Crossings: A Sovereign Guardians Novel by Susan Collins Read Free Book Online

around all of the new people I was meeting, not talking at all might actually be my best bet.
    We continued walking down the hall in what I assumed was the direction of our next class. Granger stopped at his locker and traded out a book, and I was pleasantly surprised to find my own locker was across the hall from his. I took the opportunity to grab my backpack and the things I hoped I would need for the last classes of the day.
    After the locker break, we met back in the center of the hall, and he picked up on the conversation as though we'd never been interrupted.
    "Honestly, that type of book isn't normally my thing, but the teacher makes it interesting. It's funny to watch the girls in class because they all seem to love it. Or, Mr. Darcy, at least."
    "I take it by the annoyed look on your face that you don't have a high opinion of that particular character?"
    We had reached the door number written on my schedule, so I assumed we were outside our English class, but instead of going in the room, Granger paused outside the door.
    "I'm glad we're basically done with the novel. I have to confess, I'm more a fan of Bronte's Mr. Rochester than the interminably confused state of Mr. Darcy."
    I was surprised he knew another character from an author who was definitely not on the reading list of most males, much less that he had a strong opinion about either of the characters.
    "Make fun if you will," he said noting the surprised look on my face, "but we had to read Jane Eyre at my old school."
    "Ah, of course. That explains it. Forced reading."
    He laughed out loud, and my own face broke into a full grin. He had a wonderful laugh that held nothing back. I liked how he put me at ease, unlike Keller.
    The smile on my face died as I thought about Keller's irritating behavior. Frustrated with myself, I wondered why even when he wasn't around, he had the ability to annoy me. Luckily my current companion was nothing like him.
    Granger's voice pulled me back from my thoughts. "Actually, Bronte's graphic novel was amazing. The illustrations were unbelievable."
    His eyebrows shot up and he grinned again, leaving me to only guess at whether he'd actually read the original novel or not.
    We walked into the classroom at that moment, and Mrs. Holmes motioned me over to take a quick glance at my schedule to make sure I was in the right place. She gave me an encouraging smile and a paperback copy of the class novel, jotted some notes down on a piece of paper, and told me to take any empty seat.
    When I turned around to face the class, I was surprised to see Granger patting the back of the chair in front of where he was now seated. I would have thought any seat around Granger Panera would have been taken.
    As I walked between two rows of chairs to reach the spot where Granger had a seat waiting for me, I felt a stare directed straight at me from a strawberry blonde wearing a skirt that was entirely too short for the way she was sitting. Intuitively I knew then my original assumption had been right. There shouldn't have been an empty seat anywhere near Granger.
    All I could guess was that for whatever reason, Granger had used his persuasive personality to empty the seat in front of him for me to be able to sit. I wondered briefly what he'd had to offer the very pretty girl to get her to move. And, I couldn't figure out why he'd go to the trouble, unless he wanted to finish our conversation.
    I slid into the vacated seat, took out my notebook and pen, and put the new copy of Pride and Prejudice on top. Then I put the rest of my things underneath the desk. Mrs. Holmes hadn't started teaching yet, even though the bell had rung right after we'd entered the room.
    Granger leaned forward, and I turned my head to hear what he was saying.
    "Mr. Rochester had secrets. All people have secrets. I think that makes him more real than Mr. Darcy, the besotted yet conflicted, rich gentleman."
    "I'm not saying I don't like Mr. Rochester," I argued back. I had read