Collide: A Riverbend Novel by Sara Daniell Read Free Book Online Page A

well. I smiled sadly at him. I had been
having a rough day. Some days I was fine, others, not so
much.
     
    Today was a bad one. I had
been picked on relentlessly until I hid in the art room and the
counselor was calling Mrs. Johanna to voice her concern that I was
still suicidal. Which I wasn't.
     
    "What are you doing in
here?" I asked as I cleaned up my supplies.
     
    He sat on a stool. "Coming
to see why you didn't come to lunch."
     
    I shrugged. "I wasn't
hungry. I ate a granola bar, though."
     
    "Want to walk to English
with me?"
     
    "Let me finish cleaning
up," I said as I wiped down my area.
     
    After I finished, I picked
up my bag and walked out of the art room with Havock. I avoided
looking at the faces of the other kids because they always had
anger in their eyes when they looked at me. "Why do people hate
me?" I asked him quietly.
     
    "Because they think you did
it," he said referring to my mother and dad. Havock wasn't one to
sugar coat things.
     
    "I was seven when mom was
killed," I said as I moved closer to him as a particular girl who
had made my life worse than a living hell walked by.
     
    Havock put his arm around
my shoulders.
    I heard someone whisper
murderer as they walked by, and I couldn't take anymore.
     
    "I...I need to go to the
restroom." I moved away from him then hurried into the
bathroom.
     
    I went into a stall and
locked it. I slid down the door and wrapped my arms around my knees
as I buried my face against them and cried. I just wanted my
dad.
     
    I heard the door open and
saw Havock's converse. He knocked on the stall. "Reese?"
     
    I wiped my eyes, stood up
and unlocked the door. "You shouldn't be in here," I said as I
wiped my eyes.
     
    "No, I shouldn't. But that
didn't stop me." He wiped my tears. "Ignore them," he
whispered.
     
    "I'm trying. It's hard." I
smiled weakly at him.
     
    "Ready to go to class?" he
asked taking my hand.
     
    I nodded. "Are we almost to
Christmas break yet?"
     
    "Yup. And our family
pre-Christmas vacation starts this weekend. Mom pitched a fit until
the judge said you could go." We walked out of the
bathroom.
     
    A smile appeared on my
face. "Really?!"
     
    He smiled showing off his
dimple. "Really."
     
    We walked into class and he
followed behind me until I got to my seat. He then went to his
seat.
     
    I hadn't been seated long
when my name was called over the intercom, and I was asked to
report to the counselor's office. I grabbed my bag and left the
room.
     
    I opened the door and
walked in. "You wanted to see me?"
     
    "Mmm hmm. Have a
seat."
     
    I sat down in the chair and
placed my bag on the floor. By the look on her face I did something
wrong. "Am I in trouble?"
     
    I racked my brain as I
tried to think of something I had done wrong. I had gone to the
nurse like I was supposed to. I turned in my homework. I had been
good.
     
    "Just a rumor. Or at least
that's what I hope it is. Please tell me you weren't taking pills
in the bathroom with Havock?"
     
    "No ma'am. I was crying and
he came to get me out. We weren't even in there very long," I said
as I looked her in the eyes. "And why would I take
pills?"
     
    "He's been known to pop
pills with girls in the bathroom, then they..." She shook her head.
"That's confidential. I can't believe I let that slip." She smacked
her forehead. "Why were you crying?" She asked, changing the
subject.
     
    I shrugged. "I'm just tired
of being called a murderer."
     
    Thoughts raced through my
head as what she said sunk in completely. I just couldn't wrap my
mind around what she let slip. Havock,
what the hell were you in to? I wondered as
I sat there.
     
    She started writing
something down. "Who has been calling you a murderer?"
     
    "Everyone but Havock,
Garrett and Jude," I said as I picked at my nails.
     
    She set her pen down and
looked at me. "Is school too much for you? Do we need to get
someone to home school you?"
     
    "I don't want to leave the
Satterly's," I said as I started to