Secret of Light Read Online Free PDF Page B

Darrell took another cautious step into the room.
    â€œJust what I said. Now hand it over.” Conrad swivelled his head around and glared at Darrell. “You still here, Gimpy?”
    Paris raised his eyebrows and turned to pick up his guitar, a look of cautious amusement on his face. “You’ve got to be kidding!” He bent down and unplugged the guitar from a small amplifier.
    Conrad’s face turned ugly. “Don’t turn your back on me, you geek.”
    Paris began to load his instrument into its case, ignoring Conrad.
    Conrad pushed aside a music stand and stepped forward. In one smooth motion he spun Paris by the shoulders and grabbed the front of his shirt. “This room is soundproofed, you doorknob,” he hissed through his teeth. “And nobody can hear any kind of noise you make. So, I think that money’s mine, now.” With one hand still holding Paris’s collar, he reached into the front pocket of his shirt and used two fingers to withdraw a twenty-dollar bill.
    Paris went red to the roots of his purple hair. “Hey, you jerk! That’s mine! Give it back.” He reached over to grab the money, but Conrad leapt nimbly over a music stand. Darrell felt sick as she watched from the door.
You’re a lot of help, you big chicken
.

    â€œI don’t see your name on it,” drawled Conrad as he elbowed Paris aside and turned to leave.
    Darrell gathered her courage. “I do,” she said, stalling for time and not knowing what else to say. Conrad sneered at her and opened his mouth to speak.
    â€œSo do I.”
    Conrad closed his mouth with a snap and turned to look at the stage door.
    Kate stepped into the room. A tiny smile played at the corner of her mouth. “Hey Connie. You being a bully again?”
    Conrad glared at Kate but swallowed nervously. His eyes flitted back and forth among the people in the room, assessing.
    â€œNeed a girl to fight your battles, do ya?” he taunted Paris.
    Some of the normal colour returned to Paris’s face. “Is it going to be a battle, then, Conrad?” he asked quietly.
    â€œThat — that’s not what I meant,” Conrad spluttered.
    â€œDo I scare you, Connie?” asked Kate, innocence radiating from every pore. She took another step forward.
    Conrad’s will broke. He took the twenty out of his pocket and stuffed it back into Paris’s shirt. He kicked a music stand out of his way and stomped to the stage door.
    â€œGet out of my way,” he snarled to Kate, who stood her ground in front of the door.
    â€œYou didn’t say please,” she said casually and reached out towards Conrad’s shirt.
    His eyes wild, Conrad tore his shirt from Kate’s grasp and ran out of the room, slamming the door.

    â€œHe seemed in a bit of a hurry,” noted Kate, to no one in particular.
    Paris exhaled rather shakily. “Thanks, you two. I think you helped save me twenty bucks right there.”
    Darrell shook her head. “I wasn’t any help.”
    Paris glanced at Kate. “Conrad seemed pretty nervous around you.” He looked at her small frame disbelievingly. “You don’t look very scary to me.”
    Darrell laughed. “I never go anywhere without her,” she said. “She might look small but she’s pretty feisty.”
    â€œFeisty? Try fit, fast, and frightening,” Kate said with a grin. She dropped her hands to the ground, did a quick handstand, and flipped back onto her feet in front of Paris.
    â€œOkay, okay,” he said, laughing. “You’ve convinced me. Karate, right?”
    â€œNope. Tae kwon do. A very similar martial art, though,” she said, and her face took on a distant expression. “You just use the opposite side of the body. The theory is a bit different, too...”
    â€œOkay, Paris, don’t get her started or she’ll go on for hours,” said Darrell. “So what really