The Original Crowd Read Online Free PDF Page B

could, but I’m secure enough to admit that I wouldn’t want to do it. Trust me, we want Tray there with us when we show. He can handle Crispin Gentley.”
    I scoffed, “Gentley’s a baby.”
    Jasmine had been listening and asked, “You know Crispin Gentley?”
    “Yeah and he’s nothing to be scared of.”
    Bryce had crossed the room without me noticing. He asked, “How do you know Gentley?”
    “I went to Pedlam a few times.”
    “A few times?” I didn’t recognize this girl, but she was already annoying me. She had platinum blond hair and boobs that shouted ‘screw me’ every time your eyes skimmed across them. She could’ve been the poster-girl for Hooters.
    I clamped down on my instant irritation. “Yeah. What about it?”
    “She didn’t mean anything, Matthews,” Tray soothed, walking up behind me and wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. To everyone else, he said, “Let’s head out.” He pulled me with him and said, “You can ride with me.”
    I glared at him, but noticed that Mandy was looking cautiously at Devon. I saw Jasmine pair off with Grant, so I said lightly, “Fine.” It would be the perfect time for Mandy to talk to Devon anyway.
    Two other guys were walking behind us as we walked to Tray’s SUV. I ignored the heat from Tray’s hand as it spread, open palm, on my stomach. Brushing him off, I rounded the SUV and climbed into the passenger seat. The other two got in the back.
    As Tray started it up, he introduced us, “Helms, Mitch, this is Matthews. Matthews—the guys.”
    “My name’s Taryn, not Matthews,” I informed them dryly, seeing each nod in an easygoing way. I recalled that they were both on the basketball team. They fit the description—tall and lanky. They were both wearing Abercrombie & Fitch. Preppy boys.
    If I had been worried about having to converse with Tray the entire time, I would’ve been relieved. For the most part, he ignored me and seemed content making small talk with Helms and Michael.
    I tuned them out as I speculated on the night ahead.
    Crispin Gently would probably be there. He seemed to always be at Rickets’ House. I had only heard stories about the parties there. They were notorious just because kids from other towns showed up. Rickets’ House wasn’t Pedlam Territory. It was in the middle of four towns. Four territories. I’d been there a few times, enough to know how to get there myself if I was asked, but Brian wanted me to stay away from it when we were together. Cops seemed to always show up and, of course, they always went after Brian first.
    Crispin knew my rep though. He’d hit on me enough in the past. Something about the fact that I could steal anything seemed to fascinate him. He and Brian were constantly getting in shoving fights—usually over me. I think I was just an excuse, though. Gentley hit on me because I was Brian’s girl. Everyone knew it, so he used me to get a rise out of Brian—and it worked.
    Of course, I think Gentley was just entertained by me. I had noticed, on a few occasions, there had been amusement in his eyes when he had hit on me, even when Brian wasn’t anywhere around. He enjoyed baiting me and seeing how I handled it. Normally I handled it with grace, but one time, he’d gone too far. That night, Gentley received thirteen stiches and spent the night in the hospital.
    Without realizing it, we were already there. I blinked. That hadn’t taken as much time as I thought. As Tray drove through the back winding roads, I glanced uneasily at the forest on both sides. The woods always unnerved me. I don’t know why but they just…freaked me out. It was something I’d never told anyone; not even Brian. Snapping back to the present, Tray was already pulling into the long driveway around the hill that led its way to Rickets’ House, its lights already blinding from the party going on inside. There was a good amount of cars loitering the driveway as we passed them by.
    “Dude, where we