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

locker room…
    “Um, yeah.  They’ll probably be mad.”  It was a lie, because even my parents couldn’t get mad at me, but it felt normal to say it.  Normal is awesome.
    “And here I was listening to all this talk around the teacher’s lounge about our new valedictorian.”  She pointed a finger in my face.  “If you mess up your gym grade, I’m not going to be responsible for you losing that honor.”
    “No, ma’am.”  I tried really hard to look chagrined, not sure I was pulling it off.  I wanted to jump and cheer over the idea that she was mad at me, like I was a regular kid in her class who’d messed up.
    “Make sure you bring your own uniform tomorrow.  You can buy the shirt you need in the main office.  Wear any color sweats or shorts, but not too short.  I don’t want to see any butt cheeks in my gym.”
    “Okay.”  I couldn’t stop smiling.
    “I don’t see what’s so funny here, Rae.  A first impression is very hard to change.  If you set yourself up here as a trouble-maker, you’ll have a hard time living that reputation down.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”  I should have been cowed and worried, but I was thrilled.  She’s mad!  She’s angry at me!  She’s treating me like everyone else!
    The teacher rolled her eyes.  “I don’t know what to do with kids these days.”  She stared us down again. “Two weeks of detention.  All four of you.  Starting today after school.”
    We both nodded at her, saying nothing.
    She gestured towards the locker rooms.  “Go.  I don’t want to look at you anymore.  When you’re back in street clothes sit on the bleachers.  Apart.  I want all of you separated for the rest of this class.”
    We walked around her without another word and moved towards the locker rooms in silence.  It was only at the door that separated the girls’ locker room from the boys’ that Malcolm finally spoke.
    “You’re on track to be valedictorian?”
    I shrugged.  “I guess.”
    “Oh, man.  That sucks for Jasmine.”  He pushed the door open.
    “Why?”
    “Because until you showed up, that was her crown.”
    He disappeared inside, leaving me with a sinking heart and a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine: Malcolm
     
    I JOINED KOOTCH AT THE lockers where our stuff was stored.  He was already standing in his boxers, pulling out his clothes.
    “Can you believe that shit?  Totally unfair.”  He slammed his locker door closed.  The happy-go-lucky jokester was gone and in his place was the Miserable I’d been trying to ditch for weeks.
    “Yeah.”  I removed the lock and opened my locker.  As I took out my clothes and dropped them on the bench, I realized I was twice as bummed now as I had been before.  For a little while there I’d actually been thinking I could hang out with Kootch.  Now I knew it was just a fantasy.
    “That Butts … she’s the one who caused all this.”  He pulled on his jeans but left them unbuttoned.
    “No she didn’t, man.  You did.  You’re the one who picked her up and swung her around.”  I frowned, keeping my eyes on my clothes and not him.  I didn’t want to fight, but I couldn’t let him blame Jasmine for what happened.
    “Did you hear what she said?  She’s still blaming me for that bullshit with her eye.  It was years ago.  Years.”  He yanked his t-shirt on over his head and pulled the bottom of it down.
    I looked at him.  “What was that all about, anyway?”
    Kootch sat down and pulled on one of his socks and then one of his hiking boots, letting his pant leg bunch up at the top of it.  “When we were kids, she got hit with a rock that went flying over my fence into her yard.  That part was true.  But it wasn’t me who threw the fucking thing, so she’s blaming the wrong guy.”  He banged his foot down a few times, getting the boot all the way on.
    I thought about that for a few seconds as he picked up his second sock.  “Who