Free Siphon (Siphon Chronicles, Book One) by Cyndi Goodgame

of.
    “You are giving a little I can tell and I know you are guarding something inside you.  I’ve lived with this life all alone and no one was there to tell my fears to.  I don’t want to depress you with my sordid life, but well, I had to grow up too fast with neglect from my parents.  I have heard of the headquarters, but never heard it named.  My parents don’t know that I know.”
    That was all I would tell this boy until I knew more.  He would have to give the next tidbit.
    He swallowed deeply as he took a drink of his own soda.  I think he took a long time on purpose. 
    I smiled at his painstaking eyes and laughed aloud.  His startled look showed me it worked.
    “All this deep talk has me craving ice cream.  I’ll be right back.  When I return, maybe we could not talk about the fact that we both have information that might scare the other away as I have a feeling your secrets are more dangerous than mine.”
    Since he was the one who showed up out of nowhere, I would wait and see.  I would stay on my guard though.  Somehow, I still thought he wasn’t the good guy even though I kissed him.  And I will not lie that it felt like I was being stupid for giving him the time of day, but this guy had answers I’ve been seeking for years and this might be my only chance to ever know the truth.  Deep down inside, I knew the events of the week would alter my life forever.  Hence, him being the monkey wrench in my senior year from day one of the second and final semester of high school.  What would tomorrow bring?

DANE  Birds of a Feather
     
    I was a mess, but she gave me an out.  She didn’t want to know just yet for the same reasons I didn’t want to tell her. 
    I let my eyes watch her lithe body move across the busy room of teenagers eating to their hearts content.  Especially the male population.  One guy was sliding an entire piece of taco pizza into his mouth on a dare by his posse who still looked up in time to watch her cross the room.
    Several people said hello to Lark as she passed them.  More of them male than female.  The growling beast inside me didn’t like that assessment.  And how did I not see the Foster dude was here?  He stopped with her at the soft serve machine and slid his hand around her waist.  She cowered away and pushed the chocolate button on the right to swirl against her cone.  I watched her face turn sideways and tell the guy to stop.  That was my cue.
    Moving with the speed of light, I curled my arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her to me.  I had no claim over this girl, but I didn’t like her feeling trapped by this scumbag.  He was the worst kind of human male.  No, I wasn’t a saint, but he was only out for his own personal gain.  She was a notch on his notepad.
    She smoothed out against my hip and looked into my eyes.
    “Are you okay, Pigeon?”
    “You called her a bird.  That’s classic.  What a brain surgeon.  Don’t you know she’s already a little bird named Lark who flies solo?”
    I got her permission with her eyes.  They were tearing up, but she blinked them away.
    “Not any more.  She’s with me.”
    “You won’t get any out of her.  She’s a prude.”
    “Maybe if you’d treat her like the classic she is, you’d see that there is more to this girl than just her beauty.  She deserves better than you.”
    Foster rolled up on the front of his shoes at me.  “And you think you’re better?”
    I pushed her behind me and stepped closer to him showing my three inches on him, “Not by a long shot.  But she deserves to be treated with respect.  She is not one of your backseat buddies you flaunt to the world.  In fact, no girl deserves scum like you.”

LARK ✜ Tick.  Tock.
     
    Foster’s fist started to form a white knuckle sandwich and I knew from experience what would happen next.  I couldn’t step between two huge pure muscle boys, but I could stop this before it escalated to that point.
    “Foster, let