Djinn by Laura Catherine Read Free Book Online Page B

me out, perhaps. It was unnerving, but nice, like she was trying to see who I really was.
    "How about we write both answers, then," I decided and scribbled Mia's weird thoughts onto the page, mostly so I didn't have to watch her stare anymore.
    "Did you just move to town?" I asked.
    "Yeah, a few days ago."
    "I saw you yesterday with Pyke. Are you two related?"
    "He's my brother." She stumbled a bit with the word brother. "He said you'd been here a few months."
    I was shocked that Pyke had talked about me to his sister. What else had he told her?
    "Yeah. I was the newest kid here before you two showed up," I said, hoping I wasn't rambling.
    "Where do you live?"
    I paused wondering if I should answer. It was dangerous letting people know where I lived, but I felt no danger from Mia. She was just a teenager, like me.
    "Off the main road, past the shopping strip," I replied, fiddling with my pencil. "What about you?"
    "Over the other side of the park," she replied.
    The bell rang in repetitive chimes.
    "Thanks class," Miss Bree said, collecting our work. "I'd like you all to start reading Arabian Nights as soon as possible. There are plenty of copies in the library."
    I picked up my books and headed to the door as usual. I turned back to Mia. She was picking up her books and watching me.
    "Nice meeting you," I said, feeling a little awkward. "See you around, I guess."
    "Sure," she said and I left the room.
    I hoped I hadn't come off as rude, or like I was brushing her off. I wasn't used to having someone to talk to, but I couldn't just tell Mia that, she'd think I was weird. She probably already thought I was weird.
    It was my free period so I made my way to the library. I wanted to borrow Arabian Nights and get a head start on the reading.
    The library was empty at that time of day. Many students had free periods, but no one wanted to spend them in the library.
    Well, no one except for me.
    "Hello, Ms Brant," I said as I walked in. She was at her desk scanning books, her glasses falling down her nose.
    "Hello, Kyra," she replied, but didn't look up.
    I strolled into the maze of bookshelves, knowing I could never get lost. This really was my favourite place to be, surrounded by books. There was just nothing better than learning all about characters and places in a new story, true or not.
    I never really bought my own books. Being on the run made it hard to carry much of anything, but when it came time to choose a new town, Dad always picked one with a library for me.
    I made my way to the shelves that were especially for Miss Bree's english books. A whole row was dedicated to our new study of Arabian Nights . I fingered the spines of each book, carefully picking which one I wanted. Ms Brant was good at keeping most of the books in a good condition, but some students still managed to rip off covers and graffiti the insides. It was the biggest crime against literature since book burning.
    I finally found a copy that was free from any damage and held it close to my chest, as if someone might appear and take it from me at any moment.
    "What are you reading?" someone asked.
    I whipped around, ponytail flicking me in the side of the face. Pyke stood behind me, leaning casually against the shelves. He smiled at me, looking me over.
    " Arabian Nights ," I replied, not missing a beat.
    "Never heard of it," he said, taking a copy from the shelf and glancing at the cover.
    "Your sister's reading it," I said, moving past him.
    "My sister?" he said with confusion.
    "Yeah, your sister, Mia. Pale, skinny, wears a lot of make-up."
    "I know who Mia is," he said, a flash of hurt in his eyes.
    "What are you doing here?" I asked, changing the subject.
    "You said the library was great, so I came to check it out," he replied.
    I didn't respond, wondering if he was messing with me. Instead, I made my way around the bookcases toward the front desk. Pyke leaped after me, realising I wasn't sticking around.
    "So, do you want to hang out sometime?"
    I