Bound Together by Eliza Jane Read Free Book Online

paper?” he asked.
    “Uh, sure.”
    He reached for the notebook again and flipped to the page of notes we’ d started together in class . He ti l t ed it towards me. “Any of these sound good to you?” he asked.
    I read over the list again , running my finger across the page . Nothing was standing out to me. “Yeah, I still have no ideas.”
    He slid the notebook book from me and we sat in silence for a few second s . “What did you mean before when you said I was ‘Matt Parker ’ ? ” he asked, using air quotes.
    He’ d picked up on that, huh? Maybe he wasn’t quite the dense meathead I always made him out to be. “Don’t tell me you don’t notice the prostitute - pack that follows you around. Not to mention the teachers cutting you a break and a good portion of the school idolizing you.”
    He wrinkled his brows. “That stuff doesn’t really matter to me,” he said, shifting in his seat.
    “I doubt that.”
    “You really don’t know me , Zoey .”
    “I know you’re captain of the football team.”
    “And the wrestling team,” he added.
    “And your friend Justin is a horny little toad.”
    “No argument there.” He smirked. “But how’s that any better than you dating that stoner , Jordan?”
    “I’m not dating him,” I nearly snorted . “High school relationships are stupid. Sorry, no offen s e for whatever it is that you and Chelsey have going on.” I glanced over at him.
    “No — we’re not together anymore.”
    Hm. So I guess that rumors about her cheating on him were true. That must have been a blow to his ego. She was the most lusted after girl in school. Perky, blonde and thin. I’d never actually talked to her. Last week, I’d seen his friend Justin humping his locker after she passed by in the hall, which was not an uncommon reaction on the days she wore her cheerleading uniform to school.
    “So what you’re trying to say is that there’s more to you than playing football with your Neanderthal friends?” I asked.
    “ Some days I wish there wasn’t.” He rubbed his hand across his hair several times, looking deep in thought. I spent more time than I’d like to admit analyzing his comment and wondering what it might mean.
    “Is there more to you than trying to be invisible at school?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts. “What are your hobbies?”
    “Hobbies?” I scoffed.
    “Yeah, those things you do in your free time,” he clarified.
    I had to really concentrate to come up with something. “Well, if I get the time I guess I like drawing or maybe taking a bath.”
    “ Seriously?” His face was slack.
    I rolled my eyes.
    “ Wow, sounds exciting .”
    I didn’t know why I even bothered trying to talk to him. We didn’t say anything else to each other for the rest of the flight.
    We landed in New Jersey for our layover and to change planes. I reluctantly succumbed to Amanda’s advances and had lunch with her at an overpriced Chinese place in the airport food court.
    She whipped out her itinerary and lined up her multi - colored highlighters in the center of the table between us, talking excitedly while I concentrated on my fried rice. I watched her shuffle through the pages of research that she’d cross - referenced against the itinerary and the outline for her paper. It looked like maybe Matt was going to be more low - key to hang out with than I’d first assumed.
    She stopped talking and was looking at me expectantly. I swallowed down a bi te of egg roll. “Listen, Amanda — I’ll probably just be with Matt most of the time . We haven’t even figured out what our paper’s on yet.”
    “Oh. ” She looked down and twirled her spork in her chow mein noodles.
    *****
    On the flight to Paris I sat in between a middle aged man and woman near the back of the plane. Matt was seven rows in front of me. I could see the top of his head poking above all the others. He had the window seat this time, and no w I didn’t feel so bad that I’d taken it from him