Midnight Runes (The Bestowed Ones) by Celeste Buie Read Free Book Online

flicked over to the stack of books on the corner of Mr. Newland’s desk. Landon was a senior, too. Mr. Newland opened a drawer and retrieved a small notepad. “I’ll write passes for both of you just in case you don’t make it in time for the final bell.”
    I had every intention of getting to class before it started. How awful to arrive late with the new kid. We stood side by side in silence as we waited for him to fill out our passes. I couldn’t figure out why Landon was suddenly here now, when school had started weeks ago. Clearly, he was already in the area. I had seen him over the summer as a drop-in guest at Trevor’s. He was the one who had lingered after Trevor left. Landon witnessed my humiliation after Trevor denied knowing me.
    Mr. Newland handed the passes over, thanking me again, and I couldn’t even manage a coherent reply. The more time I had to think about what was happening, the more emotions bubbled up.
    Of all the students in this school…of all the days to stop in the office…this is what I get for being me.
    I waited for Landon to pick up his books before leaving. I didn’t offer to help. He followed me out of the counseling area. We zigzagged through the maze to get out of the main office area—students and teachers jokingly referred to it as the Labyrinth. The passageway was too narrow to walk side by side, and I felt self-conscious walking in front of him. We walked in silence. Carrying on a conversation was nearly impossible—not that I wanted to converse with him at all. And yet I did…because I had a lot to say.
    All the walking provided an opportunity to recover from the shock. I didn’t like being around people whose intentions I didn’t understand. I should have made him go out first so I could order him around, and he would know whose territory he was in. After all, I knew this school so well I could walk it blindfolded. Not that I’d want to.
    Part of me wished his books were heavier. He didn’t seem the slightest bit inconvenienced. Or maybe my secret wish would come true and he’d drop them all and make a fool of himself. I smiled wickedly at the thought of standing by and waiting while he scrambled to collect them all.
    When the hallway opened up as we reached the next office, I plucked the schedule from the top of his book pile to look it over and determine where his locker was. Same area as mine.
    “Your locker’s over here.” I turned left and started walking. I continued to study the paper to find out his schedule and how many classes we had together. I was too distracted for anything to register, even though I looked at the list again and again.
    “Done committing my schedule to memory? Mr. Newland wrote the combination to my locker on that. I hope you’re not memorizing it,” he joked nonchalantly.
    I didn’t notice it until he had to bring attention to it, but he mistook my silence as guilt.
    “Commit the numbers to memory. At least you can get it open if I can’t.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Even if I knew the combination, I wouldn’t sneak into your locker.” I had a hard enough time getting my own locker open at times.
    “Interesting. Too timid…or worried I’d catch you?” he taunted.
    “None of the above. I have no reason to go through your things.”
    “Snooping can be fun.”
    “You say it like you’re experienced.”
    He pretended to think about it. “I don’t do it
all
the time.”
    “Anyway, I’m not much of a snooper,” I said. “I’d rather find out the old-fashioned way.”
    “That can be a long, drawn-out route to take.”
    “Sometimes that’s the only way to really find out what someone’s like.”
    “I disagree.”
    “Snooping can only give you snapshots of a person,” I argued, wondering why I continued this conversation. “There’s no way to tell what they really think unless you talk to them. Well, that is, only if they’re honest about what they think or feel.”
    “Exactly. And how often are people really honest?