The Librarian's Secret Scandal. Jennifer Morey

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СКАЧАТЬ friendship.”

      “That sounds like a line.” Except he seemed sincere. Wouldn’t it be great if one of the most popular boys in school liked her? “What do you really want?”

      “To take you out. But that can wait. I’ll settle for being friends for now.”

      “And once we’re friends? Then what? You try to get into my panties?”

      “No. I’m not after you like that, I told you.”

      “I don’t believe you.” But she wanted to.

      “Just start by taking my hand. If all you can offer is hello in the halls, that’s fine by me.”

      She eyed his hand again. What harm would it be to accept his apology? She could be reasonable. It felt good to have someone on her side for a change.

      But what if he wasn’t? What if he was just playing her? What if this was some kind of joke?

      “Come on. I won’t do anything drastic. I promise.”

      Deciding to give him a chance, she gave him her hand. He grinned as he shook her hand.

      “You’re gonna be late to class,” he said, still smiling as he strolled down the emptying hall.

      She watched until he disappeared into a classroom and then started to turn to head for hers.

      “What do you think you’re doing?”

      May stopped and saw Sherilynn McTeague and one of her friends standing nearby. Sherilynn had long, blond hair and light brown eyes. She was a pretty girl in a prissy sort of way, and, like Levi, one of the most popular kids in school. But not so bright academically.

      She was also Levi’s girlfriend.

      “Last I checked this was a public school,” May said. She wasn’t afraid of this prom queen.

      “You stay away from Levi.”

      “Yeah,” chimed in her friend, a slightly chunky, short-haired girl with big cheeks. “Go find your own boyfriend.”

      “Levi isn’t my boyfriend. We were just talking. Not that it’s any of your business.” May turned to walk to her classroom.

      “Careful how you talk to me, ho,” Sherilynn called to her back.

      Anger fired up in May like wind over a brush fire. Ho? Slowly, she pivoted, tensing as she moved closer to the two.

      “If you’re looking to get laid, do it with somebody else,” the girl continued. “There are plenty of other boys who’d love to oblige you.”

      “Yeah,” her chubby friend said. “Like mother like daughter. Isn’t that what they say about people like you?”

      Stopping, May’s temper flared hotter. She was sick of holding her head high and not reacting to these unwarranted barbs like her mom always told her to do. She’d hold her head high all right. After she kicked both of these girly-girls’ behinds.

      Fisting her hand, she slugged the chubby girl right on the mouth. The girl’s head jerked to the side and she stumbled backward, nearly losing her balance. See if she talked nasty ever again.

      Sherilynn shoved May against one shoulder. May had to take a step back, but now she turned her attention to this girl. She swung her fist again, catching the side of her head. Then she hit lower, aiming for the soft part of her stomach. Sherilynn grunted and pulled May’s hair. May yelled and slapped her hard across her cheek. Sherilynn stumbled and bumped into the chubby girl, tripping over her feet and falling. May stepped over her, meaning to straddle her and keep hitting, but the chubby girl pulled her by the arm. May yanked free and backhanded the girl on her nose. The girl retreated with a screech and held her bleeding nose.

      Sherilynn was starting to sit up and climb to her feet. May lifted her foot and planted it against her chest, shoving her back to the floor. Then she straddled her and started slugging. See if she smiled pretty for any guy for a while….

      The chubby girl pulled her off just as May spotted a teacher charging toward them.

      “All right, in the principal’s office. Now!” the teacher yelled. “All three of you!”

      Sherilynn got to her feet, holding her side with one hand and her face with the other. “She started it!”

      “Yeah, she hit me first,” the chubby girl said.

      “Is that true?” the teacher asked.

      “Yeah. They were calling me names! I’m not a whore!”

      “You’re just like your slutty mother,” Sherilynn said.

      May lunged for her again.

      The teacher stepped in her way, though, so all May could do was glare at the girl around her shoulder. “Wait ‘til after school. I’ll finish you off.”

      “May Masterson.” The teacher grabbed both her shoulders. “You will stop this right now!”

      “Make them stop. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

      “Fighting isn’t the answer.”

      “Her mom fought all the time,” the chubby girl said snidely.

      “How would you know, you weren’t here,” May retorted.

      “No, but my mom was. She told me everything.”

      “My mom isn’t like that anymore. You need to mind your own damn business.”

      “May, you don’t swear in this school.”

      She zeroed in on the teacher’s gaze. “Tell them to back off then.”

      “Why don’t you tell the principal to do that.” Moving one of her hands to May’s elbow, she held tight and walked her down the hall, saying over her shoulder, “You girls are coming, too. Follow me.”

      

      Three days after seeing Lily, Wes walked into the West End Café in Deer Lodge, Montana. He’d searched for Karla Harrison, the victims’ officer who’d come out of the prison after Lily had wrecked his SUV and had finally gotten hold of her. Once he told her who he was, she’d agreed to meet him here. She remembered him, but more importantly, she remembered Lily. He could tell she genuinely cared about her and was sure that was the only reason she was meeting him.

      A few other tables were filled and talking joined the sound of dishes clanking and workers busy in the kitchen. The wood tables and chairs were scratched with age and the blue linoleum floor needed updating, and he was sure some women liked the lacy white valances above the front windows but he thought they could go with the floor.

      The entry door opened and Karla walked into the small café. When he’d called her he’d asked if she’d meet him here rather than the prison. He didn’t want anyone to know what he was doing, least of all Lily.

      When СКАЧАТЬ