Kieran & Drew by L. A. Gilbert Read Free Book Online

or whatever?”
    Drew frowned. “Are you serious?”
Kieran pressed his lips together in a straight line, glancing away and shrugging again. “People do that to other people.” He scratched the side of his face. “I hear.”
Whoa. He knew Kieran was a bit of a loner, but that sucked. “We’re not like that. We don’t do that.”
    “Yeah?” Kieran asked so hopefully that Drew wanted hug the guy. “This doesn’t have anything to do with….” He suddenly blushed and looked around him quickly, lowering his voice. “Anything to do with what-what we talked about in the storage room?”
    Drew caught the drift. He knew Kieran was actually trying to figure out whether this was a trick—whether he and Matt wanted to prove some sort of point outside of school without getting in trouble. The idea of it made him feel kind of shitty and only reinforced his resolve to make this guy his friend, if nothing else.
    “Okay, I’m no longer asking, I’m telling you to meet us outside the store. There will be comics, a nine-year-old who will most likely hang on your every word, and a greasy burger somewhere along the way.”
    Kieran’s smile started off small and unsure, but then quietly grew into something that had Drew wishing he were braver, and that they were discussing some sort of date.
“Okay.” Kieran nodded.
     
“Okay.” Drew nodded back, pleased as shit.
    K
IERAN was nervous. They were late. They were late, or Drew was full of shit and they were somewhere else right now, laughing that he was here, standing all by himself and waiting for them. He was considering just turning around and going back home when he saw them. Judging by the somewhat nervous glance Drew shot Matt and Matt’s subsequent frown, he could only assume that Drew hadn’t mentioned his inviting him or he’d forgotten altogether. Great. What was Drew’s deal? Why invite him to hang out with him and his friend but then look all uncomfortable when he actually turned up? He dug his hands deep into his pockets. It was the kid who darted ahead of the other two and spoke to him first.
    “Hi, I’m Travis.”
“What’s up, Travis? I’m Kieran.”
“Hey, you’re here.” Drew smiled, looking nervous.
    He suddenly felt doubtful. Had he imagined the entire exchange in art class? Had Drew just been playing polite but ultimately didn’t want him there? He should have stayed home. “Uh, yeah. You… you asked me, right?”
“Yeah. Of course I did.”
    Kieran worried his lip. What did that mean? Did that mean “no, I was just being polite,” or did it mean he’d forgotten altogether? The awkward silence was broken none too gently by Matt slapping Drew’s arm with the back of his hand.
“ Ow . What?” Drew frowned, rubbing his arm.
    “Oh for—never mind.” Matt rolled his eyes at Drew and held his hand out to Kieran. “Hey, man. It’s Kieran, right?” They shook hands and Kieran nodded. “I’ve seen you at school, but I don’t think we’ve ever actually met.” He looked at Drew, who was rubbing his arm still. “And that was for not introducing us, moron. Didn’t your momma teach you any manners?”
    “Not really.” Drew grinned.
“Can we go in now? Please ?”
“All right, butt-head, just stay in sight.”
    Kieran looked at Drew, who inclined his head in an “after you” gesture. Kieran followed Matt and Travis through the doors and consoled himself with the fact that even if they ditched him at some point, he could still look for the new Walking Dead .
“SO, KIERANseems like an alright guy,” Matt said.
    Drew glanced over to where Kieran and Travis were leaning over opposite sides of a desk, both skimming through a large, open file of labeled comics. Kieran was grinning and Travis was laughing at him. “Yeah, he’s not bad.”
    “Are you gonna tell me why you invited him?” Matt asked, picking a large plastic sword up out of a barrel, frowning at it and turning it around in his hand.
    “I need a reason?” He shrugged.