Starstruck by Brenda Hiatt Read Free Book Online Page A

shrugged.
    “She wasn’t much worse than usual.”
    He looked relieved. “Good. I sure don’t want to make things worse for you, especially—”
    “I can take care of myself, Rigel.” I spoke more sharply than I’d intended, but I didn’t want him to feel like he had to protect me—from Trina, of all things. “I’m not some puppy that needs rescuing.” Oops, definitely more than I’d meant to say, but now it was out there.
    When he didn’t immediately refute my words, I turned away before he could see my disappointment. “Have a good practice,” I called over my shoulder.
    “M, wait! I was going to say, especially when I’m hoping we can be . . . friends.”
    On that last word, he put a hand on my arm to stop me—and it definitely worked. When his fingers touched my bare skin, a jolt went through me like nothing I’d ever experienced before. I spun around to face him, startled.
    I was used to static shocks since I got them all the time, but this was different. It was more like the surge of adrenaline you get when you almost fall but catch yourself. Only stronger. And not unpleasant. More like every cell in my body suddenly sizzled to life.
    From the stunned look on Rigel’s face, he must have felt something too. He snatched his hand away like I’d burned him and stared at me wordlessly for what seemed like minutes. It was almost like he was seeing me for the first time . . . or like I’d suddenly turned into some kind of freak.
    He backed away, slowly shaking his head, then abruptly turned and ran off without saying another word.
    I didn’t have a clue what had happened or what I’d done, but I was pretty sure I’d somehow spoiled everything before it even got started.

 
    CHAPTER 4
    Retrograde motion
     
    Bri and Deb rushed up to me so quickly I realized they must have been hanging back, watching the whole bizarre exchange.
    “Wow, what was that all about?” Bri exclaimed as we all climbed onto the bus.
    “Did you say something to piss him off?” Deb asked, looking over her shoulder in the direction Rigel had gone.
    I hadn’t quite caught my breath yet, but I shook my head. “I . . . I don’t know. I don’t think so. Maybe?”
    “You must have said—or done— something ,” Bri insisted. “I saw his face when he ran off. He was seriously freaked.”
    “Um, well, you know how I sometimes shock people? I mean the static thing,” I clarified when they both looked confused, and their expressions cleared.
    “Yeah, that’s a little freaky,” Bri agreed, “but not that strange. I mean, everyone does that in the winter time. You just do it year round. Are you saying you shocked Rigel?”
    Even though I knew that wasn’t at all what had happened, I nodded. I sure didn’t have any other explanation. “He touched my shoulder—” I put my own hand there, on the very spot—“and got a jolt, I guess. It seemed to weird him out.”
    Deb actually chuckled.
    I stared at her. “What?” It didn’t seem funny to me at all.
    “Maybe he thought it was some special chemistry between you and it scared him.” She grinned. “You know how boys are about commitment. Maybe he thought it was, like, destiny or something. I mean, he doesn’t know about your, um, electric personality.”
    Actually, his reaction almost did seem like that, but what I’d felt hadn’t been a static charge. Had it? Was I just trying to make it something “special” because of the way I felt about Rigel? Now I wasn’t sure.
    Bri patted me on the shoulder—the same one—and I noticed there wasn’t the slightest spark. “Don’t worry, M. Tomorrow we’ll explain about your static thing. Especially if Rigel is your destiny, you don’t want to scare him off by letting him know it too soon.”
    I nodded, willing myself to believe that’s all it had been. “Thanks, guys. You’re right. We’ll tell him tomorrow and maybe he won’t think I’m such a freak after all.”
    Except maybe I was.
     
    I tossed and