Week Six: FUN AND GAMES WITH K & K

As you read this, my puppies and I will be making our way from our little corner of Hell's Seventh Circle up to the Old Folks' home (aka the parental units' house).  Yay for Christmas vaction!  So, enjoy this snip, all my lovelies, and I will see you on the flip side :)

The house was teeming with people, the air thick with the thumping bass, sweat-slicked skin of too many bodies all packed into one place, and the expectation of good times. This was how all of Mr. H’s parties went down. A bunch of band geeks all letting loose. There were really only two notable differences this year: Mrs. Haas was MIA as the teacher and his wife had just wrapped up a particularly messy divorce, and Owen was standing across the room, openly staring at Harper.


Tonight was the night. After more than a month in which the two of them had hung out in the music room, jamming together and generally flirting but never doing anything more than that, Harper was going to make her move. Who said that the guy had to be the one to do the asking? Right? After all, she knew she liked him, and she was pretty sure he returned those feelings. So, what could it hurt to get things rolling herself? Grace would have a cow if she knew what Harper was planning. Her friend was completely old-school when it came to guys, especially after what happened with Truman over the summer, but Harper didn’t care about what anyone else thought. Well, except for Owen. She definitely cared what he thought of her. Probably a little too much.

She set down her Coke and took a step toward him when Ben Mickelson caught Owen’s attention. He turned to Ben with a polite smile and Harper froze. Deciding to take those few minutes that the boys chatted to make sure she looked decent, Harper turned at headed toward the bathroom.

And, bumped into Mr. Haas.

“Whoa, sorry, Harper,” he smiled winningly at her. “Didn’t see you there. Where’s the fire? You sure are in a hurry to get somewhere.”

“No, no. It was my fault, Mr. H. Wasn’t paying attention.” She laughed softly and shrugged. “Just, you know, headed to the bathroom.”

He swiveled around, took in the three-mile-long line, and whistled under his breath. “You’ll wait forever. Tell you what—“ he leaned in close, hot breath fanning over her face, sending a weird little shiver racing through her. “—if you promise not to tell anyone, you can use the master bath. No line there.”

“Oh no, that’s okay. I can wait—“

“No problem.” He waved a dismissive hand through the air. “The bedroom’s at the end of the hall. Closed door. Can’t miss it. I’d show you, but I’ve got to keep an eye on those boys over there. Mike looks like he’s about to put his foot through my coffee table.”

Harper glanced over her shoulder to see Mike Andretti jumping up and down and shouting at Luke Garner who had just beaten him at some car chase video game.

“Just close the door behind you so others don’t get the idea that they can go wandering around.” He patted her shoulder and then walked off toward the two boys.

Harper glanced toward the line at the main bathroom and then over to Owen. He looked pretty well done with Ben, and that made up her mind. Better to take the quickest route to her goal tonight. So, she ducked out of the main room and scurried down the hall.

Good thing she decided to make a pit stop at the bathroom, because her hair was a mess and the little bit of makeup that she had slathered on before leaving her house was in serious need of help. Ten minutes later, she stepped out of the master bathroom with thoughts of Owen blinding her to everything else.

“I was beginning to wonder if you had fallen in.”

She froze at the silky voice that cut through the air, through a bedroom that was supposed to be empty. “Oh, hey Mr. H. I was just leaving. Thanks for letting me use your bathroom.” Alarm bells clanged in her ears, and she edged toward the door. Mr. Haas was great and all for a teacher, but this—being in a dark room alone with him—just felt weird.

“What’s the rush, Harp?” In a flash, he was right there in front of her, his hands dropping to her shoulders and squeezing gently.

“Uh…” she shrugged out of his grasp, or at least, tried to. “I should get going. Owen’s waiting for—“

“Harper, I know,” he murmured, his hands tightening on her as he dragged her up against him. “You don’t have to hide it any longer. I feel the same way.”

“What—“ But her words were cut off as his mouth crashed into hers, his arms banding around her body, trapping her in place. For all of a moment, she just stood there, frozen with shock and more than a little fear. What was she going to do? Pushing against him yielded her nothing except for his grip growing stronger and a him emitting a sound that was half-moan, half-grunt, like her struggles just turned him on even more.

