Read Bright Lights, Dark Nights for Free Online

sink. “They won’t admit it, but they get it from me, I’m the funny one in the family.”
    â€œWe operate on sarcasm here. You’ll fit in fine,” Naomi said. I liked the sarcasm. I liked that they joked all the time and talked at dinner.
    â€œDon’t act like he’s moving in,” Jason said, putting Kelly in her chair before sitting back down. “My food’s cold! Come on.” Jason pushed his plate away in a slouchy sulk.
    â€œHeat it up, then,” Denise said, getting up and bringing more dishes to the sink, leaving me, Jason, and Naomi at the table.
    â€œSo the Foo Fighters are coming to town,” Naomi said. “I assume you’ll be going?”
    â€œNot this again. Stop being random,” Jason said to Naomi. “You don’t even like the Foo Fighters.”
    â€œFirst of all, I’m not being random. I do like them, and Dave Grohl is hot, okay?” Naomi said. “He’s the perfect mix of scruffy bad boy and dork.”
    â€œHe’s also, like, fifty,” Jason said. “And stop asking about that stupid concert. You know you aren’t going.”
    â€œScruffy bad boy and dork,” I said. “That definitely sounds like a can’t-miss event.” I wanted to add on to her every argument, like we were a team.
    â€œSince when do you talk so much?” Jason asked me. “This kid doesn’t ever talk at school.”
    â€œHe’s talking to me,” Naomi said flatly and immediately defusing his argument. I nodded emphatically in agreement, pointed to her and myself.
    â€œYeah, all right,” Jason said, flustered. He brought his plate to the microwave. “Hey, can we just admit that I am funny?”
    Every heated conversation around the table seemed to cool off just as fast as it had started. I guess it wasn’t about having the best one-liner with the Mills family, but having the comfort to use it.
    â€œJason, yes, whatever,” Naomi said. “You’re absolutely hilarious.”
    â€œHe’ll be here all week folks,” I said. “Be sure to tip your waitress.”

 
    Chapter Three

    Â 

    I didn’t live too far away from school, but the bus went up and down so many blocks, stopping every couple of streets, that it felt a lot farther than it was. With the near-two-hundred pounds of Lester Dooley taking up 75 percent of our seat, the ride felt even longer than usual. He had an easygoing way about him, a nice smile, but, damn, was he a big kid. He could pass for a huge LeBron James, who’s already huge. I’d only seen him on the bus a couple of times in the past.
    I looked out the window and made myself as vacant and unavailable as I could. My earbuds were in and my music was loud. I wanted to zone out for the fifteen minutes it took to get home.
    I was listening to the Pharcyde on my iPad, “Passin’ Me By,” and, before that, A Tribe Called Quest’s “Bonita Applebum.” It was a playlist to fit my mood. I hadn’t been able to shake Naomi from my head all week, and I hadn’t seen her at school anywhere since. Maybe I needed to convince Jason a weekly dinner at his place was in order. Maybe I needed to friend-request her. We did have a bonding moment. It might not be creepy.
    I tried to figure out what I’d say if I did cross her path at school. Maybe No harp! if she didn’t have her harp with her. Or if she did, Harp! Or maybe I could bring up Uncle Dave Grohl. She seemed to think that was funny. Uncle Dave says hi!
    Lester nudged me, and I gave a quick nod of acknowledgment. It wasn’t enough, though, and Lester made the “take out your earbuds” motion. I knew it would happen eventually. I took out the earbuds like I was putting on a blindfold and stepping onto the plank.
    Lester was part of a trinity of kids you generally wanted to avoid when they were together, the others being Frankie Roland and Beardsley,