Read Malice for Free Online

him as he let his backpack slide off his shoulder.
    The boy rarely went anywhere without his ancient, khaki backpack. He wouldn’t want to be without his protractor, graphing calculator and who knows what else he had stuffed in there. He opened the door and the backpack made an appearance before he did, landing on the floor.
    “Hey,” he said when he tossed himself into the passenger seat. “I have something for you.” He carefully handed me a napkin. I felt something round and crumbly inside.
    “Cookies?” I guessed. Cecily was known for her baking. He nodded. “Tell your grandma thank you from me, will you?” Even though I was backing out of the driveway, I’d already managed to pull a cookie free from the makeshift napkin packaging.
    “Uh, actually,” he said, “I made those.”
    The first soft, spicy bite of glazed molasses cookie was already melting across my tongue. It was probably good I had a mouthful because it kept me from spouting out what I wanted to say. If Tristan was ever going to get past his social awkwardness, he should’ve probably chosen a different new hobby to focus on. In all fairness, I figured football, basketball and even baseball were beyond him. Perhaps running track or joining the tennis team would be more his style. Heck, maybe even golf. Just…not…baking.
    On the other hand…
    “Oh my gosh,” I moaned. “These are to die for.”
    “Yeah?” he asked, looking pleased with himself. He watched with raised eyebrows as I stuffed a second cookie into my mouth. “I thought maybe you’d want to save them for lunch.”
    I ignored his look of disapproval. He’d probably had dry multigrain toast and plain oatmeal for breakfast.
    “Why would you think that?” I demanded when I was done chewing. “Don’t you know me better than that after all these years?”
    He snorted out a soft laugh and patted the top of his backpack. “Yeah, I do. That’s why I packed extras. If you decide you want another one at lunch, you know where to find me.”
    He was right. This time of year he’d be out on the lawn, under a hawthorn tree. A half-eaten sandwich would likely be resting in his lap.  A book would definitely be propped up in his hands.
    “You are pretty predictable,” I teased.
    “If you think so, then this might really throw you,” he teased back. “I don’t need a ride home tonight.”
    “Is Cecily going to be in town?” I almost always drove him home, unless Cecily picked him up. I pulled my eyes off the road to glance at him. A blush was crawling slowly across his cheeks.
    He shook his head. “No. Julie is going to drive me home.”
    My stomach knotted up. “Julie? Julie Donovan?” Julie Donavon who was sweet, perky and utterly human? I asked silently.
    “Uh, yeah. Julie Donovan. She called last night. Asked if I could help her with some homework. But I don’t have to,” he quickly said. “I mean, I know I’ve made a commitment to you. To be your tutor, I mean. So if you need help, I can tell her no…Even though I did already kind of tell her yes.”
    I forced a laugh. “I’m pretty sure I can get by without your help for one night.” It was a lie. I really wasn’t sure about that at all. That’s how poorly I was doing in Calc. I was too embarrassed to admit it, so I didn’t. Instead, I fumbled one-handed with the last cookie, tucking it back in the napkin the way Tristan had.
    I was no longer hungry. The two cookies I’d already eaten sat like crumbled cement in my stomach.
    Now, I was curious.
    Tristan’s fingers brushed across mine and I jerked my hand back. He didn’t seem to notice. He plucked the rumpled napkin off my thigh. The last cookie was hanging half in, half out of it. He neatly folded it up once again.
    “ Soooo ,” I said, trying to tease though my heart wasn’t in it, “is this a study date? Or just plain old studying?”
    He frowned as if the question hadn’t occurred to him. “Just studying,” he said tentatively.
    “You sure?”