“Ah, Harpy,” he breathed against her lips as his hips ground into hers. “You don’t know how long I’ve dreamed of this. I’m so glad we could finally be together.”

“But—“ Again, his mouth slanted over hers, but she was no longer a statue. Flattening her palms against his chest, she pushed with all her might. When that didn’t budge him, she drew back her foot—sending up a silent thanks that she’d borrowed Grace’s new boots—and kicked his shin.

A yelp popped out of him and his hands fell away from her, but Harper didn’t run. No, now, she was mad.

Stomping her foot down on top of his, the spiky stiletto embedded itself into his shoe and broke off. Grace would kill her when she found out, but Harper couldn’t be bothered with that right then. Howling in agony, Mr. Haas started to back away from her, but she followed. A flat palm shooting out and upward connected solidly with the teacher’s nose with a sickening crack. And then, for good measure, she slammed her knee up, unerringly finding its intended target.

Another loud groan floated out of him before he crumbled to the floor.

Not wanting to be there for even another moment, Harper whirled around and ran for the door, slamming it behind her with enough force to rattle the hinges. She took a second to lean against it, pulling in a ragged breath, and then looked up.

And found herself back in the master bathroom with the monster on the other side of the door.

“Then what happened?” Grace asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Somewhere along the way, she’d curled herself around Harper, holding the other girl in a death-grip. Now, she laid her head on Harper’s shoulder.

“N-Nothing,” she shrugged, the movement tossing Grace’s head upright. “I waited like ten minutes, and when I left the bathroom, he was gone.”

Wrong. Grace distinctly remembered Owen admitting that he’d seen Haas following Harper out of the bedroom, but she didn’t push her friend any further. The tears staining Harper’s face, the cracked, raspy voice that didn’t belong to her all testified to the fact that her friend had said all she could without breaking. Still, there was one thing she had, no needed, to know. “So, he didn’t…I mean, you’re still…?”

Sniffling, Harper shook her head. “I wasn’t lying when I told you nothing happened, Grace. I promise you. Nothing happened. It just…well, it scared me is all.”

Wrong again. The teacher may not have physically raped her friend, but Grace would have to be blind to the emotional torture the man had put Harper through. Yeah, he was definitely going to pay for what he’d done if Grace had anything to say about that.

“Okay, then,” she finally said. “We won’t talk about it again, Harp. I promise. But, just one thing, though.”

Harper’s head snapped up, and she turned terrified eyes on Grace. “What one thing?”

“Well…seems to me that you now have no reason to argue with me about watching RomComs. Especially ones with Sandra Bullock in them.”

“Huh?” Confused, Harper relaxed a little bit, which was Grace’s intention to begin with.

“You remembered SING. You know, from Miss Congeniality? Solar-plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin.” Grinning, she hugged Harper to her. “I told you those movies were educational.”

Harper barked out a laugh and rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Grace. Now, are we going to get out of here so you can go pretty yourself up for Tru, or did you want to sit in this parking lot for the rest of the day?”

 
So, friends, are you happy now that you finally know (a little bit) what happened at the party?  I thought so! :)  Stay tuned for Kelly's next snip.

My Turn to HOST Book Hungry

Stephenie Meyer's THE HOST has been on my favorite books ever list since I first read it in July of 2008.  Now, to be completely honest, I only bought it because it was a Meyer book and I'd loved the TWILIGHT series.  But, I was more than a little nervous about reading it.  While I've told many a person that I read just about anything, I am admittedly not one for sci-fi or fantasy.  Not that I haven't read good books in those genres.  It's just that I really don't like to have to work when I read, and when it comes to fantasy and sci-fi, the reader gets catapulted into a make-believe world where they must really suspend all their beliefs.  I, myself, prefer reading books about things that are so real that it could happen now.  Not in some far and distant future (on another planet).

Anywho, for those of you who haven't read THE HOST, let me tell you a little about it.

SUMMARY:
Wanderer is a nomad among the souls.  A gentle alien species that have just taken over Earth, the souls come to experience, not destroy.  But destroy they do, as they are parasites, small silvery creatures who attach themselves to their hosts, overwhelming the bodies until the hosts themselves fade away.

