Zombie Games by Kristen Middleton Read Free Book Online

?”
    She patted my arm and laughed. “Better this way. Hair comes out easier when you don’t tense up.”
    Mae then picked up the tweezers and began plucking away. When she appeared satisfied with the results, she applied some kind of gel that immediately soothed my irritated skin. She handed me a mirror; my skin was bright pink above my eyes, but I had to admit, my brows definitely looked more sophisticated . I grinned and nodded my approval.
    “No more bushes,” she stated proudly.
    “Yes, thank you.”
    Next Mae took me over to a nail technician.
    “This Ming,” she said and turned to the young girl. “French nails. Sports length.”
    Ming nodded and gave then me a sympathetic look as she examined my nails.
    “Pretty bad, huh?” I asked.
    She shrugged and then began transforming my stubby nails into something less pathetic. Forty-five minutes later, after thanking Mae profusely, I left the shop unable to stop staring at my new French manicure. My fingertips had never looked so clean and white.
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    I was ravenous when I left Mae’s shop, but there wasn’t enough time to stop anywhere for food. I remembered a vending machine in the karate studio, so I scrounged around in my purse and found some loose change.
    The studio is located in the same mini mall; just two doors down from the nail shop. As I stopped by my truck to grab my sports bag, I noticed Bryce’s motorcycle parked nearby, and the butterflies in my stomach began to flutter. I took a deep breath and walked through the door.
    The front viewing room was unoccupied, the receptionist gone, but the vending machine was full, luckily, with one of my favorite snacks. I purchased a bag of dill pickle potato chips and washed it down with a bottle of water. Knowing I was alone, I released a silent burp but then panicked; my breath was horrible! I scrounged around in my jeans and found enough money for a pack of mints. At least I wouldn’t be attacking anyone with my rancid breath.
    Slipping into the locker room, I brushed my hair back into a ponytail, applied some mascara, and put on some lip gloss that my sister had given me last night. With my new eyebrows, I had to admit I looked pretty darn good .
    Glancing at the time, I noticed that I was running late, so I rushed to put on my uniform. I tied my belt quickly and then respectfully entered the dojo.
    Bryce and Scott were off in a corner practicing with Bokkens , which are wooden Samurai training swords. I caught Bryce’s eye briefly as he leaped over Scott’s Bokken, and counter-attacked. My heart raced as I watched them swinging, jumping, and striking at each other so sinuously. Although I could see that both guys were extremely talented with their Bokkens , there was no denying that Bryce was the expert.
    When they finished up, Scott greeted me with a warm smile while Bryce barely acknowledged my presence, offering only a curt nod as he put his equipment away. It was unnerving, especially after the way he’d teased me only the day before.
    “Cassie,” said Scott kneeling next to me while I stretched my legs. “I’ve been meaning to ask you…what do you think of Nora?”
    I’d completely forgotten about Nora. “Nora? Where is she? She was supposed to be here.” Come to think about it, I hadn’t remembered seeing her at school earlier in the day either.
    He ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Well, I went to pick her up earlier and she was upset. She can’t get in touch with her dad, doesn’t know exactly which city he’s in, and with the violence going on in Germany, she’s really freaking out. She stayed home with her grandmother, to comfort her and find out what’s going on.”
    I stood up quickly. “Oh shoot! Maybe I should give her a call and see if I can help, somehow.”
    Scott shook his head and laughed wryly. “I doubt she’ll be very receptive. I tried sticking around to see if I could help, but she basically told me to “ get lost .”
    I