Laughing Fate Read Online Free PDF Page A

he was the scum of the earth and beneath her notice?
    Not pausing to think, just responding in a knee jerk sort of fashion, Potter said the first thing that came to mind.
    “Darling, you and I will never be friends and that look you saw in my eye? It was pity."  Potter winced slightly after the words were out.  Wrong thing to say to Puck! She could kill him and no one would be the wiser. Potter knew that his death was imminent when the fire started burning in her eyes again.
    With an amazing show at self control she told him off with a few choice words, never once raising her voice. She then walked away, throwing one last parting shot his way.
    “Go back to your car, Potter; because I don’t want your pity, I don’t want your attention or your notice, or your freakin’ company! I liked it better when you didn’t see me, so let’s go back to that, shall we?" she flung over her shoulder.
    There had been a world of hurt in those last words. Had she really felt like she was beneath his notice?  "I’ve always seen you," he said softly as he watched her go. He felt deep regret for having said that he pitied her, it was a low blow, a direct hit to her pride. Potter felt his chest tighten as he thought back on her words.
    Puck wasn’t exactly popular among the younger generation of Sunny Cove, but she was infamous.  Hell, the whole town noticed her, People may run out of her way, but they definitely noticed her. Besides, for the most part she had the whole town eating out of the palm of her hand.  She had them all fooled into thinking that she was sweet. It was only her old school mates that knew the truth about her…but how would it feel to have that kind of reputation? Potter had always assumed that she liked being known as the crazy one; why else would she do the crazy stunts she was so fond of?
    Puck may not be sweet, but she was hurting. He looked around, noticing how hot it was getting. Puck had a long hike ahead of her and at the end of it she’d be hot, tired, sore, thirsty, and she would absolutely hate his guts. And for some reason Potter didn’t want that. It wasn’t just fear for his life that led him to his decision to fix things with Puck; he had to atone for his stupidity.
    He jogged back to his car, a beat up Jetta, boldly scared a seagull away that was perched on his hood, and then jumped into the driver seat.  After a quick shudder, from his battle with the seagull, Potter nodded at his friends who were sitting on their cars eating, and drove off in a hurry.
    "What’s with him?" asked Steve.
    " He loves her! Smoochy smmooochy coochy coo!" sang Brad as he threw potato chips at James.
    “ Knock it off, shorty! I’ll throw you to the sharks!”
    “ Oh, yeah? I’d like to see you try!” declared Brad boldly as he flicked a potato chip right at James’ head.
    Dave ignored the two men wrestling towards the water, and laughed at Steve. “He’s finally met someone that he can’t control.  Puck is like the ocean, destructive, beautiful, at times serene, at others playful.  She’s a fighter and Potter can’t keep his mind off of her.  I wonder how she’s going to like Potter’s interest?  I don’t think she cares much for men.”
    Brad’s head popped up from James’ head lock and asked, “You mean she likes girls? Sweet!”
    “ No, you moron!” James said as he tightened his arm around Brad’s neck. “She isn’t gay! Or else she’d be dating women, you dork! She doesn’t even look at girls like that, but have you seen the way she watches Potter? She digs him, even if she don’t know it yet.”
    Steve just shook his head sadly and ate a potato chip.  He sure hoped Potter wasn’t falling for Puck, she was crazy. When he was just a little kid she shaved his cat and painted it blue!
    Dave smiled as he watched James and Brad fall in the ocean.  Brad was like a puppy, he had to be trained. Not that anything they had tried had worked so far…he was incorrigible, which was why he