But, Melanie Stryder will not disappear.  One of the last "wild humans", Melanie is caught trying to leave an abandoned warehouse.  Not wanting to be taken alive, Melanie tries to kill herself, but the souls retrieve her body and heal her, only to place Wanderer inside. 

Because if anyone can unlock Melanie's secrets, its Wanderer, the soul whose lived out many lifetimes on more planets than any other soul.  Wanderer is experienced in dealing with hosts, but nothing can prepare her for Melanie and her memories of a better time, one that includes her family and her guy, Jared.

Soon, Wanderer finds herself desperately missing a family she's never seen, loving a man she's never met.  And, Wanderer turns her back on her own race to go off in search of those who Melanie loved best.

WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH:
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the different kinds of love I've found in the books I read.  For me, THE HOST has them all.  At its heart, this book is a love story, but it's not just one love story.

It's the story of Melanie and Jamie, brother and sister who have been through hell since the invasion, beginning with their father leading the seekers to them.  Mel and Jamie have always relied on each other, and when Mel is taken, Jamie becomes a shell of himself.  That is, until Wanderer brings Jamie's sister home, which brings about the relationship between Wanderer and Jamie...

Then, there's Wanderer and Ian.  At first, Ian--along with his brother and several others--tries to kill Wanderer.  But, then over the course of life in the caves, Ian begins to see Wanderer differently.  He, above everyone else, understands Wanderer and sees her, not the host body that she inhabits.

There's the cave society.  Uncle Jeb, Aunt Maggie, Wes and Lily, Andy and Paige, Doc, and old Walter.  With Wanderer's presence, the people of the caves have seperated into different groups: those who accept Wanda, those who don't, and those who grudgingly allow her to stay, but only until they can figure out a way to get Wanda out of Mel's body without killing Mel.

There's also the love triangle between Mel and Jared and Wanderer.  Jared loves Melanie, and vice versa.  But, through Mel's memories, Wanda too has fallen in love with Jared.  Melanie hates that Wanda loves Jared, but she also blames herself for this, as it was Melanie's campaign to so immerse Wanderer in good memories and make Wanderer bring Mel back to her family that caused Wanda to love those people so much.

But, most of all, this is the story of two beings forced to live in such close quarters.  First, they are enemies.  Melanie hates all souls for what they have done to the humans, and she especially hates that Wanderer is in her.  Wanderer is afraid of humans, and all she wants is to be like the other souls.  She just wants Mel to quietly fade away so that she can live.  But along the way, Wanderer comes to care about Mel and her humans.  So, much so that she leaves all that she knows behind in order to find them, people that hate her just because she took their Mel away from them.  And, as time passes, Mel and Wanderer go from being enemies to reluctant allies, to friends, to sisters. 

Okay, wow! I sure do ramble on, don't I?  Have you all read THE HOST?  What did you think of it?  If not, are you going to?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments.  And, when you're done here, hop on over to my fellow Book Hungry divas' blogs(see sidebar) and get their takes on this month's pick. 

Until next month, peeps, where our very own Vanessa Noble has chosen NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro.

FUN, FUN, FUN...er...and GAMES

Hey, friends.  Kelly and I are now rounding out our fifth week of these here FUN AND GAMES, and I don't know about you, but I'm still having loads of fun.  So, without further adieu, here's my snip for this week.

“So, that’s why you’re always so early to school and then the last one to leave,” Harper said as they inched their way through the checkout line.


“Yeah, Lucky was thrilled that the district had school of choice,” Owen nodded absently. Really, he’d much rather be talking to Harper about anything else, even something as stupid as the weather. Not his smart-ass brother. “Briarcliff has a much better science program than Ridgefield does.”

“Yeah, I know. Truman went there, and I keep telling Grace about all the programs they have, especially in Chemistry, but she won’t transfer. Says she’s fine where she is.”

“I think she cares more about being with her best friend,” he replied sagely.

Yeah, that’s what Harper always figured, and no matter how much she tried to reassure her friend that nothing would ever come between them, regardless of whether they attended the same school or not, she was secretly relieved that Grace refused to leave Ridgefield. “So, your brother doesn’t care about being close to you?” she asked and grinned at his groan. “And, what kind of name is Lucky, anyway?”

