Scattered Colors Read Online Free PDF Page A

think it’s a beautiful name,” he continued, and I felt my cheeks heat at the compliment even as I tried to act like I wasn’t eavesdropping. I could see Stella out of the corner of my eye subtly trying to get my attention, but I kept my focus firmly on Mrs. Wilkins. “It’s only the first day of school, Brynn. At least wait a week before you let your bitch show.”
    “Mr. Owens,” Mrs. Wilkins called out, turning the entire classroom’s attention to the guy sitting behind me. “Already disrupting my class on the first day, I see. Why am I not surprised?”
    “Not at all, Mrs. Wilkins,” Parker spoke in a smooth cadence. “Have I told you yet how lovely you look this morning?”
    She rolled her eyes with a huff. “Your charm won’t work on me, Mr. Owens.”
    “Well, that’s a shame. I’m still waiting for the day you leave Mr. Wilkins and run away with me.”
    It seemed I wasn’t the only one immune to Parker Owen’s charm as the entire class burst into a fit of giggles and laughter. Even Mrs. Wilkins’ cheeks were turning a little pink.
    “Do you think you can manage to make it through the rest of the period without causing any more problems?”
    I didn’t turn around to see his face, but I could hear the smile in his voice as he answered. “For you, I’ll try my very best.”
    I tried my hardest not to laugh, as I looked down, unseeing at the textbook open on my desk. English was going to be an interesting period, to say the least.

“How do you know Parker Owens?” Stella whispered exuberantly as we exited the classroom? I’d somehow managed to make it through the rest of the period without acknowledging the boy who sat behind me. It wasn’t easy, that was for sure. People like Parker demanded attention just by existing and when they didn’t get it, they turned into whiny little children; case in point, the pen which he kept jabbing into my back every few minutes.
    “I don’t know him,” I answered simply as we headed for our lockers to exchange books.
    “Sure looked like you knew him to me.” She giggled. Her voice held so much delight I almost didn’t want to let her down.
    “Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t. Not really, anyway. I ran into him down on the beach by my house. He’s kind of a jackass, if you ask me.”
    She released a wistful sigh as she traded one book for another and closed her locker. “Yeah, he can be sometimes. But then he can also be really nice, you know? I’ve known him since we were little, and he wasn’t always like he is now. It’s the people he hangs out with, I think. They’re a bunch of assholes. Guess it just rubbed off on him after a while.”
    “Who does he hang out with?” I asked, unable to curb my curiosity when it came to Parker. He was an enigma, rude the first time we met, yet charming and charismatic in class. He was like a puzzle I didn’t want to figure out, but couldn’t resist all at the same time.
    “Oh, you know... the ‘popular’kids.” She used air quotes on the word popular, adding an eye roll for good measure. “Typical high school jerks. The jocks, cheerleaders, kids like that. Parker’s like the ringleader of that crowd. It’s weird, really. He never came off as clique-y or anything like that until we got to high school, but those guys just flock to him like he’s their king or something. It’s kinda pathetic. He dated Cassidy Ashworth for, like, two years a while back. She’s the most popular girl in school. Even after they broke up, they kept running with the same people. It’s this twisted little hierarchy with those guys. I just keep my distance.”
    Nothing she was telling me was shining Parker in a good light. It just confirmed that my opinion of him was dead-on.
    “Well, Spritely Stella, you’re better off without losers like that in your life.”
    “Spritely?” she giggled.
    “Yeah, you know, like one of those little woodland fairies you read in children’s books. You’re tiny and full of