All In My Head (First Tracks Book 1) by Kristen James Read Free Book Online Page B

twice if it has
severe side effects? Such as having some stranger suddenly living in your
head?”
    I just want to see you live a little.
    “Hmm, how are you an expert on my life now?”
    I brushed my teeth and splashed cold water on my face. My
stomach growled again as I started to think about nachos. I chugged a glass of
water, realizing I needed more fluids today after running, and then stretched
on the floor. Maybe two miles wasn’t much, but I wanted to do what I could to
soften the blow.
    Then I fell backwards on my bed—cursed myself as the soft
impact reverberated through my head—and allowed myself a whimper and even a few
tears over my situation. I didn’t go around crying all the time before this. I
couldn’t believe how frustrated and off-kilter it’d gotten me. What was I going
to do? I had to get help for this. I couldn’t let the voice in my head stop me
from telling someone. That was crazy, like classic, certifiable crazy.
    Haven’t we moved past that yet?
    Nash texted again: What are you doing tonight?
     Seriously?
    I breathed in slowly through my nose before telling Marcus,
“Isn’t there any way for you to step away for a while?”
    I guess, but I’m just … kinda gone. Not anywhere.
    “Isn’t that like sleeping? What’s so bad about it?”
    I pictured myself raising my eyebrows at him. Then I texted
Nash to say I was staying in and Kristina was bringing nachos home. I hit send,
thinking he’d take the hint, and then remembered this was Nash. He probably
wouldn’t realize I was inviting him over. Or maybe he does understand those
kind of subtle clues, but he’s too shy to ever act on them.
    Could I handle spending time with Nash with Marcus hanging
around? I heard a few choice words from Marcus, which was the motivation I
needed to text Nash: Want to come over?
    Really? Just to piss me off?
    I sighed, a long, frustrated and drawn-out sigh.
    “See, here’s the thing. I was living my life and hanging
with my friends, and suddenly you’re here. I guess I understand it’s tough on
you, if you’re real and really can’t leave, but I shouldn’t have to change
everything about myself. Right? Can’t you see it from my point of view?”
    Now he sighed, copying mine exactly.
    Yeah, yeah. I actually totally understand your side. This isn’t
fair. Not for me. Not for you. So here’s my thing … If I try to understand and
respect your side, can you stop implying or flat out saying I’m a ghost, or not
real, or some schizophrenic manifestation?
    “How can I not think that?” I asked, throwing my hands up.
    Deal or no deal.
    How could it be that simple? “Does this deal mean that
you’ll be quiet tonight and let me have some time with my friends?”
    Just leave?
    “Just be quiet, not comment on my friends or Nash, and not
pass judgment on Nash or what I’m thinking?” I headed to my room. “I don’t know
if I can do the two-conversation game tonight.”
    Fine. I’ll be quiet.
    That wasn’t a black-and-white answer … which left me some
gray area too. Marcus tried to disagree but I told him to hush, then turned on
my laptop to check email. My email came on my phone too, but I figured I’d need
to download something from Mr. Finley. As promised, he had emailed.
    Hey, Avery?
    “Yeah?”
    Can I at least have the story on Kyle? Throw me a bone here.
What will it hurt anyway? If I’m just some voice in your head that you made up,
there’s no reason not to tell me, right?
    “I … wait, now who’s saying you’re not real?”
    Come on, baby, share.
    “It’s not as bad as you’re thinking.”
    Okay, then. That makes it even easier to tell me.
    It wasn’t something I could talk about, so I let my mind
wander back to it, allowing Marcus to see. Kyle and I had a few freshman
classes together, and we sat next to each other in the first one because there
was a seating chart. We got to know each other a little, and we’d walk to our
second class and talk there too.
    And he held an