Toxic Bad Boy by April Brookshire Read Free Book Online

if he knew about what happened with Josh. Trying
to feel him out, I asked, “So what are you doing here?”
    A hint of blush stained
his cheeks, giving me an unexpected feeling of relief. “Kinda sorta
got expelled.”
    I hadn’t been expecting
that answer. “When?”
    “ Last week. This is my
first day here. What about you?”
    Maybe he hadn’t heard
about the incident last fall. He definitely hadn’t been friends
with the same crowd as me. “I transferred here last
semester.”
    “ How do you like
it?”
    It had never been a
question of like or dislike. The school was across the city from my
old life, that was all that mattered. Shrugging, I finally said,
“It’s alright.”
    “ So, why’d you switch
schools, Gianna?” The question might have been nonchalant for him,
but it always forced me to be dishonest.
    “ My dad bought a house in
Englewood. It was easier to switch schools than make the trip up to
Broomfield every day.”
    I gauged his reaction,
happy when he appeared accepting of my lie. “Are you a cheerleader
at this school now?”
    He probably remembered me
wearing my uniform to school on game days. “No cheering for me
anymore.”
    “ Who do you hang out with
here?” He glanced over my shoulder then his dark brown eyes
returned to me.
    “ I, um, don’t.” At his
look of curious disbelief, I explained, “Most of my friends go to
school in Denver and Aurora. I just get an education
here.”
    Looking thoughtful, Gage
leaned forward. “Well, since you don’t have any friends and I don’t
know anyone here, I’ll hang with you for now.”
    I couldn’t help my burst
of laughter. “Oh jeez, thanks.”
    “ No problem.”
    Checking the time on my
phone, I saw it was eleven minutes to first period. I slipped my
book into my backpack and zipped it up. I’d need to stop by my
locker to get rid of my bulky coat. “Time to get to
class.”
    Once out of the booth,
without the barrier between us, I felt a little nervous. While I
put my backpack on, he reached over to grab my coat, handing it to
me. “Thank you.”
    As I started to walk away,
he called out, “Do you mind showing me to my first
class?”
    Whirling around, I reached
up to hold onto the straps of my bag. “Yeah, sure. Which room
number?”
    Gage’s eyes dropped down
to the paper in his hand. “Room 117.”
    Feeling like this guy
might be safe, I attempted to remain friendly. “Okay, come
on.”
    On the way to 117, I
dropped off the coat at my locker. Gage told me his locker number
and we swung by so he could locate it. He didn’t have textbooks
yet, so he didn’t bother opening it. Walking to his class, he
informed me that he was an aspiring DJ. He still struggled to make
a name for himself, so he hadn’t gotten much work yet. When he
graduated at the end of the school year, he’d concentrate on
booking gigs full time.
    We stopped outside his
class. “So, meet you in the lounge at lunch?”
    Shifting from one foot to
the other, I hesitated. Not having friends at my new school had
worked for me so far. I wasn’t sure I wanted a new guy friend. But
he was Kara’s older brother, so it wasn’t like he was a total
stranger. It wouldn’t hurt to have one friend at this
school.
    And it’d make me less of a
freak.
    “ Okay,” I replied slowly.
“I’ll meet you there.”
    He flashed me a grin.
“Later, then.”
    I watched him approach the
teacher inside the classroom as a girl sitting in the front row
checked him out. He was cute now that I thought about it. Hot body
like a swimmer. The way he walked reminded me a little of
Caleb.
    Hurrying to my own class
on the second floor, the rubber soles of my boots squeaking on the
shiny floor, I remembered Caleb’s request in his last letter. He
wanted me to visit him next week on Valentine’s Day. I had mixed
feelings on visiting my own boyfriend on the most romantic day of
the year.
    As much as I missed him, I
couldn’t help being apprehensive at the prospect of facing him. I
was