at the cover with interest. “I think I already do.”
    “ Well, that’s no fun.” I frowned. “I should just send you the titles in an e-mail or something.”
    “ Can’t hide anything from me,” Aaron said with a playful tone.
    I tensed. Like I wanted to be reminded of that. Like my connection with him didn’t totally freak me out. I started biting my lip again. I was going to cut my lip open if I wasn’t careful. “You want to get that Government homework out of the way?” 
    “ Yep,” Aaron said, and he trailed behind me as we went back to the table.
    Some time later, I took out my phone. “It’s five