Read Double Life - Book 1 of the Vaiya Series for Free Online Page B

Scenery outside. That’s all.”
    Looking worriedly at Hazel, Ian saw her burst
out into even heartier laughter and knew she’d caught his mistake;
she never let anything slide. His cheeks burned a deeper red.
Apparel? Gallantry? Where were these stray words coming from?
English class?
    As Hazel calmed down, Ian watching her with
dread, she examined at him, a mock frown on her face. “You’ve been
reading way too many fairy tales, Ian,” she chided sarcastically.
Then her face lit up with a pixyish smile as she gazed at Ian
sweetly and admiringly: “Prince Charming … gallant Prince
Charming.”
    Embarrassment swept through his heart--he
felt sick. “Are you kidding? I haven’t read a fairy tale since I
was seven.”
    His comment didn’t faze her at all though,
and she was just about to throw out enough playful insult, when
Ian’s waylaid friends, Eddy and Darien, no doubt basking in the
Halloween atmosphere outside and studying the decorations, finally
stepped in through the open doorway, slipped off their shoes, and
put them down softly on the Oriental rug.
    Looking up at Hazel, who closed her mouth as
soon as he entered into the house, Darien greeted her with
enthusiasm. “How’s it going, coz?”
    “Pretty good,” Hazel replied nonchalantly, as
she winked once at Ian, likely implying she wasn’t done humiliating
him yet.
    He caught this, as Eddy just laughed at
seeing Ian standing next to Hazel. “You haven’t been teasing him,
have you?” asked Darien.
    Her blue eyes sparkled innocently, as she
halfway avoided his question: “Only as much as he deserves.”
    Darien liked her response. His mouth curving
into a grin, he folded his arms across his chest, his head nodding
as if in complete agreement with anything Hazel’s mind could
concoct, while Eddy chuckled softly and slapped Ian gently on the
back. Then, as if realizing that Hazel worked best when alone, he
quietly left the room, Eddy tagging behind smirking at Ian with an
“I told you so” look on his face.
    Left alone again, Ian, hating to end on such
an awkward note, irritated that Eddy had seen him talking to her,
murmured, “So, Hazel, what’s the plan for tonight?” Stepping away
further from the doorway, he heard laughter and loud voices
outside. More people had arrived, including Jeff Burnes, a tall
burly short brown-haired football player, and Kenn Ashton, a
dark-eyed brawny man with thick black hair the color of spilled ink
and a dangerously tannish complexion. For some reason, even though
the girls liked them, especially Shayla, he didn’t care for either
of them, as they always seemed cold and aloof whenever he tried
talking with them, as if they were holding some secret grudge
against him.
    Backing away from them, as they glanced at
him spitefully before quickly turning away, Ian gazed at Hazel,
suppressing the rising resentment in his heart, as he awaited her
reply.
    Looking deep in thought, Hazel folded her
hands in front of her, not distracted by the noise, while swinging
her right foot back and forth. She had calmed down considerably.
After several more seconds had passed, she finally broke the
silence: “Well, let’s see--there’s gonna be a ping pong tournament
downstairs once everyone’s here, then maybe a bowling tournament,
and after that everybody’s free to do their own thing.” Hazel
paused and brushed her long blonde hair out of her face and behind
her small, dainty ears before adding, “Oh, and if you want to check
out the exercise room on your way to the attic, go right
ahead.”
    “Thanks. I’ll think about it.” Why would she
even mention the exercise room? Did she think he was one of those
weight-lifting gurus? Hopefully not.
    As he turned to leave, she stretched out her
left hand, signaling him to stop.
    She smiled faintly again as he looked over
his shoulder at her. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to
challenge you at chess before the night is over though.”
    Frozen, Ian looked down at the