Lurker Read Online Free PDF

that her first feeling had been right. Her friends were just venting. They shared their fondest memories about Nicolette.
    She kissed me on the nose and said “Nope, no prince.”
    She told my mom that donuts were pure carbs, and when Mom said she had a fast metabolism, N said that apparently her metabolism hadn’t let her ass in on that information.
    She designed fliers for me when my cat got lost.
    She danced with me at the junior prom.
    She walked me home when that a**hole Joe dumped me.
    She always smiled.
    I really, really, really miss her already.
    Scattered among these reminiscences were speculations about Nicki’s fate. Only now, no one believed the cause of her death was accidental.
    And of course, amid all of the fond memories and the wondering were fear and anger. If I catch that SOB, I’m going to tear his head off. They ought to open him up and fill him with scorpions, drag behind my car, needles in his eyes, baseball bat to the nuts. Over two dozen variations on these could be found, though it was unanimously agreed that anything they could come up with was “too good for the bastard.”
    â€œOh God, look what Jacob said.”
    Mandy scrolled back, looking for Jacob Lurie’s screen handle and the message beside it. When she found it, she groaned and shook her head.
    I’d pound his face.
    â€œHe would too,” Drew assured her.
    â€œJacob weighs like fifty pounds.”
    â€œHe’s wiry.”
    â€œIn this case wiry means toast .” Mandy ignored Drew’s whining protest. “There’s nothing here. They’re all just guessing.”
    A new IM window opened. Mandy’s heart clenched when she saw Dale’s username. Very aware of Drew’s presence at her back, Mandy kept it cool. Neither Drew nor Dale needed to know how upset she was.
    DaleLineBacker90 : R U OK? Worried about U
    â€œI bet,” Mandy said. Part of her wanted to write, U seemed more worried about other girls last night . Or maybe something simple like Whatever . Instead, she just closed the window.
    â€œYou should answer him,” Drew said. “We’re all pretty freaked.”
    â€œSo?” Mandy asked.
    â€œI just thought…” Drew let the sentence die on her lips.
    â€œLet me recap,” Mandy said. “The dumbass was flirting with some girl in a chat room. He invited her to his house to watch DVDs, and he didn’t even bother closing the IM window so I wouldn’t see it. So, he is either astronomically stupid or he let me see it to be mean. Neither of these things is high on my list of coolicious boyfriend traits. Now he thinks that I’m going to let him talk me out of dumping him because something terrible happened, and that brings us right back to astronomically stupid.”
    â€œOkay,” Drew said. “God. Who needs a pill now?”
    â€œEveryone,” Mandy said in frustration. “They can hand them out at the vigil tonight.”
    â€œAre you really going?”
    â€œYes,” she said. “And you should too. Nicki was one of us.”
    â€œThey’ll have a funeral,” Drew said quietly.
    â€œIt’s not the same. The funeral is to say good-bye. This is to show how much she meant to us.”
    Drew nodded, her eyes now soft with understanding. Then, she pointed a finger at the computer screen over Mandy’s shoulder.
    Mandy turned to find another IM window open. No tone had sounded to alert her, or at least she hadn’t heard one, but there was the window. At first she figured it was just Dale with another stupid message, but she quickly saw that the screen handle was not familiar.
    Kylenevers : Hey
    â€œWho the hell is this?” Mandy said aloud.
    Drew pushed in close to look over her shoulder. “Somebody named Kyle?”
    â€œWell, that clears everything up,” Mandy said. “Do you know him?”
    â€œNo. I mean, not unless it’s Kyle from biology