Read One Hundred Candles [2] for Free Online

a conversation with Noah, but I had to practically scream in his ear and then I couldn’t make out his response. I spotted Callie across the room and waved, but she didn’t see me. I also caught a glimpse of Jared, who was looking in our direction. He nodded at me before disappearing in the crowd.
    I tried to capture Avery’s attention. I thought maybe we could find another place to go, a room that wasn’t quite so tightly packed with people, but she had moved a little farther away. When I turned back around, Noah was gone, too, squeezed out by the crowd trying to maneuver closer to the keg.
    The music grew louder. I tried to inch my way out of the kitchen, which felt too stuffy and reeked of sweat and beer. My shoes kept sticking to something on the floor, and I desperately wanted to escape into the cold night air, but I was wedged in between one of the football players and the oven.
    “You want to get out of here?” I could barely turn my head to see the guy who was talking in my ear, but I nodded, and a second later was being nudged out of the kitchen and through a set of French doors that opened onto a wide deck. Once outside, I took a deep breath.
    “You looked like you needed a little fresh air. You okay?”
    “I’m good.” I finally got a chance to look at my rescuer. “Thanks for getting me out of there. I’m not a big fan of crowds.”
    The guy standing across from me was wearing a blue football sweatshirt, just like the others standing around the keg. He wore his brown hair buzzed close to his scalp, giving him an almost military look, but his wry smile made him seem much more approachable.
    “I know what you mean. I’m okay with lots of people as long as they’re sitting in the bleachers. I don’t know why I let the guys talk me into hosting this thing.”
    “Maybe because this is the only house big enough to hold the entire school?”
    He chuckled. “Maybe. By the way, I’m Harris.” He motioned toward my sling. “I’d try to shake your hand, but it looks like that might be a bad idea.”
    I laughed. “It might be.”
    “What happened?”
    I panicked for half a second before I remembered the story Avery and I had come up with. “Skiing accident.”
    Harris whistled. “That’s rough.”
    I could tell that he wanted to ask me more about it, so I tried to steer him off course. “So this is your house?”
    “Yeah.” He glanced behind him, where someone was flicking the lights on and off. The windows hummed along with the bass of the stereo inside. “My folks are in Atlanta for two more days, though, so I’m not worried.”
    “What about your neighbors? Aren’t you afraid they might call the cops?” I hoped I didn’t sound too paranoid, but I’d never been to a party this huge, and the stereo had now reached deafening levels.
    Harris waved his hand. “There’s not that many houses on this street, really,” he said. “And most everyone is away for New Year’s. That’s why I’m at home, actually. I’ve been dog-sitting for half my neighbors all week.”
    He led me to a built-in bench nestled into one corner of the cedar deck and I sat down, grateful to relax. A few people were standing outside, mainly couples absorbed in conversation. Bright light poured from the French doors and I looked over, hoping to catch a glimpse of Avery or Noah.
    “You’re good friends with Avery, aren’t you?” Harris asked.
    “I am, yeah.” When I’d moved to town in August, Avery and I had immediately become friends.
    “She seems to be doing really well lately.” Harris ran a finger around the rim of his plastic cup. “Better than she was last year, I mean.”
    I knew he was referring to Adam’s death. “You played on the team with Adam, right?”
    Harris nodded. “He was a great guy.”
    I wasn’t sure what to say. We were quiet, which was a little awkward, but not too much. It was cold, so I squeezed my good arm against me. Harris noticed.
    “Do you want my sweatshirt?” Before I