Read Sparked (The Metal Bones Series Book 1) for Free Online Page A

would he know someone’s watching me? And why was Green Eyes watching out for me in the first place? He doesn’t know me.
    “Vienna?” Jayla’s voice echoed down the hall.
    “Yeah?” I shut the door.
    Carmen, Sydney, Joel, and Jayla were hanging out in the family room. Joel had his homework out. Carmen and Sydney were fully immersed in it.
    Jayla tapped her foot. “How did the date go?”
    “Couldn’t wait for it to be over.” I plopped down onto the couch. “You don’t talk to him much in class, do you?”
    “Why? What happened?”
    I sighed. “What didn’t happen?”
    Sydney tsked. “Come on. It couldn’t have been that bad.”
    “Oh yes it could.” I rubbed my face. “After the movie, the people in the theater gave us dirty looks. He talked the whole time.” My hands were now covered in makeup. Even better.
    “Wow.” Jayla made a face. “That is bad.”
    “I’m sure she’s over exaggerating,” Sydney said.
    “Fine, you go out with him.”
    “Okay, okay, I get your point.” Sydney went back to checking over Joel’s homework.
    Joel pointed at my cheeks. “You have black all over your face now.”
    “And my hands.” I rubbed them on his arm.
    “Hey.” He dodged away from me. “Look what you did.” He rubbed his now-dirty arm on my shoulder.  
    “How’s your homework going?”
    Carmen put her head in the palm of her hand. “Where do we start?”
    “It’s not that bad.” Joel’s green eyes darted between us.
    “He’s writing sentences with his spelling words,” Sydney said. “We had to make him redo it because it was atrocious the first time around. Have a look.” She gave me his homework.
    I read the first line.
    She had birth .
    “She had birth? Joel, what grade are you in again? Fourth?”
    “Hey.” He laughed.
    “I don’t know how my mom does it.” Sydney said.
    Hey, look there is a curve .
    This is werse than I thought.
    “Joel, you spelled your spelling word wrong. W-e-r-s-e?”
    “I thought that was how you spelled it.”
    “Just wait. It gets better,” Carmen said.
    I made a hurl .
    I see blurred up.
    “You see blurred up?”
    “I meant I see blurry.”
    “After we corrected him,” Sydney said.
    I am sternly .
    I’m your serpent .
    I’ll spare myself.
    Look at my lair .
    I’m going to spurt .
    “You’re going to spurt, really?”
    Joel was on the floor, laughing.
    “Joel, come on now.” I kicked his foot. “You’re drooling on the carpet.”
    He laughed harder.
    “What’s so funny in here?” Mom asked.
    Dad, Uncle Leroy, and Aunt Becky followed behind her.
    “We just read Joel’s homework aloud.” Carmen smiled.
    “Oh no.” Aunt Becky gasped, her face going pale.
    “It wasn’t that bad. We fixed it.” Sydney waved her hand in the air.
    Aunt Becky still didn’t look any better.
    “Anyways,” Mom said, “how was your date?”
    “A disaster,” Sydney said.
    “Sorry about that.” Jayla said. “He seemed nice enough.”
    “But he was so cute,” Aunt Becky said.
    I rolled my eyes.
    “That he was,” Carmen added.
    I stood up and wrapped my arms around myself, trying to get the chill out. “I need to get out of these clothes.”
    “We’re leaving now, too,” Uncle Leroy said.
    I said goodbye to everyone and made my way to my room through the kitchen.
    Robotatouille was charging, its gaze directed at the wall. I’ll figure you out. I will. I hunched over as I walked past him, out of his line of sight.
    Once in my room, I headed immediately toward my shower. I couldn’t wait to get the makeup off.
    The warm pounding of the water eased my muscles. I laid one hand on the cool shower tile facing me and leaned against it. The hot water rushed into my veins and expelled the chill of the night air.
    I put on a long-sleeve T-shirt and plaid pants. I didn’t even bother to put on the dehumidifier. A little warm air never hurt anything. I pulled back my covers and dropped into my bed. I’d have to continue with my search tomorrow.