Temptation Read Online Free PDF Page A

often seemed uncomfortable, reluctant to tag along with the other two.
    In the past few months April had tried arranging dates for Todd with some of her friends. He was painfully shy around them and never mustered up the courage to ask any of them out a second time. April gave up trying, and Todd just hung out with Matt and her.
    â€œWhen did you get here?” Matt asked, putting an arm possessively around April’s shoulder.
    â€œThis afternoon,” she replied. “The house is in pretty good shape, but my parents will be cleaning it for a week!”
    â€œMy mom had a fit when we arrived yesterday,” Matt said, “because one of the windows was broken and some kind of animal had gotten in and left a few surprises on the carpet.”
    â€œYuck,” April said. “Your mother is such a neat-freak, she must have dropped her teeth.”
    â€œOh, no. She took it very calmly. She just said she wanted to turn around and drive back to Shadyside and never come back,” Matt said, chuckling.
    â€œHey, this sure beats Fear Street,” Todd said, a few paces behind them. Todd lived in a ramshackle, old house across the street from the Fear Street cemetery. Any place would be better than that, April thought.
    â€œYou won’t believe what a great place this is,” Matt said to Todd. “It’s awesome. Bodysurfing all afternoon, soaking up the rays. Then party on the beach all night. Then throw up all morning and start all over again!”
    Matt laughed. April playfully shoved him away. “You’re really gross.”
    â€œWhat else is new?” Todd asked quietly.
    â€œHey—whose side are you on?” Matt asked, pretending to be offended. He slung his arm back over April’s shoulder and they continued to follow the curving dirt road past flat, grassy fields, a cluster of small, white clapboard houses, and finally into the town.
    The air grew warmer as they stepped onto the wood-plank walk that lined Main Street and stopped to look around. April reached up and unloaded Matt’s arm from her shoulder. His arm seemed to weigh a ton.
    â€œHey, look—” Matt said, pointing. “They added a video-game arcade next to Swanny’s.” He turned back to Todd. “You bring any money?”
    Todd searched his jeans pockets but pulled out only the blue plastic butane lighter he always carried. He shook his head.
    Matt turned back to April. “No way,” she told him, her green eyes flaring. “We’re not hanging out in a stuffy arcade tonight. I thought we were going to walk around town, check out who’s here, then go to the beach.”
    â€œOh, yeah. Right,” Matt said, giving the arcade one last, longing look.
    They made their way slowly up one side of Main Street, stoppingto check out the shop windows before heading down the other side of the street. Even though the season had just begun, the town was crowded. Main Street was clogged with slow-moving cars, the walks filled with new arrivals chatting, greeting one another, aimlessly moving in pairs and small groups.
    â€œHey, check out the movie theater,” Matt cried enthusiastically, staring up at the old-fashioned marquee across the street. “A Living Dead festival!” He slapped Todd a high five. “All right !”
    He pulled the two of them across the street to study the movie posters displaying the coming attractions. “Looks like it’s all horror, all the time!” he declared, slapping Todd another enthusiastic high five.
    April groaned. She hated horror movies. She couldn’t understand why Matt thought they were so terrific.
    â€œCome on, Matt.” She pulled him away. “What’s going on over there?”
    The old movie theater was the last building on the street. The little town just came to an end there, giving way to a small, asphalt rectangle used as a parking lot, and then a wide, grassy field that was used for town