By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) by Jennifer Hendren Read Free Book Online

my friends.
    "Assholes," I muttered.
    They froze, the laughter dying on their lips
as they turned to study me. Before they could respond, I swept up
both of our things and left the room. It took a while, but
eventually I found her crying in the girl's restroom. She had
hidden herself inside one of the stalls.
    We were the only occupants, so I locked the
entrance and dropped our bags on a faux leather lounger against the
wall. Taking a seat, I waited for her to come out. Eventually, the
lock slid back and she emerged, her face puffy and red. She went to
the sink and splashed water against it, only spying me once she
looked into the mirror. She whirled around with a hand to her
chest.
    "What do you want?"
    Guilt flooded through me at her suspicious
tone. "I brought your things for you." I motioned at her bag lying
beside me. "I-I'm sorry about Kim."
    She didn't say anything and the uncomfortable
silence stretched out until I simply had to break it. "My friends
are jerks. I'm sorry they did that to you."
    A small laugh bubbled out of her. "You're
sorry?"
    "Yes. I really am."
    She pressed a paper towel to her face and
dabbed at her eyes. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
    "What? No!"
    "I remember you from the spring dance last
year—you don't give a damn about me or Kim. Don't pretend that you
do." She crumbled the towel and threw it away. "Did they send you
in here?"
    "No, I came because I was worried about
you."
    She smirked, the expression twisting her face
into one of complete disdain. "Just go. Run and tell them all about
what you saw. I'm sure you'll all get a good laugh over the whole
thing.
    With that, she grabbed her bag and jerked the
door open. I sat stunned, unable to follow or deny I didn't deserve
everything she'd said.
     
    o0o
     
    I studied myself in the restroom mirror and
adjusted the straps of my pale green gown, chosen because it
brought out the color of my eyes. The dress fit well, softly
accentuating the curve of my hips. The scooped neck revealed just a
hint of cleavage, and I pressed my hand against my breasts, my skin
alive with an electrical charge of anticipation.
    No, not anticipation—fear.
    Tonight would be the night I would lose my
virginity.
    Somehow I expected it to show on my face, but
in the reflection was the same old Makenna. Only scared.
Disappointment settled inside me.
    I didn't want this. Not now, and not with
David. But could I back out at this point? It seemed unlikely. He
had spoken of nothing else all week— murmuring soft words in my ear
while his hands stole quick caresses under my T-shirt. It was the
logical next step in our relationship, he'd pleaded.
    With a resigned breath, I stepped back into
the gymnasium, determined to put a stop to our plans.
    Even before I reached the dance floor, I
could tell something was off. A large group of students was
gathered in a tight circle, and shrieks of laughter sounded above
the pulsating music. David's tall figure stood out in the center of
the pack. I pushed through the throng, figuring it was one of his
goofball friends showing off in the middle.
    As I neared, David draped an arm around my
shoulders and pulled me tightly against him. He dropped a kiss on
my lips and chuckled softly as he watched the action in front of
us. Focused on finding a way to break the news to him without
causing a huge fight, I didn't immediately notice the activity
causing all the hoopla.
    When I did, my mouth went dry. Chants of
"Dance! Dance! Dance!" echoed in my ears as I watched Kim Urwin and
Melanie Hoffs huddled together in the center of the pack of
frenzied students. Each time they tried to break through the crowd,
unfriendly hands pushed them back in the middle.
    I watched in horror as Melanie stepped
forward and screamed at the group. "Leave us alone!"
    This only roused the crowd further and soon
both girls were reduced to tears as they continued to struggle in
vain to free themselves. I watched as my friends continued their
games. I wanted to scream at them