“It’s Luke—well, Lucas actually,” he answered with a chuckle. “If you ask him why we all call him Lucky, he’ll say it’s because he’s got a gift for talking to the ladies.”

Just from his crooked grin alone, Harper found herself relaxing, a small tentative smile sliding into place. It was so easy, being with Owen. He was just so nice, so honest, so real. But, Mr. Haas had seemed that way, too. At first. No. She shook herself, gave herself a mental kick. She wouldn’t let those kinds of thoughts ruin this for her. She was going to have fun, damn it. Whether she wanted to or not. Because that was normal, and she wanted—no needed—normalcy right then. She needed it more than she needed air, and with Owen, she actually felt like she could breathe.

“But that’s not the truth,” she guessed and was rewarded with another one of his deep, rich chuckles.

“Nah. The kid’s a walking accident. He’s fallen out of trees, out of bed. Hell, he’s even fallen off the roof a few times. Don’t even get me started on the number of near-death experiences he’s amassed since we got our licenses. And, each time, he’s walked away with only a few scrapes and bruises. Never anything more serious.”

“So, he’s lucky he’s survived this long?”

“Exactly.” At which point, they both burst into loud laughter.

They were called up next, and Owen hovered protectively at her elbow as the cashier rang up her purchases. After being handed the small bag containing her purchases and a receipt, she turned and bumped into him.

“Sorry!” they both said simultaneously and then laughed again, his warm and soft, hers nervous and slightly high-pitched as she hurried to put some space between them.

Owen opened his mouth to apologize again but was cut off by his name being called out.

“Hey, O! Over here,” Lucky shouted from across the store.

Careful not to actually reach out and touch Harper, he ushered her over to where Lucky had a tight hold on Grace. Although it didn’t look to him like his brother needed a tether to keep Harper’s friend glued to his side. Owen wasn’t all that sure whether Grace and Lucky would be a good idea together. Lucky may like to pretend that he was a major player, but sometimes, Owen knew his brother better than Lucky knew himself, and at that moment, it was clear that the boy had fallen and hard.

“Mom just called,” Lucky told him as soon as he and Harper got to them. “She got called into work early and wants me to come home to watch the kids.”

“Oh, okay,” Owen frowned, clearly not ready to leave just yet. He reached into his pocket to dig out his keys.

“Nah, dude. You stay. Gracie, here—“ He flashed gleaming white teeth and jerked a thumb toward the girl to his right. “—offered to take me home since we live so close to her. That way you and Harper can hang out a little longer. Uh, just remember that I’m going out tonight, so you do have to come home sometime.” He punctuated that with an exaggerated wink.

“Uh…” Owen didn’t miss the way that Harper stiffened beside him at Lucky’s suggestion. “That’s okay, Luck. We’re pretty much done, right Harp?”

“Um…” she looked at Grace, unsure of how to read her friend. “Well, I did want to run over to the bookstore, but that can wait if you want to go, Grace.”

Ball in her friend’s court. Since when did it get so hard to communicate with Grace? They’d always been the best of friends, ever since that day in kindergarten when Melanie Sanders tried to steal Harper’s brand new box of crayons and Grace had stood up to the mean girl, dumping blue paint on her head when Melanie continued to pick at Harper. Of course, both Mrs. Maguire and Harper’s mother had been called to the school, and the girls—through unspoken agreement—had steadfastly denied that either had anything to do with Melanie’s blue hair. Ever since then, they’d been inseparable and never once had they ever misread the other’s silent signals.

That is, until now.

Now, they were like two strangers, and Harper couldn’t bear the fact that it was all her fault.

Owen looked back and forth between the girls, distinctly uncomfortable because it was so painfully obvious that Harper was, too. “No big, Luck. I’m ready to go anyway.” He turned to Harper with a smile, reached out a hand to her, but snatched it back at the last moment. “I’ll see you tonight?”

Absently, she nodded. “Yeah, seven.”

