Kiss with Cherry Flavor (Grover Beach #4) Read Online Free PDF

uncle’s gym. It helped…temporarily. But as long as I kept myself occupied with little things, I was safe. A long, hot shower, homework, and later loud music and some drawing did the trick. I just couldn’t afford to let my thoughts wander back to that place in the forest and remember the feeling of his lips on mine.
    When someone tapped my shoulder, I jumped in my chair, ripping the headphones out of my ears. Pamela had nearly given me a heart attack. “Gosh, you shouldn’t sneak up on people like that!” I panted.
    Pam gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry, but you didn’t hear me knock or shout with the music on.”
    “What’s up?” I asked her then, because it was too early for dinner and she’d sure ly come to my room for a reason.
    “Did you perhaps use some of my painting utensils last week?”
    What a weird question. If I had, I would have asked her first. “No. Why do you ask?”
    “Two of my marten-hair brushes are gone. The big ones. I can’t find them anywhere.”
    “I’m sorry, but I didn’t take them.”
    “Okay.” Pam sighed. “I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually. At least I hope so. They were really expensive, you know.”
    I did know that. Good painting stuff was very costly. Wasn’t that strange? It was the second time something had gone missing since last weekend. Like there was suddenly a poltergeist in the house. Then again, the brushes had probably just rolled under the couch.
    I blew my bangs out of my eyes and continued with my drawing. As long as my stuff didn’t start disappearing, everything was fine.
    Susan came over that evening, and we watched some reruns of Teen Wolf together. It was funny how she sneaked inside, trying not to be seen by neighbors. Oh, it would have been her worst nightmare if people thought she was actually friends with my cousin. I could only shake my head and laugh.
    Glad for any distraction, I made her stay until it was time to go to bed. It meant less thinking about Tony for me.
    Unfortunately, that intention was kicked to the gutter as soon as I entered the school’s cafeteria the following day. Tony wasn’t there. And obviously nothing kept one thinking about somebody like that person’s absence.
    “Where’s Tony?” I asked Lisa between bites of my burger.
    She shrugged, and Ryan answered, “Gone home. Said he forgot something for his art class.”
    I frowned at my burger, wondering what that could be. All he needed for AVE was paper and a pencil or charcoal, and I knew Mrs. Jackson had enough of them on the shelves in the classroom for anyone who forgot their stuff.
    Unless…he wanted to avoid me again. What if he hadn’t forgotten anything, but just didn’t want to sit with me through lunch? Could that be it?
    I dropped th e thought as Allie came over to our table and told us girls that cheerleading was going to be delayed until later in the afternoon today. Apparently she had some doctor’s appointment, which reminded me that I should go see Ryan’s dad again soon. But the wound was healing really well, and it didn’t seem all that necessary to have a vet take a look again.
    Before we left the cafeteria, I caught up to Ryan and said, “Could you tell your dad thanks again and that my leg is all right? He asked me to come back after a few days, but I don’t think he needs to see it again.”
    “Sure. ” Ryan looked happy about the news. “He’ll be glad to hear it.”
    I stole Lisa from him then, and we hurried to gym, where it was badminton again. Not really my kind of sport, but at least I didn’t get sweaty today, so I could skip the shower afterward and be early for AVE. I hoped to get a hold of Tony before the lesson started to see what had kept him away from lunch.
    But when Tony walked into the classroom, his backpack casually strapped over one shoulder, he held his chin low and focused on the floor. He seemed totally untouchable, which kept me silent as he passed me. Damn . A simple “hi” or even just a look—was