Push and Shove: The Ghost Bird Series: #6 (The Academy) Read Online Free PDF Page B

couldn’t find another one that was two-player.
    He came closer, hovering over me. He reached around my shoulder, plucking one of the games from the shelf. “Go sit. I’ll put it in.”
    I grabbed the controllers, taking them with me to the bean bag chair. I settled in. I still had my shoes on so I kept my feet on the floor. The cool of the chair material met my thighs in the short gym uniform shorts. I zipped the hoodie up a bit to keep the warmth in.
    Kota inserted the disc and stood by to make sure the game started up properly. He left the game case on the shelf, and returned, dropping down heavily into the beanbag chair next to me. I tilted sideways and the controllers fell from my hands. I splayed a hand over his chest to catch myself before I tumbled along with them.
    Kota laughed, sitting up a little and inching himself over to give me more room. “I’m still not used to these things.”
    I smiled a little, pressing on him to sit up again. My knees knocked into him. He hooked an arm under my thighs, dragging me around until my legs nestled over his.
    “You can take your shoes off if that’s more comfortable,” he said. He checked with me to see if I wanted to. I nodded. He eased the heels of my shoes off my feet and tucked them away on the other side of the bean bag chair, along with my socks.
    I wanted to press my palm against my nervous heart. We were cuddling so close. I wasn’t sure I could concentrate on a game, or anything else for that matter. My shorts were up higher along my thighs since we were sitting awkwardly in the bean bag chair. Warmth from his thighs meeting mine, and his side and chest – I felt every little breath he made, every movement.
    Kota started up the game, picked a short race, and turned on my controller for me. When the race started, it took me a couple of moments to figure out the buttons.
    “Come on slowpoke,” Kota said, nudging me in the thigh. His car slowed until it was crawling beside mine.
    It had been a few weeks since I’d played this game with them so it took time to get re-familiar with how it worked. I tapped at the speed button, and tried collecting turbo bonuses. I managed to catch up with the last of the computer-controlled racers, and Kota’s car remained parallel with mine.
    I didn’t understand what he was doing. I knew he could play better than this. He didn’t use a speed bonus unless I did. I wanted to look over at him, but I found myself still shy and wasn’t sure about looking at those questioning eyes.
    A sharp left turn appeared in the game. My car swerved, knocking against another car. It flipped over, crashing.
    Kota stopped his car, waiting while mine was game-magically transported into position.
    “Why’d you do that?” I asked.
    He leaned his arm against mine. “Do what?”
    “Why’d you stop?”
    “I was waiting for you.”
    Waiting for me. He said it casually like blessing me after a sneeze. It still didn’t feel right, though.
    He’d done something similar once when we played together before. He managed to stick right behind me until we got really close to the finish line, before he zoomed around me and took off and won.
    When our cars managed to get close to the finish line this time, he slowed his car until his was behind mine. I crossed before his. Kota took last place.
    I turned on him, using my elbow into the back of the bean bag chair to prop myself up. “Did you just lose on purpose?”
    Kota smirked. “You were going slowly. I was giving you a chance.”
    “I’m not used to this game.” I studied his face but his eyes were telling me things I wasn’t sure about. “You’re letting me beat you?”
    Kota’s eyes shifted until he was staring down the screen. “What’s the big deal? I just wanted you to...”
    “Nu-uh,” I said. “Don’t play like that.”
    Kota’s eyebrows shifted up. “Like what?”
    “It’s not fun if you’re not going to do it right.”
    “You don’t want me to beat you all the time,”