Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn by Sarah Miller Read Free Book Online Page A

what."
    Gid likes the "our secret" part, but he's still not settled on this.
    "Okay," he says. "So what does Cullen get if he wins?"
    Cullen claps his hands together, his face brightens with eagerness. But Nicholas shoots him a stern look. He says one word: "No."
    And that's the end of that conversation. Strangely, the refusal to divulge this last detail has made Gideon more, not less, interested in the bet.

more girls, more guys
    Gid's so up and down; sometimes he likes himself, sometimes he doesn't. He's complicated. Most guys are so uncomplicated. They're either total nerds who look about ready to dive under the rug, or they're jock assholes who strut around like they own the world. Gid struggles with his ego. It makes me think that I could tell him anything.
    I think I might have a little crush on him. But I get a lot of crushes.
    On the short walk to dinner with Cullen and Nicholas, their fellow students spot them, admire, and clear to the side as they pass. Gid feels like he's riding the crest of a wave. Gideon sees beautiful girls —a swaying mane of chestnut hair here, a perfect jawline there, a set of luminous green eyes—and these girls are looking at him. It occurs to him that the attention is because of Cullen and Nicholas, but he pushes that out of his mind.
    The bet scares him. But the bet is also fun, because Nicholas and Cullen made it up, and being around them, even on their terms, well, it's fairly enjoyable. Gid didn't ask to room with the coolest guys on campus, but since that's what happened, well, he'd be a fool to turn his back on the opportunity. Plus, he doesn't totally believe the bet's real.
    "Start looking around. I know you can do October, buddy, but you're going to have to be proactive," Cullen says. He claps him on the back and strolls ahead. He sneaks up behind a girl with black hair, dressed in pink satin pants and a tight white tank top, and puts his hands over her eyes. The girl stops and runs her hands up his arms, then squeals, turns around, and hugs him. Cullen slips his hands inside the back of her pants, and she doesn't flinch.
    That, Gideon, is a lot to live up to.
    Gid turns to see if Nicholas is paying any attention to Cullen's antics, but he's clasped his hands behind his back, with a faraway look in his eyes. A blonde girl, medium height, athletic, and tan, falls into step beside him. "Hey," she says. She's wearing running shoes and blue-and-white-striped pants with a soccer ball stitched over the upper thigh.
    "Hi," Nicholas says, not even looking at her.
    So Cullen is the flirt. Nicholas is the strong silent type. I just need to find my thing, Gid thinks. How hard can that be?
    It can be pretty hard, Gid. I mean, I'm falling for you, but I'm not sure I'm normal.
    "I'm Erica,' 7 the blonde girl says, leaning across Nicholas. She's extremely healthy and Nordic-looking.
    "Hi," Gid says. "I'm..."
    "I know who you are," she says. "You're new. Madison talked to you on the phone. Madison's my best friend."
    Gideon and I both think it's weird how girls are always identifying themselves as each other's best friends. Of course, I do it too. Hey! Maybe I just did.
    Erica touches one of her blonde braids self-consciously and her blue eyes dart nervously in Nicholas's direction, but Nicholas appears to be daydreaming. She gives Gid a quick smile and takes off. Even just running to catch up with her friends, she has a studied, symmetrical athleticism to her gait.
    Erica. "She's one of the girls from Liam's bet?" Gid whispers to Nicholas.
    "Yep," Nicholas says. "She sure is."
    Just as they're about to go inside, Cullen doubles back and joins them. "Whew, Lucy is hot. I'm hooking up with her later. Oh, and by the way, that dorm —" Gid follows Cullen's finger to a building at the far end of the quad, not unlike their dorm, but older. "That's Emerson...that's the weirdo chick dorm. The Virgin Dorm. See how it's all pretty and pristine? Unlike where our friends live." He turns around, showing