Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

touch her. Give me some credit.?

They continued talking, but Helen had stopped listening. She felt

sick. Stumbling in her borrowed shoes, she went over to her dad.

200/395

She stood right next to him as he talked to Pandora, and stared at

his profile until he took the hint and looked at her.

?What?s the matter with you?? he asked sarcastically at first, until

he took a good look at her and became concerned. ?You okay,

Len??

?Can we go? I have so much stuff to do. Homework and chores.

And I?m so tired,? she said, making up random excuses until he responded.

She was causing a bit of a scene, which she hated, but she

simply couldn?t stand there and suck it up for one second longer.

Jerry glanced down at his watch. ?Sure, yeah. I guess it?s getting

kind of late. Was that supposed to be my line?? he asked with a

guilty grimace.

?No, you?re good. It?s still early. I?m just . . . I?ve got stuff,? Helen

said before she launched immediately into the thank you, goodbye,

and see-you-tomorrow crap that she wished she could just

skip.

Ariadne shot Helen a worried look, but Helen didn?t care about

anything anymore, not anyone?s feelings or whether or not they all

thought she was rude or crazy or both. None of it mattered. She

just needed to get out of that house before she saw Lucas again or

she was going to lose her mind. It was rude and awkward, but

Helen managed to drag her dad out the front door before Lucas

and Pallas had even looked up from their conversation in the

corner.

201/395

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF?NOT FOR SALE