Crossing Over by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel Read Free Book Online

use that Band-Aid, though,” I said, and turned and jogged back up toward Jac without saying
anything else.
    Jac and Ben were walking and talking cheerfully right through the center of Britches. I envied their inability to be distracted
by him. And I envied Jac in her ability to casually chat with Ben.
    “Look!” Jac pointed, as I reached her right side.
    The path ahead opened up onto a broad patio with flagstones, centered around a large stone building with a red roof, flanked
by four flags. Opposite the building the flat paved area ended in a guard rail, where the world seemed to drop off. Through
themist, the outlines of the city and glimpses of the river were visible. The three of us, well, the four of us, to be precise,
walked across the patio to the railing.
    “Imagine what you could see on a clear day,” Ben said.
    I looked over at him, and he looked back at me. Those sparkling eyes, not so much brown as four different shades of it. When
Ben looked at me, I really felt seen. How could I have been this boy’s lab partner in bio for an entire three days and failed
to notice those amazing eyes?
    Britches was peering anxiously over the rail. He turned frantically to Ben.
    “
Hochelaga est là? Là?
”
    Ben was standing with his hand on a large stone on which there was a plaque. He suddenly looked half asleep.
    “…
Sanguenay n’est pas loin. Là-bas, il y a des riches
…
Il y a beaucoup de riches
….”
    I looked around wildly. Britches had fallen silent. Jac was snapping pictures, and Ben was still zoned out. There was no one
else around.
    “…
c’est bien pour la roi. Pour la France. Je dois prendre Sanguenay pour la France!
”
    Oh, boy. I was hearing voices again.
    It was like the supernatural world was conspiring to make sure I could not get friendly with Ben. Imagine trying to have a
conversation with someone while a morning talk show blared in your ear. Difficult. And whether it was because I could never
get a word in edgewise, or he ended up thinking I was a total nut job, it seemed the supernatural was going to win.
    “Let me take a picture of you two,” Jacsaid. “Hey, Ben—snap out of it. Picture! Come on you two, squish together.”
    Did the girl never let up?
    But let’s face it. I didn’t want her to let up.
    I pretended not to want to be photographed, praying Jac would loudly insist.
    “Oh, no…,” I said. “Not of me. Just take one of—”
    “Kat Roberts, stop arguing with me and get in the picture!” Jac commanded.
    I immediately and happily complied.
    I stood next to Ben, smiling expectantly at Jac’s camera. I shifted my weight, and our shoulders brushed.
Please let Jac take forever to take the picture
, I prayed silently.
    “Smile! Got it!”
    Ah well. The important thing was there was now a picture of me and Ben together. If it turned out my eyes were closed or my
smilemalformed, I would throttle my friend. Steal her Twixes and Mars Bars and replace them with vegetables.
    “Okay, guys,” I heard, just as a fat raindrop landed on the ground. “Unfortunately it looks like the chalet is closed for
cleaning.”
    Another drop fell on my head.
    “And the weather is kind of turning,” Sid continued.
    As if Sid’s statement had been a command rather than an observation, the sky opened up and it completely and totally began
to pour.
    “So we should probably head back for the coach,” Sid called. According to Sid, like Tim, we were traveling on a motor coach,
not a bus. I liked the sound of it.
    Brooklyn and Shelby were screaming and covering their heads as if sulfuric acid were falling from the sky. They took off at
a run,and the Random Boys followed them, imitating their girly running and hooting at the top of their lungs. Yoshi produced
the world’s smallest umbrella from his backpack and handed it to his sister. She squeezed under it with Alice and Indira.
The rest of us were content to quick-march back down the path. More dignified than running, and besides, it was