The Stern and Wild Ones (The Seeker Series) Read Online Free Page A

stuff. You really got a ride home with Jack Ruiz? And your grandmother invited him in for tea? That is so awesome! He's kinda hot, don't you think? What was he like?" She plucked a tofu chunk out of my bowl, making a face as she chewed. “How can you eat that crap?”
    "Did you miss the part about the freaky vision I had in the middle of class?" I was incredulous.
    "I heard that part--but the part about the hot guy is more interesting. I've known you were a complete freak for some time now, so the weird vision really comes as no huge surprise." She dodged my half-hearted attempt to throw my stuffed dog at her, and then got intense for a brief moment, grabbing my foot. "Seriously, are you ok?"
    "Yeah. I'm fine. It was pretty freaky, but Jack was really nice about getting me out of the classroom." I looked at her from under my eyelashes. "He is pretty hot, huh?" We both dissolved into a fit of girlish giggles. "Oh, Tara! He was sooo nice! He insisted on giving me a ride home and we stopped to pick up his little sister and she's so cute!" I finally ran out of breath and shoved more noodles in my mouth to forestall any more gushing.
    "So, what was he like? What did you guys talk about? How old is he?" she continued to prod.
    "Well, we didn't talk about anything important; just small talk. My grandmother got more info out of him than I did. He just moved here this summer from Taos and lives with his aunt and uncle. He doesn't have a girlfriend. I don't know how old he is, but doesn't he seem older than the rest of us juniors?"
            "Yeah, he does," she agreed. "You've heard the rumors about him, haven't you? Word on the street is that he has a mysterious criminal past."
    " Word on the street? Seriously, Ice-T? But, yeah, I've heard the rumors. I'm having a hard time reconciling the really nice, polite guy that took me home and had tea with Grams with a hardened criminal."
    "So, did he ask you out or anything?"
    "No, it wasn't really like that. I don't think he like likes me. Ick--that sounded so middle school boy-crazy, huh?"
    "Just a bit, but I thin k you can be forgiven this once, since you’ve never been boy-crazy. You’ve always left that to me." She patted my foot in comfort.
    We continued to dissect my afternoon experience , until she had to go home, without coming to any sort of conclusion. I needed Tara's perspective on what I was going through. I know Grams said to keep it in the family, but Tara is family. I can't keep anything from her. We have been best friends since 6th grade when we joined band together. We both played the flute, but she was clearly talented and was switched to oboe and given private lessons whereas I was so clearly not talented and made my way steadily farther down the flute section until I just opted out of band in high school and shoved my flute to the back of my closet. She knows all about our family "curse" and has patiently listened to me complain through the years about Grams constantly going through my stuff when I'm not home--sometimes even when I am home! I have kept her apprised of my previous episodes of, what should I call them--ESP? Yikes, I don't know what to consider them--I just sometimes can tell when what a person is saying or showing is not the whole truth. Yep, I’m a real Deanna Troi (Star Trek Next Generation reference for the non-nerdy). Up until earlier today, though, I've never seen what the truth actually is. Knowing, seeing that Veronica is pregnant is really creepy. Why should it be any of my business? I don't know her at all any more, except by reputation--which is not great. She has constantly had a boyfriend since middle school; she doesn't seem to be able to function without a guy hanging on her, and I've witnessed her and her flavor-of-the-month playing tonsil hockey in front of her locker more times than I care to. Gross. So not classy.
    Later that evening I was lounging in bed, reading my assigned chapters from The Scarlet Letter (is it sick