Impact by James Dekker Read Free Book Online Page B

said, “you are the luckiest girl I know. Tony would go crazy if he knew you were going out with someone else, especially someone like Mark Spencer.”
    â€œIf Tony knew, if he ever found out, he’d probably try to beat Mark up,” Shannon said. “That’s why I transferred schools. I thought he was a nice guy, but I was wrong. Tony Lofredo is the craziest guy I know. I’m glad I don’t have to see him anymore.”
    That was the first I ever heard of Tony Lofredo. The first time I saw him was a little over a week later. Mark and Shannon had already gone out a couple of times. I was outside the school, and I saw them come out. Shannon had her arm looped through Mark’s arm, and she was laughing at something Mark was saying. Then this guy went up to Shannon. I had never seen him before. He grabbed Shannon by the arm and tried to pull her away from Mark. I heard him yell at her, “Who is that guy? What are you doing with him?”
    â€œLeave me alone, Tony,” Shannon said. That’s when I realized who he was.
    Mark went up to Tony.
    â€œYou heard her,” he said, nice and calm, like it never even occurred to him to be afraid. “Let go of her. Leave her alone.”
    Tony turned to Mark. His face was twisted in anger, and I saw his hands curl into fists. I thought he was going to hit Mark, and you know what? I wanted him to. I wanted him to do what I felt like doing every time I saw Mark with Shannon— I wanted him to hurt Mark.
    But just then a cop car came down the street. Maybe it was the look on Tony’s face that made it slow down. Shannon looked at the cops. Tony turned. When he saw them, he backed down. He looked at Mark, and then he turned and walked away. I wished at the time that he hadn’t.
    I didn’t go straight home after school that day. Instead I went to the park to hang out. I saw Kyle there. He was horsing around withsome guys who didn’t go to my school. One of them was Tony.
    Kyle saw me and pointed to me. He said something to the guys he was with. After a while they split up, and Kyle walked over to where I was standing.
    â€œHey, Jordan,” he said.
    â€œHey, Kyle.”
    â€œHow’s things?”
    I just shrugged. “Are you friends with those guys?”
    â€œNot really,” he said. “I sort of know one of them from around, that’s all.” I didn’t believe him. “Why?”
    â€œI was just wondering. You look like you know them.”
    Kyle studied me for a moment.
    â€œHey, is Mark at home?” he said. “I promised my mom I’d make an effort at school.”
    Right. Like he ever cared what his parents thought.
    â€œI know Mark is good at math,” he said. “I thought maybe he could help me out. So, you think he’s home?”
    I thought about the way Tony Lofredo had looked at Mark. I thought about Kyle horsing around with him and those other guys. I thought about Kyle pointing at me. And now here he was, asking me where Mark was.
    â€œHe might be,” I said. “Unless he’s working.”
    â€œWhere does he work?”
    I thought about Tony again. Then I told Kyle where Mark worked.
    â€œSometimes he has to work late,” I said. “Until midnight.”
    â€œAt a burger joint, huh?” Kyle said. He smiled. “Maybe I should drop by sometime. You think he’d lay out some free food for a neighbor?”
    I doubted he would. Mark was totally honest. But I said, “You never know.”
    â€œYeah, maybe I’ll drop by sometime,” Kyle said. “In the meantime, tell Mark I said hi.”
    I said I would.
    One week later, Mark was dead.

Chapter Twelve
    My father read out his victim impact statement. Then my mother read out hers. Then the judge sentenced the guys who killed Mark. Tony and Joey got ten years, but they could be out sooner. Robert got six years. He could also be out sooner.
    Kyle got the least amount of