His shoulders sagged with the relief that she hadn’t changed her mind, at least not yet. “Okay, let’s go.” With a nod for Grace, he grabbed his brother’s arm and dragged him out of the store, leaving the girls behind without a backward glance, even though he was itching to shoot one last quick look at Harper. “Real smooth, Luck,” he growled at his twin once they were out of earshot.

“Hey,” Lucky threw his hands up as if to shield himself. “I was just trying to help out you, man. It’s not my fault you had to go and fall for a girl who can’t bear to be touched by any guy, even you.” He halted abruptly, leveled a concerned look at Owen. “Are you really sure you want to do this…with her? I mean, it’s just asking for problems, O. I’m not trying to be a dick or anything, but I just don’t see how any girl can be worth dealing with that kind of baggage.”

Owen let go of his brother, torn between socking him in the mouth for that comment and wrangling him into a noogie—their version of a hug. “Yeah, she’s worth it,” he finally said. In his mind, he saw her how she was just a couple weeks ago, glasses slid down on her nose, playful grin on her face as she’d tried to teach him to play Twinkle, Twinkle on her violin—an endeavor he’d sucked cheesy donkey balls at—and then her laugh, a glorious lilting melody, when he’d tossed the instrument back at her in order to pick up his drumsticks.

“Yeah,” he said again. “She’s so worth it.”

In Which I Discover a FORBIDDEN Book...

Friends, I have read a book.  Okay.  So, that in and of itself is probably not a real big shocker.  Well, not at all actually.

What I meant to say was that I have just finished reading a book that dragged me kicking and screaming through an emotional wringer.  Never in all my years of reading (admittedly a lot, considering how ancient I am. gasp! 31) has a book so overwhelmed me with such a variety of emotions.

I was frightened.  I was curious.  I was nervous.  I was more than a little sickened.  And, that all happened before I even pressed the 'Confirm Order' button on Amazon.  But then, I screwed up my courage and charged forward.

And, do you know what?  I'm still not so sure whether I'm glad I did.  Wait.  Yeah, I am....er...no, maybe I'm not. 

Minions, I am severely conflicted because I really don't know what to think, even now as I write this to you.  So, first, I guess I should probably introduce this book that so affected me that I am still reeling from the shock, the sadness, the soul-deep ache that it has forged within me.

The Book:  FORBIDDEN
The Author: Tabitha Suzuma
The Publisher: Definitions (an imprint of Random House Children's Books) 

First off, I must tell you that this book was recommend to me by Bee over at Dreamcatcher's Lair.  If you don't know her, you must hop over sometime and check her out.

The Summary:
Lochan and Maya are brother and sister, who while children themselves have taken on the arduous task of raising their three younger siblings.  At the ages of 12 and 11 respectively, their father left, abandoning them and their mother to travel halfway around the world and start a new family of his own.  Their mother, bitter from being saddled with five children that she never wanted to begin with, begins a downward spiral, losing herself in booze, barhopping, and shacking up with much younger men. 

Our story begins when Lochie and Maya are 17 and 16.  In the years since their father's abandonment, they have stepped up, taking up the roles of mother and father to their sister and two brothers, all the while working hard to keep their own grades up.  Their lives are ruled by caring for the children and maintaining the thin facade of a normal functioning family for the outside world. 

Soon, their affections for each other morph into more than just that of the bond a brother and sister share.  And, they realize that they love each other in a way that is--in the eyes of society--appalling, wrong, sickening, and illegal.

My take:
While reading this book, I vacillated between being sickened, shocked, and outraged to aching for these children and the trials that they faced, their loss of everything: their parents, their shot at a normal life, their childhood, their innocence. From the beginning, it was obvious to me that Lochan and Maya cared for each other greatly and depended on each other for more than for just the emotional support needed to keep their family together.

And, even when their physical love for one another became readily apparent (not until close to halfway through the book), I didn't know whether to root for them to be together or wish that one or both of them would come to their senses.  Really, I still don't.  There were times in this story where I found myself conveniently forgetting that they were brother and sister, and other times, I was distinctly uncomfortable with some very (at least in my mind...especially for YA) explicit sexual encounters.

Then, there was the ending.  GUH.  That's all I can say.  That's all I will say.  I don't want to spoil it for anyone who should be fearless enough to read this book.

