Starcrossed by Brenda Hiatt Read Free Book Online

Squires and I wanted to officially welcome you to Jewel.”  
    Bri and I rolled our eyes at each other. So Trina was the “official” voice of the whole town now? We weren’t being subtle, but she ignored us.  
    “I also wanted to say you should totally try out for cheerleading before basketball season starts. You look like you’d be perfect, and you could cheer for your brother. Have you ever done any cheerleading?”
    “Um, no.” Molly was looking more confused than flattered by Trina’s attention.  
    “Any gymnastics?” Trina prodded.
    “A little, when I was younger.”
    Trina beamed at her. “Perfect! Come by the gym after school and I can introduce you to the squad.” Without giving Molly a chance to reply, she gave her a last smile that pointedly did not include anyone else at the table and sashayed off to join her friends, who were waiting by the door.
    Molly turned to me, still looking confused. “I don’t really have to go, do I?”
    “Of course not,” Bri answered before I could. “Trina only thinks she’s the queen of the school.”
    “But she can make things sticky for you if you piss her off,” I felt obliged to admit. “Believe me, I know.”
    “Don’t do anything you don’t want to, though,” Deb said. I thought she looked just a little bit envious.
    “Maybe I can stop by and make up a good excuse why I can’t try out?” Molly suggested. “I don’t want to make any enemies my very first week.” She sent a quick look Rigel’s way—or maybe I imagined it.
    As we all headed to History together, I managed to hang back a little with Rigel. “You were really quiet at lunch,” I said. “What’s going on?”
    “Still not sure,” he muttered. “How about I walk you to your taekwondo class today so we can talk?”
    “Sounds good.” We were way overdue for some alone time—plus I was dying to know what he really thought about the O’Garas.

    Neither Sean nor Molly were on the bus that afternoon. I assumed he had basketball practice and Molly must have gone to talk to Trina—who maybe convinced her to try out for cheerleading after all. I tried not to mind.
    I spent the half hour before I had to leave for taekwondo doing a little bit of homework and listening for Rigel’s bike—not that he made any noise before ringing the doorbell. I bounced up and raced to the door.
    “Hey!” I greeted him. “Come on in while I get my bag.”
    “I’d better not,” he said, cocking his head. “Your neighbor’s watching.”
    I looked over his shoulder and saw Mrs. Crabtree across the street spreading mulch under her front hedge and peering nosily at us. She’d definitely tell Aunt Theresa if she saw Rigel come into the house—in fact, she’d already done it once and I’d caught holy hell for it. I suspected my aunt had enlisted every neighbor who was home during the day to spy on me when she couldn’t be here.
    “Fine.” I gave Mrs. Crabtree a pointed glare that at least made her glance away. “Be right back.”  
    Leaving him standing on the porch, I ran up to my room, grabbed my gear bag and ran back down, not wanting to waste a moment I could be spending with Rigel.  
    “That was quick,” he said with a grin when I rejoined him, then took my bag to carry it for me.
    I locked the door and we headed into town, all of a block and a half away. “So, tell me what you think the deal is with the O’Garas,” I said, once I was sure Mrs. Crabtree couldn’t hear.
    “I really don’t know any more than I already told you,” he said—evasively, I thought.
    I looked sharply at him, trying to decipher the mix of emotions I sensed. Uneasiness and irritation definitely, and maybe something else.
    “I didn’t ask what you know, I asked what you think,” I pointed out. “This morning, you sounded like you had a theory.”
    “I have several theories,” he said after just a slight hesitation, “but they mostly involve wildly improbable political and military scenarios.