Snared by Stefan Petrucha Read Free Book Online Page B

it.
    â€œIt gets a little lonely around here. I mean, Doug and Jack are less than entertaining.”
    â€œI heard music last night,” Lindsay said, choosing her words carefully. “I haven’t heard anything like it before.”
    â€œOh man,” Mark said with a laugh. “Isn’t that themost awful crap you’ve ever heard?”
    â€œYes,” Lindsay agreed, thrilled to know it wasn’t Mark’s music. “It’s like a song for a bad yoga studio commercial.”
    â€œTotally,” Mark said, really laughing now.
    â€œUgh,” Lindsay said.
    She searched for something else to say about it, but her mind was blank. Mark kept looking at her with that amazing smile, and she could tell he wanted her to keep talking, but she didn’t have a clue what to say. Looking away from him, hoping that her mind would clear without the distraction of his face, Lindsay looked down at the sand, following its ridges and grooves with her eyes.
    Say something , she thought, only she didn’t know if she meant it for herself or Mark. It didn’t really matter. She simply wanted the uncomfortable silence to pass. When Mark remained silent, she forced herself to say, “So, if you weren’t grounded, what kinds of stuff would you be doing?”
    â€œToday?” Mark said. “I’d probably be surfing. It’s not a great day for it—only two-to four-foot swells. I mean, a couple days back when the storm was coming in, they were slammin’, but it’s kind ofquiet. Still, it’s waves and board. A hell of a lot better than walls and bed.”
    â€œCool,” Lindsay said. “I’d love to learn how to surf.”
    â€œIt’s great,” Mark said. “Other than that, I just kind of hang these days. I used to ski and play football and stuff, but that’s kind of over. Doug and Jack aren’t what you’d call athletic types.”
    â€œThey look pretty athletic.”
    Mark made a phfft noise with his lips. “They lift weights and jog, but they aren’t into human sports, you know? They aren’t out in the world, sharing the slopes and the streets. I mean, there’s a world full of people, and if you aren’t among them, affecting them, enjoying them, you might as well not exist. It’s a total nonlife, and they embrace it because they’re afraid.”
    â€œAfraid of what?” Lindsay asked.
    â€œI don’t know. Just life,” Mark said. “Doug and Jack want everything to be controlled and perfect, and the only way to get that is to stay away from real people and real life. They don’t understand that chaos and control are the fuel mix that keeps the world spinning. It’s screwed up. They’re totally removed. Unfortunately, they decided to remove me, too.”
    â€œAnd there’s no place else you could go?” she asked.
    â€œNot now,” Mark said. His face grew serious, darkened. “Right now, I’m trapped.”
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    â€œThanks. It’s a temporary situation, but it feels like it’s been going on forever.” Mark’s face brightened. “But now I’ve met you. You can visit and keep me company every now and then. I mean, when they aren’t home. They’d totally freak if they knew we were talking.”
    â€œWell, then we won’t tell them, but maybe I’ll stop by again.”
    Mark’s mouth spread into a wide, charming grin. The sight of it just erased Lindsay’s cool, and she felt like an excited child. Again she found herself in the middle of a long silence, her mind filled with too many thoughts to pick just one.
    â€œSo where do you go to school?” Mark asked.
    â€œBaker High,” Lindsay said, then realized Mark would have no idea where that was. “It’s in Helensburgh, Pennsylvania.”
    â€œI was in PA a couple of times. Philly mostly. It was