All in all, friends, I'd have to say that the books I always highly recommend are the ones that resonate with me long after the last sentence was read.  FORBIDDEN will stay with me, that is for damned sure.  But, I'm still not certain how to feel about it.  It's left me with a hole in my gut, a piece of me cut out and left, bloody and wasted, resting between the pages.  I can't say whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it's my thing.  And, I won't be telling you that you must read this book.  It's just too startling, especially the reactions it evokes within its reader.

Have you ever had that happen with a book, friends?  Please tell me I'm not the only one, here.  Please?

Fun and Games Act 4, Scene 2

Here we are, friends.  My next installment of FUN AND GAMES WITH K & K. 

Enjoy!!

Harper sucked in a sharp breath, forced a bright smile to her lips, and shrugged. “With a name like that, you kinda have to be. Right?” She reached into her purse and tossed a wad of bills out onto the tabletop. “I’m going to run to the music store while you’re finishing up. I need some strings and more rosin.” Before Grace could argue or at least ask her friend to wait while she waved to the waitress for the check, Harper launched to her feet and hurried away.


Recognizing that maybe it was better to get a little space between them, Grace heaved out a sigh and watched her friend march determinedly toward the music store. She really needed to get to the bottom of things, but how? She cast a quick glance over to where Mr. Haas was laughing merrily with Bambi, but right then, nerves outweighed anger. Until she knew exactly what happened with Harper, she really couldn’t go spouting off on the teacher…at least not without help.

Thinking of Owen, she started to slip her phone out of her purse but stopped herself. What would she say to him? In all honestly, she’d barreled right over him last night, announcing that she was going to get to the bottom of things, that if there was anything worth finding out, she would be the one to do so. She gave herself a mental shake. This was not the time to be thinking of herself. Harper was the important one right now. She’d do well to remember that. Now, if only her friend would cooperate.

Grace poked at her food, the chicken no longer so appetizing. Harper wanted space; she’d give it to her. For now. But, in the next moment, she spied Owen strolling into the music store, and her mind was made up. Flagging down the waitress, she asked for the check, now in a rush to get to the store, and iron this out once and for all.

Inside the small shop, surrounded by all things musical, Harper was in her element. Lost in the only world that made sense to her anymore, she didn’t hear the footsteps shuffling up behind her until hot breath sailed across her skin. Panic spearing through her, she whirled around, the beginnings of a shrill scream bounding up to the tip of her tongue.

“Whoa,” he chuckled softly, hands in the air in an I-come-in-peace gesture as he took a step back. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

She shook her head, scooting a little further away from him, putting another reassuring foot between them. “No problem,” she replied, carefully, eyes wide and frightened even though she kept repeating to herself that everything was alright. Not every guy was the bogey man. “It was my fault, really. I was daydreaming.”

Something about him kept her from being completely rude and running from him. It’s his eyes, she thought. They’re the exact same shade and shape as Owen’s. She shook herself. How she could even think about a boy now was beyond her. Men were the enemy…right? But, Owen’s my friend, the little voice at the back of her head argued. He’d never hurt me. And, really, seeing Owen everywhere she went was far better than running into Him. Right?

He grinned, reaching beyond her for the instrument she’d been ogling. If he caught her cringe as his arm brushed hers, he didn’t mention it. “You don’t look like a bass kind of girl,” he said conversationally, shaking his shaggy chestnut hair off his brow. “Electric…amplified…yeah, maybe, but bass? No.”

A reluctant smile popped up to her lips, the first genuine one she’d displayed all day. “Oh? And what makes you say that? I could be a badass rocker chick. You don’t know that.” Did she actually just flirt with this guy? Even as she admitted to herself that yes, she had, she took another small step away from him.

“Hmm,” he pondered her for all of a moment, rubbing his baby smooth chin thoughtfully. Slowly, he shook his head. “No, I don’t think so, but—“ He lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “—I’m not the musical genius in the family. Hey, O! I need you.”

