Daybreak Read Online Free PDF Page A

are you doing here? Go patch things up with her.” Nate stood with arms crossed.
    “Bro, I just need to crash for tonight.”
    Nate barked out a laugh. “Are you kidding me?” He glanced around. “Where, exactly?”
    “I don’t know. I can sleep with you in the bed, or something. Come on, man. I can’t go home to Mom and Dad. Mom’ll have a field day. I’ll smooth it all over tomorrow with Mandy.”
    “Well, he’s right about your mom,” Lucas said, earning a black look from Nate.
    Nate shook his head, sighing. “Fine. Just for tonight. Just this once.”
    Shooting up off the futon, Sam yanked Nate into a hug. “Awesome, dude.” He went to the fridge and popped the top off a bottle of beer. “So, you guys wanna watch TV?”
    Lucas and Nate looked at each other with resignation and settled down as best they could on the futon. An hour later, Lucas stretched out on it, trying to get comfortable as he listened to Nate and Sam bicker over space in the bed.
    “Hello, I’d like to have some of the duvet.” Nate’s tone was acidic.
    “You’ve got plenty!”
    Lucas reached over and turned the fan on the coffee table up another notch to try and drown out the brothers. He tossed and turned for what seemed like forever before finally falling asleep.
    He woke to the sounds of crunching, and opened his eyes to see Sam perched on the edge of the futon by Lucas’s feet, eating a bowl of Cheerios. Lucas blinked and rubbed his face. He registered the sound of the shower running.
    Sam spoke through a mouthful of cereal. “Mornin’.”
    “Hey.”
    “Man, how does my brother sleep on this thing every night?” Sam fidgeted. “It’s like cement.”
    Lucas arched his back. “Tell me about it.”
    “Hey, dude?” Sam munched, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Why don’t you have a girlfriend?”
    Uh-oh . “Huh?”
    “I mean, you’re a good-looking guy. I know at Brookfield you must have been, like, sad about your dad and everything. But Mandy’s got some hot friends if you want me to hook you up.”
    Lucas desperately tried to think of a response. “Uh…thanks for the offer, but actually, I already met someone.”
    “Oh yeah?” Sam wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Cool, what’s her name?”
    “Veronica.” Lucas had never met a Veronica, but he dug Veronica Mars , so it was good enough.
    “Is she hot?”
    “Totally.”
    “Big tits?” Sam leered and slurped up the last of the milk in his bowl.
    “No, but she’s gorgeous. And really smart.”
    “Smart’s good.” Sam got up and dumped his bowl and spoon in the sink. “I wouldn’t say this to most people, but tits get kind of boring after a while if a girl doesn’t have anything to say, you know?”
    “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” Sometimes Sam surprised him. Not often, but sometimes.
    “Thanks, dude.” Sam stretched his arms over his head and yawned widely. “I’ve gotta go to Mandy’s and change for work.”
    “I’d stop by the flower market on your way.” Sam had better make up with Amanda, because Lucas couldn’t take another night on the futon.
    “Good call. Thanks for having my back, buddy.”
    “Anytime.”
    “Later, bro!” Sam yelled in the direction of the bathroom. Then he was gone, and Lucas crawled gratefully into his own bed. Maybe he’d skip sociology class that morning, just once.
    A few minutes later, a wet Nate joined him on the bed. “Thank God he left.”
    “He’s not so bad.” Lucas felt an odd surge of protectiveness. Sam meant well most of the time.
    Nate snorted. “You didn’t have to grow up with him. You don’t have his knuckle marks permanently etched in your skull thanks to all the noogies he gave you.”
    “Okay, you have a good point.” Lucas reached out and stroked Nate’s short curls. He’d cut his hair again once school had started. “You ever think about telling him?”
    “What, about me? About us?”
    “Yeah. That way we wouldn’t have to pretend