Read Something Like Rain (Something Like... Book 8) for Free Online

on Jared winning?”
    “No idea about the race,” Holly said, “but Kelly was probably at the YMCA so he could see you naked. Did you take a shower together?”
    “Together?” William spluttered. “No!”
    “Just ignore her,” Lily said. “She’s full of depraved fantasies.”
    Holly didn’t appear ashamed. In fact, her smile got bigger.
    “Okay,” William said. “Have fun gossiping. I’m going to train.”
    Three girls groaned in unison. “You’re no fun!” Holly said.
    “That’s right,” William replied. “So unless any of you want to run a few laps…”
    This was enough to scare them away. Once they rounded a corner and were out of sight, William leaned against a row of lockers, mind racing. His friends loved to gossip. He had learned all sorts of sultry details about other people, thanks to their tales. They had a good instinct for what was true and what was bullshit. Very little they shared with him turned out to be false. Kelly was probably gay. William searched himself, trying to decide how this made him feel. Apprehensive? Excited?
    Both? Yeah. That about summed it up. He found himself wanting to be around Kelly to confirm it and see if anything would happen, like a litmus test for his own sexuality. If you turn blue when another gay person is around, then you’re gay too! The halls were empty now, which made it easy for him to move quickly. William left the building and entered into a gray day, clouds covering the sky, trees swaying in the wind.
    He hurried toward the track and spotted someone running there. Jared was in the middle of a lap. On the bleachers, a girl with blonde hair and pink glasses clapped in appreciation. Martha Huffman. No freaking way! If his friends had been right about that detail, and clearly they were, then…
    Where was Kelly? Still getting changed? The thought of being in the locker room with him again took on new meaning, almost seemed risqué. Part of him was scared and wanted to deny his curiosity. The rest just wanted. William made a beeline for the athletic building, entering a side door and walking down the hall. He reached the doorway to the locker rooms at the same time Kelly did from the other side. The angry expression had returned.
    “Hey!” William tried. “Sorry I’m late. Why do girls like to talk so much?”
    Kelly broke eye contact and pressed forward, forcing William to move aside. He was dressed in normal clothes, and unless he was planning a repeat of the other day, it meant he wouldn’t be running.
    “Aren’t you training today?” William asked. Then, in an attempt to lighten the mood, he added. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re done already! You’re not that fast, are you?”
    Kelly kept walking. “Not quite.”
    “Then where are you going?”
    “I’m going to get in my car, find a really tall bridge, and drive off of it.”
    “Awesome,” William said. “Mind if I tag along?”
    This worked. Kelly slowed. “You have a death wish?”
    “Not really, but I was hoping you could give me a ride home on your way. I’ve been biking to school every day, and honestly, my legs are still sore from running and everything else.”
    “You need to take a break,” Kelly said. “Give your muscles time to heal and build up. Not that you need to get any bigger. You really want a ride?”
    “If you don’t mind. There aren’t any bridges on the way to my house, so we should be okay.”
    Kelly raised an eyebrow. “I thought you had an after-school job.”
    “I started a lawn mowing business when I was twelve. Most of my clients have moved away or now have kids old enough to do it themselves, but some still depend on me. I’m not busy every day, leaving my afternoons free to beg strangers for rides.”
    Kelly remained silent, but gestured with his head that William should follow. As they left the school and strolled across the parking lot, William fell behind a few paces, trying to determine if Kelly was gay. He didn’t walk different, and he