Still Jaded Read Online Free PDF Page B

me from the corner of his eye. I shrugged. "There was coffee."
    "And a Dorothy chick, but she's going down."
    I added, "It's the mafia way."
    "Oh yes. The preacher will come calling." Raz scratched his forehead. He thought a moment, frowned, and then flashed his pearly whites once more. "Would you like beer?"
    Bryce replied, "That would be great."
    "Beer will come."
    "We are homosapiens," I joked.
    Raz started laughing. "You must've met March. He's always talking about evolution and where we'll be in twenty thousand years."
    "Still drinking beer," Bryce pointed out. Raz laughed again and clapped him on the shoulder. "You're a funny dude. Good at soccer and funny. I like that."
    Bryce looked at me. I shrugged. It was increasingly apparent that Raz was an odd guy.
    Then a shout rang out and Corrigan hurled himself through the crowd to launch himself onto Bryce's back. He wrapped his legs around Bryce's waist and clasped his arms together over his chest. Bryce grabbed Corrigan's feet and hoisted him higher so that he wouldn't fall.
    "My best friends." Corrigan greeted us with a cheeky smile as he settled his chin on Bryce's shoulder. I leaned closer and saw the hazy look in his green sparklers. He'd been doing a lot more than playing sloshball and drinking beer.
    Matt and Leah pushed their way through the crowd after him. Matt wore a similar beer-soaked shirt over Hawaiian board shorts, and Leah had on a leopard print bikini. The strings tied between her breasts with beaded ends that hung down to her navel, which was pierced with a sparkling little diamond.
    "Hi, Sheldon."
    And there was Matt's normal greeting, odd and filled with excitement.
    I caught Leah eyeing Bryce up and down and remarked, "He's not a baboon that's going to pound his chest and whip out his dick. Stop hoping."
    Raz and Matt spit out their beer. Bryce and Corrigan watched me. They both knew there was more to come. Leah's cheeks flared in anger. "You are one of the most vile, disgusting—"
    I stepped forward. Leah didn't back up, but her eyes widened. I saw a tiny bit of fear as she glowered back at me.
    "I am not like you. I'm not sleeping my way through an entire fraternity house. And I don't like you, so whenever you come up to me or my friends, you need to remember that we'll be having this conversation every single time."
    I stepped back, and Leah opened her mouth, but I interjected, "And you're right. I am a vile person, but I don't care. I'm better at this game than you."
    Everyone waited, but Leah stood there in silence. Then she tore through the crowd.
    I didn't feel triumphant. I didn't feel anything, but when I looked at Corrigan and Bryce's knowing looks, I snapped, "What? She asked for that."
    Corrigan slid off of Bryce's back and nodded. "Uh huh. Because no other girl has ever looked at Bryce. That's awful ."
    "Shut up."
    Matt and Raz chose not to comment.
    Bryce injected, "I get when you come out swinging, but you weren't backed into a corner there. What's with you? She didn't say anything before you laid into her."
    Corrigan moved forward. "Were you looking for a victim, and it happened to be her? You did it yesterday too. And you did it to Grace."
    "You're still pissed about what I said about Grace?"
    "No," Corrigan replied. "I'm worried about you. Is this about your issues with killing that guy? Is all this stuff coming out because Bryce is back in town? The last time he was here was when it all went down. I thought you dealt with that crap, Sheldon. I'm disappointed in you."
    It took a second before his words sunk in, but then—
    Bryce whirled to him and pushed him back. Corrigan fell a few steps but ignored his best friend. His eyes were glued to mine, and just for a second, I felt the world fall away. Then I heard his words again.
    'I'm disappointed in you.'
    My stomach clenched, and I lunged at him.
    Bryce caught me, but I tried to crawl over him.
    "You—dick!" I tried to hit him. I could almost reach him. I squirmed over Bryce's