entice - 1st chpt

8/8/2019 Entice - 1st Chpt

1/6

Am I ally no allowd o complan abou bng h? I ask as w

n Bdod Hgh School abou an hou la o h wn ball.

In an amp o mak mo ball and lss hgh school, h lghsa dmmd n h on oy and gan wh snowfaks and wn-

kly lghs dangl om h clng. Thy a supposd o look sv,

bu hy a dngy om yas o us. Th wh s so o an o-

yllow ha looks lk old a-sand h mo han snow.

Cassdy, my all, badd, paally l nd, pus h am

aound m. I w an allowd o complan abou you nw p

saus, you an allowd o complan abou h danc.

Iss somps h al snow o o h pnk and gold hls and

chps, Acually, I hnk you a allowd o complan a coupl

ms, bu no

No cssvly? Dvyn suggss, pullng hs bdlk body

up o s ull hgh. Is lk hs posung, showng m ha hs

pocng Iss. H kps lookng a m ou o h con o hs

L forcmt utoriti r ti ivtigtig ttrg bu ccidt tt rcty kid vr Sumr Hig

Scoo tudt. Mi, Bdford poic dvi tt otr

boy b rportd miig from tt to, brigig ttot up to igt. News Channel 8

Entice UK - 1-266.indd 1Entice UK - 1-266.indd 1 28/09/2010 15:5728/09/2010 15:57


2/6

Carrie Jones

2

y lk I mgh aack any scond. Bu I wonI man, I don

hnk I wll.

Eacly. No cssvly. Iss bams up a hm, smlng, and

s so sw how sh dos and how h smls back ha som-

hng nsd m baks a ny b. Nck and I usd o b lk ha.

Thn h dd. So o. A p kng klld hm. H dd n my ams

and hn a wngd woman ook hm away o som myscal plac

ha only waos who hav dd n bal can go. My bah sops,jus mmbng h blood, h way h was jus gon.

Zaa? Cassdys am ghns aound my shoulds as w

mach owad. I guss snc shs a b psychc and can s no

my soul, shs h only on who sms o us m a hundd

pcn whn I don vn us m a hundd pcn. You

okay?

I nod. I am no gong o un h ngh o hm. Bu hn

I smll . . . Dov soap, h copp mal ang o blood. Som-

hngs wong.Iss sdls up o m. I know you mss Nck, bu wll nd a

way o g hm

I shak my had, lsnng. Thas no . Somhngs wong

n h school. I can smll blood . . . blood and a.

Iss dops my am as Dvyn slls and says, I smll oo.

Dv and I chang a look and sa unnng down h hall-

way. I yll bhnd o wh Iss and Cass a. Hd, guys. Okay?

W bus no h dak, dcoad caa. Wh Chsmas-

syl s wh blu lghs a splayd along h walls. Hp-hop

musc pumps hough h a. Popl a movng ancally, bu

hy dancng mosly, no unnng o h lvs. Dvyn and I

sand h, suvyng all h gowns and sus, smllng h swa

and way-oo-nns cologn.



3/6

Entice

3

Do you s anyhng? I ask.

H sas o say no, bu hn h pons o h daks con,

wh ak Chsmas s hal hd movmn n h soda

machn alcov. Two gls n bza gowns a yankng a a guy I

don cognz, pullng on hs , huslng hm ou h m-

gncy doo. Hs bldng om h nos and h ws. Thas

h blood Im smllng, and vn hough s py obvous hs

bn dnkng alcohol, I can smll hs a oo. I olls o hmalmos sold, lk a colo o a aound hmyllow and dak

bown.

Dv, I sa.

H nups m. I can chang h. Popl wll s.

Dvyn s a w. H can sh no an agl.

Jus back m up, I ll hm, whch s a oal ol vsal. Im

usually h on who backs oh popl up. Sll, I say and man

as I bump hough dancng goups and coupls who a so no

hmslvs ha hy don noc anyhng a all.Dvyn mumus n my a, Th a wo o hm.

Dvyn . . . l m go s, I say agan, yng o huy wh-

ou bng oo obvous. Th gls a huslng h guy owad a

doo makd ire exit. Thy movng py as and I know

hy g hm ou o h hs a gon, bcaus hy an gula

gls. Thy a ps. Thy gong o b a hm and ou

hm and bascally dan hs soul unl h gos nsan o ds.

How do I know hs? I know bcaus now Im a p oo.

