Awakened by Ednah Walters Read Free Book Online Page B

it.”

    “Me too. The mountains, the canyons and the caves. You ought to see the valley in the winter. Do you ski?”

    “A little.” An easy silence settled between us. I skirted around the other students going in the opposite direction and prayed that my tendency to be blunt one second and tongue-tied the next would not send McKenzie scampering away. I didn’t want her to think I was antisocial. I just sucked in social settings. A group of students followed us into class, and McKenzie and I got separated.

    Mrs. Deveraux was my kind of teacher, laid back and non-conformist. She was thin, her brown hair pulled back with a colorful scarf and trendy glasses perched on her dainty nose. Copper leaves and gem stone earrings dangled from her ears, matching her necklace. Charm bracelets weighed down her wrists, and her tie-dyed wrap-around skirt matched her colorful top.

    She smiled when I gave her the slip introducing me as a new student. Instead of parading me in front of the class, she told me her name, gave me a list of reading material for the class and told me to take a seat.

    I loved English literature, read everything from the classics to memoirs. Even the books Mrs. Deveraux chose for us I’d already read. But for the first time, I had zero interest in plots and concept development. I was still wary, expecting something weird to happen. Every sudden sound in class made me jump. When class finished without an incident, I exhaled with relief.

    McKenzie materialized beside me. “Want to eat lunch together?” she asked.

    “I, uh, I’m supposed to meet a girl I know outside then go to lunch together.” The light in her eyes dimmed. “You can join us if you like?”

    She beamed. “Sure. I’ll meet you there. I need to ask Mrs. D. something about our assignment.”

    I returned my books to my locker and headed toward the cafeteria. Kylie and two other girls—one with light brown shoulder-length hair and glasses, the other one Chinese—were waiting for me by the entrance. After the introductions, I learned that Nikki Cho was Korean-American and the girl with glasses was Amelia, Kylie’s cousin.

    The four of us entered the cafeteria, got trays and bought our lunches. I listened with envy as the three girls discussed what they did over the summer with friends, each other or family. I never did anything with a schoolmate and didn’t have other relatives except Grampa.

    Two boys joined us. Zack with his wavy brown hair and goofy smile looked like the skateboarder type, and from the way Nikki’s hand slipped into his, he was her type. Cade, the brooding would-be Goth rocker in ultra-skinny black jeans, black T-shirt with skeleton logo seemed perfect for Kylie. Soon, they were discussing an upcoming school dance.

    “You should come with us, Lil,” Kylie said.

    I’d never attended a dance before and wouldn’t know what to wear. “When is it?”

    “Next week on Friday. Cade and I are going,” Kylie said and flashed him a smile.

    I warmed up to the idea. A school dance was a normal high school activity, which meant no Guardian mess. “Is it casual or formal?”

    “Casual. You can be my date.” Nikki lifted her pixie face to stare into Zack’s eyes.

    He hugged her close. “Anything for you, babe.”

    I looked across the table at Amelia. “Are you going?”

    “Maybe.” She pushed her glasses up her nose and blinked. “I don’t like to dance.”

    “What dance?” McKenzie asked, joining us. The three girls gave her an odd look. I introduced her and conversation continued as though she hadn’t interrupted.

    “You should go, Lil,” McKenzie urged. “I’m going. I love to dance.”

    I nodded, though I wondered if Grampa would allow it. With all the stuff going on in my life, I had enough to deal with. On the other hand, this was what I always wanted, to hang out with friends and do normal teen stuff. Was it fair to close that chapter of my life before it even begun because I was