The Trouble with Emily Dickinson Read Online Free PDF

weight room lights.
    He breathed heavily, watching himself in the
mirror. The weight gain supplement that his coach had advised him
to take was beginning to work. He couldn’t believe that the soccer
season already was half over. This was his last season of his high
school career. He had to perform well. He had to show the
underclassmen what Sampson soccer was about, where true dedication
and hard work could get you.
    He picked up the barbell with his right hand
and repeated the reps. Sweat began to form on his brow. The image
in the mirror reflected his obsession with perfection.
    Everything in his life was set to high
standards, from his grades to the girls he dated. He had always set
his goals high. Having a military captain for a father was part of
the reason. Lack of confidence was the other, but he’d never admit
that. Pushing to the top had grown into an inescapable addiction.
But he’d achieved a great deal. He had the perfect body, a complete
mass of toned muscle and definition. He had the perfect reputation,
a captain on the soccer team. He had the perfect grade point
average and already had been accepted into one of the top pre-law
programs in the country. There was one more thing he needed though,
one piece to make the puzzle complete. He needed the perfect
girl.
    Tired of dating the same old blondes with
incredible looks but zero personalities, Kyan had finally decided
it was time to find someone more wholesome. He and his teammates
were the most popular students in the entire school. It seemed only
natural that he partner up with someone from the cheerleading team,
which was made up of the prettiest girls on campus. The obvious
choice would be the head cheerleader, Mya Brooks. But he found her
to be slightly heftier than he preferred, plus she had a reputation
for being extremely headstrong and opinionated.
    His unconsciously shook his head at the
mirror. Then he sank to the ground, and began to do sit ups.
    Kyan wanted someone less brainy, someone
smart enough to carry on a conversation, but not too smart. Someone
who would be willing to let him control the reigns of the
relationship and steer it in the direction he desired. Someone like
Kendal McCarthy.
    She was perfect for him—just the right size,
beautiful, likeable, popular, but seriously lacking in the area of
intelligence. He often spotted her in the library being tutored.
She didn’t have a boyfriend, and she would be somewhat of a
challenge for him, since other guys at Sampson were most likely
interested in her as well.
    “Hey, we’re thinking of having a party
tonight. You up for it?”
    One of Kyan’s soccer teammates, Jason, now
stood over him. Sixty minutes on the treadmill had drenched his
friend’s shirt with sweat. “Definitely,” Kyan replied between
reps.
    “I told Christine,” Jason said. “She’s going
to get all the girls from the cheerleading squad to come.”
    Kyan sat up and smiled slyly. “Perfect. I
think it’s time Kendal McCarthy and I get to know each other a
little better.”
    “Kendal McCarthy? THE Kendal McCarthy?”
    “Yes, Kendal McCarthy. What’s the big
deal?”
    “Nothing,” Jason said. “I just think she’s a
bit out of reach, you know. Even for you.”
    “This is me you’re talking to. All it takes
is a little bit of charm, a few compliments and the rest just falls
into place.”
    “Whatever you say, buddy.”
    Kyan climbed to his feet and flexed in front
of the mirror. Sometimes it was almost too much, knowing how things
in his life were working out so well. The only thing he was missing
was a girlfriend. But no girl in her right mind would turn him
down, especially not Kendal McCarthy. “Let’s go,” he said.
    They left the sweat-filled athletic center,
both of their bodies pumping from endorphins and high expectations
for the weekend.
     
     

CHAPTER 7
     
    JJ sat in her room listening to some soft
R&B on her stereo. Queenie had gone home for the weekend. Her
parents lived only half an hour