In the next instant, Owen strolled around the corner, his lip curled into a frown as he groaned, “What is it now, Lucky? For the last damned time, we are not going to sneak into the strip—“ He stopped abruptly as his eyes met Harper’s, color washing over his face, splashing dark scarlet across his cheeks. “Uh…hey, Harper.”

“Hey,” she mumbled. Another step. Soon, she’d be able to turn tail and run.

“Wait.” Lucky eyed them both wearily, waving his hand back and forth between them. “You two know each other?” He inhaled a sharp breath, his ice blue eyes twinkling with knowledge. “You’re the Harper Simonson I’ve heard so much about? My brother can’t seem to shut up about you—“

“Dude,” Owen growled, his fist shooting out, fast as a striking snake to catch Lucky in the shoulder.

“Hey, ow,” Lucky yelped, rubbing at his arm. “That hurt, bro.”

“There you are, Harper,” Grace said, rounding the corner behind her. “This place is like a maze. I’ve been looking—“ she ground to halt upon seeing Harper’s company. “Hey, Owen and uh…Owen’s little brother—“

“Lucky,” he supplied with a snort. “But, I’m not little,” he smirked at his brother. “In fact, he’s the younger one.” He took advantage of Owen’s preoccupation with the girls to get in a jab of his own, right to the kidney. “As you can see, I got all the looks in the family…and the brains.”

“By four lousy minutes,” Owen grunted, glowering at his brother.

“Twins?” Grace asked. “That must suck.”

“You have no idea,” Lucky grinned. “I’m always having to deal with him tagging along, bounding after my every step like a little lost puppy. Really cramps my style.”

“You poor thing,” Grace giggled and stepped toward him.

Harper would’ve had to have been deaf, dumb, and blind to miss the signals her friend was throwing off. Truman was definitely going to have some competition. Good, she thought. Not that she didn’t love her brother. She did, but Tru was a man-whore if she ever saw one. Grace deserved better than that, even if she has been in love with him since they were kids, and even though she knew nothing about this Lucky besides the fact that he was Owen’s brother, she still found herself rooting for him to sweep Grace off her feet. Maybe, just maybe, he was just what her friend needed.

“So, Lucky, huh?” Grace said, snapping Harper back to the present.

“Yeah, he’s lucky I haven’t auctioned him off on eBay yet,” Owen muttered under his breath.

“Don’t mind him,” Lucky said. “He’s just jealous. Maybe we should leave him behind, go find something better to browse?” He held out his arm.

Grace shot a quick questioning look in Harper’s direction, but her friend was too busy pretending to look at the instruments. “Uh…I think Harper’s about ready to leave,” she began uncertainly, frantically searching out some sign of what the other girl was thinking.

“Nah, she’s too busy drooling over that bass, there.” He grabbed her arm and started dragging her away. “Anyway, I’m sure she and my brother want some alone time, if you know what I mean.” And, before she could form any kind of argument, she was already two aisles over, following Mr. Hottie himself as he chattered about all things math and science, Grace’s favorite subjects.

“Bass, huh?” Owen asked, sliding a little closer to her. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, you’re like a savant when it comes to anything that makes music.”

“Uh, thanks,” she mumbled, instantly self-conscious. “But, I’m not a genius or anything. I just like music.”

“Hmm, I think you sell yourself short, Harp,” he murmured, closing the gap between them a little more. He wanted more than anything to slide right up next to her, hook his arms around her, and pull her close, chase all her demons away, but he had to tread carefully. Even now, she looked about ready to bolt. “We should jam together sometime…you know, not at school. I’ve got an old bass you could borrow. I’m sure you’d pick it up in a snap.”

She started to shake her head no, but something stopped her. No, she had to get back to normal. She couldn’t just push everyone away, because that really wasn’t like the Harper she was supposed to be. So, she dragged in a deep breath and pasted the most brilliant smile in her arsenal across her face.

“Sure, Owen. I’d like that,” she said sweetly, syrupy sugar dripping off her lips.

Relief plastered across his face, he grinned broadly. “How about tonight? I’ll pick you up at seven?”

She nodded, her body now functioning on autopilot. You can do this, she told herself. Just be normal. Too bad for her, she’d already forgotten how to do that.

 
What do we think of the story so far?  I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what Kelly has in store for us next :)