Killshot (Icarus Series Book 1) by Aria Michaels Read Free Book Online Page B

Liv?” Zander asked. The loose hairs that had escaped my ponytail tickled at my chin as he spoke.
                  “Yeah…I think I’m good.” I was going for nonchalant. Not sure I pulled it off.
                  Zander’s hand stayed at my waist and we continued our dark climb. Eventually, we saw an orange light glowing ahead and picked up our pace, eager to escape confines of the stairs. When we reached the top, we shoved our way through the old metal door and out onto the flat roof.
                  At the far side of the rooftop, Micah and Riley leaned against the wall staring up at the sky. Aside from our usual little group, the first person to grab my attention was Falisha Robinson. Falisha was a very pretty, extremely popular, FHS cheerleader. She was still wearing her skimpy red and black rah-rah get-up from tonight’s game, which made her look even more out of place. I was surprised to see her until I saw Zack Swanson standing just a few feet away.
                  Zack was quite an athlete in his own right, but according to Riley, he was also a closet nerd. He had been to more than a few of these star-gazer things, though few people knew. Zack’s presence on that rooftop clarified Falisha’s. The two of them were the proverbial light switch relationship of the senior class. Where they on, or were they off — together or not? No one ever really knew for sure. Either way, it was kind of exhausting to watch.
                  A couple I didn't recognize, were busy making out against the wall by the door. I could tell she was blond, but her face was hidden behind the broad shoulders of her very tall boyfriend. The guy wore a Fulton Steamers Football cap. The school had gifted them to every player on the team when they made it to state last year.
                  A few steps later, I saw my frienemy, Tara. Her blond hair and make-up were done to perfection in preparation of any potential photo ops. After all, what could be more important than making her presence known on yet another page of the yearbook? As soon as she saw me, she shot me a nasty look. Then her eyes landed on Zander and she took him in from boot to brow. The look she gave me said she clearly thought he was out of my league. I fought the temptation to flip her off, and settled for rolling my eyes.
                  “How about there?” I gestured to an open spot along the far railing, a few feet from Micah and Riley.
                  “Lead on,” Zander shrugged, glancing down at me. His easy smile had my legs wobbling and made me wonder what he was thinking.
                  Mike and Andy Meyers, the only identical twins in our school, had parked themselves, and their ratty old lawn chairs, in the center of the roof. They passed an old thermos back and forth between them as they elbowed each other and pointed at people. They made no effort to conceal their jeering, and whispered and laughed just a little too loudly.
                  Mike and Andy were a year behind me in school. I didn’t know them very well, but so far, I was not impressed. Drunken disorderliness aside, they were blatantly badgering Jake Toler and I had zero patience for bullies. Thanks to his medical condition, my little brother had faced more than his share of taunting and teasing, and it had always infuriated me. I shot them both a warning glare, as Zander and I passed by.
                  Jake was a nice kid, but he was just too smart for the likes of Fulton. He was a high expectation fish, in a low expectation pond. According to Riley, he skipped the eighth grade and went straight from seventh grade to being a freshman. That was two years ago, which explained how he was so adept at shrugging off the taunting directed at him.
                  Jake was not an athlete, but he did most, if not all of, the photography for the school yearbook.