Page 23 of Wylder and the Secret Rockstar
"Yes?" Bash turned his smile on her, and she blushed.
"Er ... Mr. Cook, what about the assignments we've already started?"
Of course Devyn was ahead of schedule. Wylder rolled her eyes at her roommate. She probably had half the semester's work done already.
"You may turn in any assignments you've been working on for the same credit," Sebastian said. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd rather talk about books that matter."
"Or one's we actually understand," Wylder murmured.
"What was that, Miss Anderson?" Mr. Cook turned his teacherly attention on her. Over the last week, she'd tried really hard to think of him as nothing more than Mr. Cook, her English Lit teacher. But she could only do that when he seemed so unlike the person she'd known that she didn't even recognize him. Otherwise, he was just Bash and always would be.
"Nothing." She sank lower in her seat, perusing the handout in front of her.
"Everyone, take a few minutes to review the list I just gave you. One Thousand Books to Read Before You Die." Mr. Cook picked up his list. "I want everyone to check off the books you've read and remember well enough to discuss. My goal is to collectively read, discuss, and discover every book on this list before the end of the year—or as many as we can. We'll select a few of the books none of you've read and a few of my favorites to read in full. We'll discuss some of your favorites in class, and we'll read passages from others. At the end of this semester, we'll each make a list of three books we haven't read that intrigue us the most, and we'll read them over the holiday break. I include myself in that assignment because there are plenty of books on this list I've never even heard of."
At least it's not just me.Wylder scanned the first page of titles, checking off the few books she'd read and remembered enough about to not embarrass herself in an academic discussion. Her list was shockingly short. Peeking over Diego's shoulder, she saw him checking off box after box of all the books he'd read.
Ooh, Hunger Games!Wylder checked off the box.Memoirs of a Geisha, check.Robinson Crusoe, check.The Man in the High Castle, check. The whole section of Stephen King books, double check. And thanks to her junior year at Defiance Academy, she was able to check off a ton of other books she'd discovered she liked. In the end, she made a respectable list.
"Show of hands, who has readOliver Twistby Charles Dickens?" Mr. Cook moved to pick up a stack of books to pass out. Wylder shot her hand in the air, grateful she'd actually read that months ago after discovering she enjoyed Dickens'A Tale of Two Cities.Oliver Twistwas even better in her opinion.
Wylder's was one of the few hands in the air, and she suddenly felt a lot better about her chances of passing this class.
Everyone in this school would probably be surprised to learn their resident troublemaker actually enjoyed reading when the book didn’t suck.
"Mr. Cook?" Devyn raised her hand again.
"Yes, Devyn?" Sebastian gave her an amused smile.
"What about the summer reading list? Shouldn't we be focused on those books?"
"We will still discuss your summer reading in class. Once a week we'll break into groups to talk about what you've read and there will be papers, and the material will be on your tests in addition to our new project."
Sebastian caught Wylder's eye for a brief moment before snooty Mr. Cook returned. He knew she hadn't read anything from the summer list. Was he trying to buy her some time to catch up? She was a fast reader, but she'd spent late nights trying to keep pace with the class discussion onRomeo and Juliet, and it wasn't going well. She was of the opinion that no one could speed read Shakespeare and understand any of it.
"Read the first five chapters ofOliver Twistover the weekend, and we will discuss them next week. Those of you who have already read it can take the extra time to freshen up on your summer reading. Our test onRomeo and Julietis coming soon, and I expect everyone to show me why you are in honors English this year."
Wylder passed her book list to Diego, feeling a lot better about this class, though she still couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of having an ex-boyfriend for a teacher.
After the bell rang, Wylder was the first one out of her seat. She’d made a habit of racing out of class to avoid talking to Sebastian, and she intended to keep it up for the rest of the year.
“Miss Anderson, we still have the matter of your detention to discuss.” Sebastian stood between her and the door, letting the class file out ahead of her. She was trapped. And there was no detention to discuss. He’d given her multiple detention slips all week, each with a note demanding she come to his office to explain herself.
Well, she wasn’t the one who needed to explain anything. “Would you look at the time?” She made a show of looking at her bare wrist. “I’ve got another class to get to.” She shoved past Sebastian, sticking her foot out to catch the door before he could close it and her inside his classroom. “Guess we’ll have to talk about that non-detention later.”
A warm hand grabbed her arm. The feel of his touch was so familiar it brought back that last night in the truck under the stars. Where they’d said their goodbyes.
“You can’t run from me forever, Wyld Child,” Sebastian murmured.
She shrugged out of his hold. “Watch me.” She darted from the room, eager to put as much distance between them as she could.
* * *
“Wakey, wakey!” Someone who would soon be dead yanked Wylder’s blanket off her bed.
“S’matter?” She lifted her head off her pillow, scowling at Devyn and Killian staring down at her. “S’cold.” She reached for her blanket and rolled into a cocoon.
“Darn, you can’t let her roll like that. Now we’ll never get her up.” Devyn pulled at the blanket, but there was no way Wylder was coming out anytime soon. It was Saturday, and Saturdays were for catching up on sleep.
