Cemetery Boys: Chapters 5–9

by Aiden Thomas
Yadriel is determined to prove to his family that he's a brujo. When he accidentally summons the ghost of classmate Julian Diaz, the two boys investigate a series of strange disappearances.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapters 15–20, Chapter 21–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. inevitable
    invariably occurring or appearing
    After their blowup earlier, Yadriel still wasn’t ready to face him. His stomach twisted thinking about his dad’s inevitable attempt at an awkward apology.
  2. concession
    the act of yielding
    He ducked, holding his hands up in concession.
  3. ecstasy
    a state of elated bliss
    “So good,” Julian mumbled, eyes rolling in ecstasy.
  4. aloof
    distant, cold, or detached in manner
    He did his best to appear aloof, but that turned into him rocking on the balls of his feet and watching Julian.
  5. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    “Jesus, you scared the hell out of me,” Yadriel said, gingerly picking up the small cat and placing her in his lap.
  6. reverberate
    ring or echo with sound
    Her enthused purrs reverberated against his chest.
  7. curt
    speaking in a terse, rude, or abrupt way
    “Don’t got parents,” Julian said, his words curt. Gruff.
  8. preen
    pride or congratulate oneself for an achievement
    Julian tilted his chin and grinned in a way he could only describe as preening.
  9. patron
    someone who supports or champions something
    “We call her Lady Death; she’s our patron,” Yadriel explained, affectionately straightening the skeleton dressed in her huipil and skirts. “She’s the one who gave us our powers. She looks after us, and we help her maintain the balance of life and death.”
    “So, she’s your patron and your patrón.”
  10. partial
    having a strong preference or liking for
    “I’ve always been more partial to St. Jude, myself...”
  11. incessant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
    He was tired, and Julian’s incessant questions were just confusing him.
  12. asinine
    devoid of intelligence
    They were quickly followed up by the most asinine questions Yadriel ever had to endure at three in the morning.
  13. tenuous
    lacking substance or significance
    Even in the wee hours of the morning, Yadriel knew sleep wouldn’t come easy. His relationship with it was always tenuous at best.
  14. ward off
    prevent the occurrence of
    “Good job,” Yadriel grumbled, sitting up and rubbing at his temples, warding off a headache.
  15. grouse
    complain
    “It’s not like I had anything else to do,” Julian groused, kicking his feet up onto the bed.
  16. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
    Yadriel let the mundane tasks of getting dressed, washing his face, and styling his hair calm his frayed nerves.
  17. marquee
    a structure, often with a signboard, over an entrance
    Yadriel paused, staring intently at the screen and reading the marquee and list of upcoming topics.
  18. furtive
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    “Yeah, let’s get out of here before someone sees us,” Yadriel said, casting another furtive glance back toward the cemetery.
  19. conundrum
    a difficult problem
    Julian was certainly a conundrum.
  20. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “I guess that makes sense?” he mused.
  21. affiliated
    being joined in close association
    He was pretty sure Julian had been suspended at least once for getting into fights, and there were rumors that he was affiliated with one of the local gangs.
  22. discreet
    marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
    The flat look Yadriel discreetly cut to Julian said, Both.
  23. petulantly
    in an easily irritated or annoyed manner
    “That doesn’t sound like me,” Julian grumbled petulantly.
  24. balk
    refuse to proceed or comply
    Julian balked. “What?"
  25. cartel
    a consortium formed to limit commercial competition
    Julian told him he didn’t have any parents, but that didn’t mean they were in jail or killed by a rival drug cartel.
  26. disgruntled
    in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
    Julian made a disgruntled noise. “How long is this gonna take?”
  27. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    “One of these times their bickering is going to turn into a knife fight, I tell you,” Tío Isaac told Yadriel in conspiratorial exasperation.
  28. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    Omar Deye sat rigid in his photo, back straight and chin jutted, looking down at the camera with contempt.
  29. brooding
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    He had dark skin, a tight fade, and a brooding expression.
  30. emboss
    raise in a relief
    Without legally changing his name—which took time and money—the school refused to use his real name, forever embossing his deadname under his painfully awkward photograph.
  31. haphazardly
    in a random manner
    "Look!" Julian said, jumping to change the subject as he haphazardly opened and closed the cover.
  32. cacophony
    a loud harsh or strident noise
    “Hi, Lita,” he said, and he was greeted by a cacophony of hellos.
  33. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    Her colors were all washed out, as if she were just a black-and-white photograph. Seeing her was like looking through a fogged window. The details were blurred and undulating ever so slightly.
  34. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    “Whoa,” Julian breathed, dark eyes transfixed and lips parted as the glowing flowers cascaded to the ground.
  35. absolve
    excuse or free from blame
    Why did Yadriel always have to absolve people of their guilt? He didn’t want to be understanding. He didn’t have it in him to be forgiving this time.
  36. unabashed
    not embarrassed
    A surprised laugh bucked in Yadriel’s chest at Julian’s complete lack of filter. His unabashed honesty was blunt, but it was also refreshing to not deal with pretense.
  37. slew
    a large number or amount or extent
    Julian opened his mouth, and Yadriel fully expected a slew of questions to come pouring out, but Maritza saved the day.
  38. loll
    hang loosely or laxly
    Immediately, their jowls dropped, tongues happily lolling.
  39. haunch
    the upper part of the leg of an animal, often used for food
    Donatello, the bigger of the two, sat back on his haunches, eyes half-lidded, panting and drooling happily up at Yadriel.
  40. implication
    a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred
    “I resent your implication.” Maritza sniffed indignantly, bumping Michelangelo out of the way with her hip.
Created on Tue Oct 06 10:14:46 EDT 2020 (updated Thu Oct 08 12:42:21 EDT 2020)

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