Eternal by Debra Glass Read Free Book Online

assaulted my nostrils. Reeking of tobacco, Briar glared as she swept past me. Still not wanting to make an enemy of her, I ignored her silent challenge and settled into my desk.
    Reading the article, however, proved impossible.
    My teacher, Mr. Daniels, didn’t waste time getting to the business of teaching us the importance of supply and demand. As soon as the tardy bell rang, he ordered our books out and I furiously took notes right up until the dismissal bell.
    After gov-ec, I met up with Holly in the hall. As we strolled toward our next class, Holly discussed the boy whose ring she wore on a chain around her neck while I tried to concentrate on Briar who followed a few paces behind. I could practically feel her heavily lined eyes on my back and, unable to resist the urge, I glanced over my shoulder at her more than once. I caught about every fifth word of Holly’s monologue, grasping that the boy attended college in the nearby town of Murfreesboro but that she feared he cheated on her with older girls.
    Even though I kept eye contact with Holly while she talked, my attention lingered on Briar’s obvious hostility toward me.
    I drew in a deep breath and tried to zero in on Briar’s thoughts—to see if I might pick up more than I had yesterday in the lunchroom.
    You’re not fooling anyone, little Miss Scarlett.
    My heart skipped a beat. I’d heard her thoughts as clearly as if she had spoken them. I knew my eyes were wide with shock and yet I couldn’t help but stare back.
    That’s right, I know you can hear me. I know what you are. And I know what you did. You’re not supposed to be here. Killer.
    I trembled and quickly turned away, pretending I hadn’t read the hateful thoughts she projected. My first instinct should have been to read her in return, to ferret out her deepest, darkest secret. But I didn’t. With a deep breath, I forced myself to relax my concentrated glare. This scar already made me freakish enough. I didn’t need help by advertising my unwanted psychic ability.
    Still, she had seen.
    She knew.
    I inhaled and then blew the breath out slowly.
    Hardly able to concentrate, I spent the next two class periods wondering what Briar knew and more importantly, how she knew it. Was she a far better psychic than everyone thought? But why hate me? I didn’t know her. I’d never done anything to her. How had she known what had really happened in the car the night Kira died?
    I shuddered.
    I hadn’t admitted the details to anyone and the thought someone could see into me that easily made me sick. So sick, it was all I could think about until lunch when Waylon asked if I’d read the article yet.
    “Half.” I feigned a smile. “Interesting stuff.”
    His gaze darkened a little as if he had expected more genuine enthusiasm from me. He’d been so nice and so sincere, I couldn’t bear to disappoint him.
    “I…I can’t wait until I get home and get a chance to really read the whole magazine,” I admitted truthfully. In fact, I was dying to finish the article about Ransom’s Run.
    * * * * *
    I was right about having to wait until I got home that afternoon to find time to read the article.
    When I got on the bus, Laura excitedly waved me to the seat.
    “What?” I slid around my little sister to get to Laura’s seat.
    “Look!” She pointed toward the student parking lot.
    Dropping into the seat, I leaned across her. Briar stood with her hands on the hips of her black pants. An angry look marred her face. One of the coaches bent under the propped open hood of her faded blue sedan to study the smoking engine. The coach finally straightened and said something to her. She ranted but he shook his head and wiped the grease from his hands on an old rag.
    Briar’s face flushed crimson. She stamped her platform boot on the pavement and then, even though I sat several yards away in the safety of a school bus, her gaze riveted to mine. Stunned, I read the unmistakable look of condemnation, of accusation in