Connection (Le Garde) Read Online Free PDF Page B

passing us, I just stared at a small spot on the window. I could feel Aaron’s guilt, and it made me feel good. Was that wrong of me? I didn’t know.
    It took him a moment to respond. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice just as quiet. “Carmen was a bitch. I’m really glad she moved.”
    I wasn’t sure whether to be grateful for the apology or upset that he shifted the blame to Carmen. Of course, Carmen was the one who did it and the one who fueled the fire that Jordan started. But Aaron had been my best friend at one point, and he hadn’t done anything, just because I’d turned him down when he asked me to the Homecoming dance. Okay, I’d also dated Jordan for a couple months. But after we broke up, I was miserable because of Jordan and Carmen, and Aaron never stuck up for me. Not once. Not that I knew of, at least. I almost wanted to ask him, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I kind of wanted to get away from him now. I hated that he probably knew how I felt about all this.
    At the same time I was feeling angry thinking about everything, he was feeling guilty and also a little angry, though I have no idea where the anger was coming from. As if my own feelings weren’t confusing enough, I had to deal with Aaron’s, too.
    Aaron stopped at a stop sign a couple blocks from my house. “I’ll get out here,” I said, grabbing my bag from the floor.
    “ Are you sure?” Aaron asked. “We’re only a few blocks away.”
    “ Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks for the ride.”
    “ Next Monday?” Aaron asked, unsure whether this argument had changed our arrangement.
    “ Sure.” I put my hand on the handle. I met his eyes for just a minute, and I was suddenly reminded how cute he’d gotten. Maybe even more than cute. He’d grown into his ears, which used to be too big for him, and his hazel eyes studied me. I swallowed. “Same place, same time?”
    “ Yeah,” Aaron said with relief.
    I opened the door. “Thanks for the ride,” I repeated, then shut the door.
    It was difficult to walk away, almost painful, but soon his emotions faded, and then he was out of my head, and I was out of his.
     
     

    4. le foudre (lightning)
    Aaron
     
    I turned my weekly questions into Mrs. Hart on Tuesday, and she looked at me with surprise. “Thank you, Aaron,” she said.
    “ Better late than never, right?” I asked.
    She turned away, but not before giving me a look like I’d just grown an extra head. Maybe I should have made the answers less perfect, made it look like I was struggling. I sighed; she’d probably figure I cheated. I’d have to have less Anna-like answers the next time. Oh, damn, I already filled out next week’s questions, too.
    At the end of the class, I asked for a new sheet, saying I lost mine, and during Trig, I redid them. All this knowledge had fled my mind when Anna bailed out of the car yesterday, so it wasn’t hard to completely muck up a few of the questions.
    During lunch, I watched her walk to Steven’s car and get in with him. I wondered if her mom knew about her lunches off campus. They drove by the sidewalk I was standing on with Chandler, and I closed my eyes as she fled by, just a flash of her mind. I was kind of dizzy afterwards. I hated when that happened, especially because Steven drove like he thought he was a NASCAR driver.
    “ Hey, let me use your phone, I left mine in my locker,” Chandler said, holding out his hand.
    I handed my cell over and put my hands in my pockets again. A moment later, Chandler asked, “You talking to Anna again?”
    I glanced over at him. “What do you mean?” 
    “ She’s in your contacts again.” 
    Right, she’d be one of the first ones. Anyone would see that if they went looking through my contacts. Good thing not a lot of people did.
    I shrugged. “Yeah, she’s helping me in Composition.”
    Chandler called his on-again, off-again girlfriend Stacey. I rolled my eyes as they started arguing about the date they were supposed to go on that