Under My Skin (Wildlings) Read Online Free Page B

shower.

    Marina

    I really don't want to leave Josh's place, but the detective won't let me stay. I think about hanging around until after he's gone, but who knows how long that'll be? From where I stand on the sidewalk, I can look in through the living room window and see them talking. I'm dying to hear what they're saying, but then the detective glances in my direction. He's got that smirk on his face again, so I turn my back to him. I drop my skateboard on the pavement and push off, heading for school. I'll just be a little early for my first class.
    I'm not sure whether Josh will even show up for school today. I know he'll tell me everything that happened when we do see each other and that's bound to be soon—after school at the latest—but the idea of having to wait is hard. We're never far apart for long, even though I'd like to be close in a different way. I'm just not sure that he feels the same toward me.

    Desmond rolls up on the sidewalk outside school at the same time as me.
    "Dude!" he yells, even though I'm right in front of him. "Did you check the newsfeeds this morning? Josh got himself kidnapped by some big-ass tiger or something! We've got to put a posse together and find him."
    "Jeez, chill, would you?" I say. "He's okay. I just came from his house. He walked in the door ten minutes ago, all on his own."
    "What? Crap, I hate being the last to know. How is he? Is he all scratched up? What happened?"
    "Who knows? Other than wearing a ridiculous pair of sweats and a Hannah Montana T-shirt, he looks fine. There's not a mark on him. But there was a cop at the house and he made me leave before I could find out what happened."
    "You should have texted me."
    "It all happened so fast I didn't think of it."
    Desmond nods, then he grins. "Oh, man. Hannah Montana. That's pure gold. He's never going to live it down."
    Seeing the look of anticipation on his face, I wish I'd never mentioned it. He's going to rag Josh mercilessly.
    "Dial it down, Wilson. We don't know what he's been through. We shouldn't assume that everything's fine until he tells us so himself."
    He grins. "Overprotective much?"
    I know he's teasing, but I bristle all the same. Des is a sweet goof, but sometimes he makes me want to smack him. Like right now.
    He catches my look and pretends to cringe.
    "Sorry," he says. "I get it. Let me buy you a slushie at lunch to make up for it."
    "That's more like it, gringo."
    We head up the walk and through the main doors, our boards under our arms. The school lobby is buzzing with gossip about Josh. Kids are standing around in little groups trading stories, trying to figure out what happened. Josh would hate this. He can't stand being the center of attention.
    As soon as the other kids notice Des and me in the lobby, we get a few stares because they all know we're best friends with Josh. The volume goes down some, but it doesn't matter. Every second word is still cougar, tiger, lion.
    I know, because my Wildling hearing is so acute.

    Josh

    I'm sitting in front of my computer looking at a list of plumbing sites that I Googled. So far, I haven't found anything useful to my real problem. Getting the sink fastened back to the wall and the pipes reconnected—that doesn't look too hard. It's the plaster that broke away from the wall that I need to figure out how to replace.
    I'm about to click on another link when my cell rings out the theme to that old TV show The Twilight Zone , played by The Ventures. Considering how things have been going for the past twenty-four hours, it seems all too appropriate.
    When I check the display, I see there's another text from Desmond: Dude yr back? Call me .
    It's the latest of a bunch from him. There's also a couple from Marina. I send them both a message to meet at the parking lot by the pier after they get out of school, then I turn off the phone, close down my computer and go out to the garage.
    Mom's parents own our house, which is why we can afford to live here, just a