Past Malice by Dana Cameron Read Free Book Online

like she was strewn on the bed: on her belly, face nearly buried in the pillow, mouth open, one arm flung across her back, the other still resting over a book. I got a closer look and realized that it was my book, the one I’d been hunting for the night before. Bucky was drooling onto it.
    “Jeez, Bucks! Have a heart!” I said out loud, but my sister sleeps like the dead, just like me. I kicked at the side of the bed and got a moan for my trouble. I set the coffee down on the nightstand, and carefully tried to lift Bucky’s head from the book, but the pages were stuck to her face. I peeled the book away and dropped Bucky’s head back onto the pillow; this time, I heard her snort and she pried one eye open, which gazed at me, full of resentment.
    “—’ acation,” she mumbled.
    “If you wanted to take a real vacation, then you shouldn’thave said you wanted to hang out with me.” I looked at her, almost moved to pity. Almost. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”
    “No, s’ good, I’ll—” Bucky suddenly pushed herself up, the other eye open now. Presumably her sense of smell had just woken up. “Gimme.”
    I handed her the mug as she groped for it, doing a pretty fair imitation of young Patty Duke at the dinner table in The Miracle Worker . “Well, look, whatever you decide, I’m leaving in about half an hour.”
    “N’ kay.”
    “And Bucks?”
    “Nnnnh?” came from behind the coffee mug.
    I frowned and brushed at the damp spot on the crumpled page. “Lay off my books.”
     
    Twenty-five minutes later, Bucky came downstairs, which might be an overstatement of her active participation in the matter. At first I thought she was just treading heavily on the steps, but then I realized that she was really smacking into the wall on one side of the staircase, then into the railing on the opposite side. “Bucks? You up for this? Why don’t you just stay in bed?”
    She waved away my suggestion. “No, no, I’m good.”
    I would have believed her more if her eyes had been open, but she was dressed—after a fashion—in khaki shorts, an oversized sweatshirt, and sneakers. She was, however, using real words now.
    “Coffee?”
    “What happened to your other cup?”
    “Gone.” She shrugged. “I dunno.”
    I handed her another mug without a word as she slumpeddown into the kitchen chair. She took a sip and mumbled something.
    “Didn’t catch that, kiddo. Got to open your mouth more.”
    “Least it’s strong.” She leaned back, the cup clutched precariously to her chest, eyes closed again.
    Rob came down from the bathroom and looked at Bucky, and then at me. “Man, there couldn’t be two of you like this in the same household, could there? How’d you ever get out the door in the morning to get to school?”
    “Mother’s voice was enough to propel us out the door,” I said. “There was always the bus, homeroom, first, second, and third periods for napping….” I took the coffee cup out of Bucky’s hand. “Come on, if you’re coming with me, you’re coming now. Last chance to crawl back up to bed.”
    “No, I’m good, I’m coming.”
    “Don’t be too far behind, you guys,” I said. “Brian, I’m leaving.”
    “I’m right here,” he said, popping up behind me. “I was just outside having a look at your car. It looks like it’s leaking coolant again.”
    “Oh, man. Will it be okay to get to the site for a couple more days?”
    “Yeah, I topped it off, so it should be fine. But we might have to accelerate our plans to shoot ol’ Bessy sooner than we thought and find you some new transportation.”
    “Thanks. Just so I can get through the next week or two.” I kissed Brian, then got interested in the procedure and stayed around for some more.
    “Ahem.” My sister was starting to sound impatient.
    “Okay, we’re off.” I patted Brian’s hand and went out. Sure enough, there was a puddle of green stuff under the car; Brian had thrown cat litter on it to clean it up