I bang owad hm and poson mysl bwn hm and h

doo. Jus lk m, hy appa human, hdng h blu skn and

h aky shap h wh a glamou. On was a d dss ha

looks and smlls lk s bn hangng ou n a Goodwll snc h

1980s. Puy slvs wh should pads gv h ooball unom



4/6

Carrie Jones

4

shoulds, and mons ufs along h boom hm do no hlp

hngs. Th oh on was a black cuou dss ha only sup-

modls should vn look a. Shs go h ha n a Fnch ws.

Sop, I say.

Eghs Dss ass an ybow. W a havng a oo much

un o sop.

Oh, has ognal.

Th scond p, who looks lk a d-had Bab, snals am whl bang h ylashs, whch would b wd nough

vn sh ddn hav blood on h h.

I y o mak mysl as ough smng as possbl. I sad

sop.

Thy laugh.

I adm ha I am no h mos nmdang-lookng pson

p? whavbu laughng a m s so no cool. Ths hobl,

horrible pmal ush o ang sugs hough m as I ak a sp

owad and h guy n bwn h ps saggs backwad, h-ng h wall. Hs su coa umpls up bhnd hs bu as h sas

sldng down. Dvyn lungs owad o hlp hm, bu Evl Rd-

Had Bab shovs Dvyn backwad no m. I cach hm a h

was and lap aound hm.

You nd o calm down, I say, ponng my ng a h lk

som knd o angy ach-pson, and you nd o lav. Ths

s my school, and you a no mssng wh h popl h.

You and M. Sknny a gong o sop us? Bab ucks h

ha bhnd h as, obvously no mpssd.

Eww. Why would you vn wan o clam hs school? I

smlls lk a sp mall, h oh on says.

I don answ h o hm, jus sa h s on down as

Dunk Boy fops ono h foo and sas cawlng away.



5/6

Entice

5

I don wan o hu you, I say, sppng owad, so hs s

you las chanc.

Shs a pacs, Dvyn says bhnd m, sandng up agan. I

wond why hs sayng hs. Is o mnd m o who I usd o b

o o mnd hmsl? Do you know wha ha mans? h adds.

Thy look a us blankly.

I mans I don blv n ghng, I plan, akng anoh

sp clos. Th nson lls h a. I know hy boh ady osk, o a and p wh h and hands. Bu I hav no da I

can gh hm. I know Im song now ha Im a p, bu all

h moons a ushng hough m . . . I don know I can

conol hm.

Nck would ak h song on down s, mak a sa-

mn. So has wha I dcd o do. My am snachs ou and

gabs Bab by h ws. I squz and swp my lgs und-

nah h o y o p h. Sh dosn all o , jumpng back.

H hand smashs no my somach. I oomph bu don allh. Insad, I do h s hng I can hnk o, whch s kck a

h aganand hs m s lk somhng has swchd on. Im

way as han I should b. Th kck conncs wh h shn. I

snd anoh on o h hgh as sh saggs.

Thn I gab h ha. My ngs smoosh no h ws. Yank-

ng h had o my a, I say, G ou o h bo I un you

hls and you dss and you ac.

Sh snals mnacngly a m, bu hs no way sh can

mov.

Dvyn, s anyon lookng? I ask.

Nop, h answs.

Th oh p haumphs. Fn. Wll go. Can w ak h

ma?



6/6

Carrie Jones

6

Sh gsus owad h dunk boy, who s yng o cawl

back owad h punch abl.

No, I answ. Ths s m n my wanng phas. Ths s me

llngyou o g ou bo I ally los my pacs ways and kll

you. So ll you ll kng Who s you kng?

Fank, Bab answs.

Fank, I pa, akng n. No my bologcal ah. Fank,

h on who lasd all my dads ps om wh wd appdhm n an old Vcoan hous n h woods. Fank, h on who

klld my boynd, Nck. Wll, ll Fank ha h has a dcu-

lous nam o an vl p kng and also ll hm ha I wll no

sand o any o hs ll mnons aackng popl a my school.

Go ?

And o un h popl who a mssng, Dvyn adds.

Somhng cluchs my somach. Is dad. I look a Dvyn.

Whas happnd snc Iv und? How many popl?

Too many o coun, Eghs Dss says. Th popl ha so asy o ak. And o kll. And scang hm? Is dlcous.

Ang scaps my hoa. No mo. Tll hm no mo. Th

popl h a no oys.

Evn I can ha h ha n my voc, had and vn, a

dum poundng wa bas no h a.

Eghs dosn answ. H nd dos. Who a you o ll

Fank wha o do?

Good quson. I shov Bab owad h doo and y o

com up wh a snappy answ wohy o cul movs and TV

shows. Bu bo I say anyhng, Dvyn answs o m, almos

lk hs poud o m ah han hod ha Iv jus und no

on o hm. Sh s Zaa Wh, a p qun.


entice - 1st chpt

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