Read Infinite (Strange and Beautiful, Book 1) for Free Online Page B

pictures that would otherwise
sit untouched in boxes under hers and Dad’s bed.
    “Mom? Have you seen my copy of The Perks of Being a
Wallflower ?” I asked from the doorway.
    “Lime green cover?” she asked without even looking up.
    “Yes.”
    “In the living room in the magazine rack,” she replied as she
cut some cardstock.
    “Thanks,” I replied and started to walk away.
    “Sky has friends over, so try not to bother them,” she called
after me.
    “Okay,” I mumbled.
    I almost asked her why she insisted I stay home this weekend if
I was supposed to make myself scarce, but I bit my tongue because she was,
obviously, very busy. Besides, she’d probably just tell me, “Don’t be
smart, Cecilia.” I had never understood that phrase. Don’t be smart?  Was I
supposed to be stupid instead? Besides, most of the time when people told me
not to be smart, I wasn’t trying to be anyway.
    I walked downstairs with extreme caution. After all, I didn’t
know where Skylar was, and I wasn’t supposed to, God forbid, bother her. When I
heard laughter from the kitchen, I thought it was safe to enter the living
room. As I made my way down the short hall to retrieve my book, I decided I’d
go sit under the oak tree in our backyard and read.
    I’d been able to see the sun shining through my window upstairs,
and it looked like it would be nice and comfy conditions for reading. As these
thoughts crossed my mind, I stepped into the living room and was surprised to
see a guy I was sure I would have remembered if I’d seen him before seated on
the couch.
    I froze for a moment. First, because I wasn’t supposed to bother
Skylar, and, second, because I wasn’t even supposed to admit to being related
to her, and I had no idea how I’d get myself out of that. Short of claiming to
have walked into the wrong house, I thought it might be kind of hard to deny
living here since I was still wearing the sweats and ratty t-shirt I’d wore to
bed the night before, I didn’t think that would be believable. I kind of felt
like Daria Morgendorffer. The way Quinn always denied being related to her made
me think of Skylar and Luke’s denial of me. In that moment, I felt Daria and I
were kindred spirits.
    Then there was my third worry, which was I had no idea who this
guy was. I was pretty sure Skylar was still dating Scott, but I supposed it was
possible I’d missed the memo on their break-up. It wasn’t like she really
discussed her relationships with me, or the rest of the family for that matter,
and she did seem to have a habit of ditching guys after dating them for about a
month.
    Was Scott’s month up already? I hadn’t thought they’d started
dating until after school started, so by my estimation he should have had
another two to three weeks before he got the ax, which I kind of thought that
was a shame because he was probably the most decent guy she had brought home in
a while. He didn’t have any holes in his face or any obvious physical markings
of a juvenile delinquent, so Dad didn’t seem to mind him when he came over for
dinner occasionally. Maybe that was it, though. Skylar was probably still
pissed off about having to hide her eyebrow piercing and thought she’d rebel by
not dating anyone our father would approve of.
    But, no, that couldn’t be it because this guy appeared normal
enough. He was slouched at the far end of the couch. A kelly green
t-shirt stretched across hunched shoulders, and his seemingly endless long,
jean covered legs were sprawled in that careless guy way that girls could never
sit if they wanted to be considered respectable. His long fingers were twisting
together in front of him, as if they were searching for a way to keep busy.
    The only thing that immediately stuck out about him was his
hair. It was so dark in contrast to his fair skin, but the sun shined through
the window just behind him and picked up the faintest hint of blue highlights.
On a girl, I would have immediately guessed it was