Read Online Duality: Vol 1, Melancholia (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) by Elle Casey - Free Book Online

away from Kootch.
    Jasmine glared at Kootch as she straightened her t-shirt and pants.
    Everyone was on their feet now but me.  I looked up at Malcolm, finally able to breathe again.
    He held out his hand to help me up, staring at me with a strange expression on his face.
    I took his hand and used the leverage he provided to stand.  His fingers were really warm, and I didn’t want to let them go when I was up.  Something about him made me want to hold on … to cling.  He was like a life raft and I was lost at sea.
    But he dropped my fingers like they were burning him, and turned away.
    I let my arm fall to my side, staring at the floor as the teacher continued to lecture us.
    “What were you thinking, Caden?  You know you can’t touch girls like that.  I thought you knew better.  Maybe I should call your parents.”
    “Aw, no, Mrs. Hatcher, please don’t do that.  If you call them … just don’t.  I’ll clean out the locker room.  I’ll wash all the towels or whatever.”
    “The janitor does that work, but believe me, it’s tempting.  I’m giving you two weeks of detention.”
    “Are you sure you can’t just make me clean some lockers or toilets or something?” he asked in a pitiful voice.
    “I’m sure.  Now go get dressed.  You’re done for the day.”
    Kootch walked off, his head hanging low and his feet shuffling on the dusty wood.
    “As for you, Jasmine … how many times have I told you that your mouth is going to get you in serious trouble?”
    “About eighty?”
    “Don’t be a smartbutt with me.  Just go get changed, and think about how wrong this could have gone for you if it hadn’t been here in this gym with all these witnesses around.  A boy as big as Caden in a dark alley could mean big problems for a girl like you.”
    “Kootch wouldn’t have hurt me even if it was in a dark alley.  He’s not like that.”  Jasmine sounded offended on his behalf.  I was kind of proud of her for sticking up for him like that, even if I wasn’t sure if it was true or not.
    “You don’t know that.  You don’t know him at all.  Everyone has secrets, and most of them things you don’t want to know about.  Now go.”  Mrs. Hatcher pointed to the locker rooms.
    Jasmine was mumbling as she walked away, but I couldn’t hear any of the actual words.
    “And you two…”  Mrs. Hatcher was staring at me and Malcolm.
    Neither of us said a word.  We looked at each other for a couple seconds and then at the floor.  My heart skipped a beat.  He is so cute.  And he doesn’t seem to be affected by me.  Maybe he’s a Neutral!  How can I get him to talk to me so I can find out?  I can’t believe I could have two Neutrals in one class.  That would be a first.
    “Malcolm you finally decide to participate and this is what you do?”
    “I told you …”
    “Yes, yes, yes … you’ve told me … it’s better if you don’t participate.  But I don’t agree.  It’s better if you do participate and be a part of a team.  You can’t be a loner your whole life.”
    He looked up sharply at that, sounding angry when he responded.  “Yes, I can.”
    “No.  You can’t. ”  She fixed him with a stern look.  “ Everyone needs people.  That’s how we’re wired.  I don’t care what color you are, where you’re from, or what your sexual preferences are … everyone needs someone.  And you aren’t going to find that someone by sitting on the sidelines of life all the time.”
    Malcolm looked like he wanted to say something, but he just clenched his teeth together, making his jaw stick out at the corners.
    She turned to me.  “And you, young lady.  It’s your first day , and you’re already involved in a physical altercation.  I cannot imagine your parents would be very proud of this kind of behavior.”
    I was almost happy she was mad at me.  No one stayed mad at me, not even for a little while.  Could she be a Neutral too?  But she’d been so weirdly nice in the