Fade by Lisa McMann Read Free Book Online Page A

“Hello?”
    “Hey.”
    “Shit.”
    He laughs. “Can I come over?”
    “I"m totally still sitting here in my pajamas. Give me thirty minutes.”
    “You got it.”
    “Hey, Cabe?”
    “Yes?”
    “Why are you mad at me?”
    He sighs. “I"m not mad at you. I promise. I just…I worry about you. Can
    we talk about this when I come over?”
    “Sure.”
    “See you soon.”
    4:59 p.m.
    Janie hears a light knock and the door opening. She peeks her head
    around the corner, and to her great surprise, it"s Carrie.
    “Hi, it"s me, your fair-weather friend!” Carrie grins sheepishly. Shit , Janie thinks.
    She grabs her coat and puts on a smile. “Hey, girl,” she says. “I was just
    going out to shovel. Care to join me?”
    “Uh…I guess.”
    “What"s up?”
    “Nothin". Just bored.”
    “Where"s Stu?”
    “Poker night.”
    “Ahhh. Does he do that regularly?”
    “Not really. Just whenever the guys call him.”
    “Mmmm.” Janie grabs the shovel and starts clearing the steps first, then
    the sidewalk. She keeps her face turned toward the direction she thinks
    Cabel will come from. It"s growing dark, and she hopes he notices her.
    “So, what are you doing tonight?”
    “Me?” Janie laughs. “Homework, of course.”
    “You want company?” Carrie"s looking wistful.
    “Do you have homework to do?”
    “Of course. Whether I do it or not is the real question.”
    Janie sees him out of the corner of her eye. He"s stopped still in the side
    yard of the neighbors across the street. She laughs with Carrie and says,
    “Well, that"s enough of that.” She bangs the shovel and climbs the steps.
    “Go on in,” she says.
    Carrie steps inside, and Janie gives Cabel a fleeting glance over her
    shoulder. He shrugs and flashes the okay sign. Janie follows Carrie in.
    ı
    Carrie stays until midnight, when she"s good and drunk on Janie"s mother"s liquor.
    Janie thinks about going to Cabel"s after Carrie leaves, but decides she"ll
    get a good night"s sleep here and see him in the morning. January 8, 2006, 10:06 a.m.
    Janie calls Cabel. Gets his voice mail.
    11:22 a.m.
    Cabel returns Janie"s call. Leaves a message on the answering machine.
    12:14 p.m.
    Janie calls Cabel. Gets his voice mail.
    2:42 p.m.
    The phone rings.
    “Hello?” Janie says.
    “I miss you like hell,” he says, laughing.
    “Where are you?”
    “At U of M. I had a thing to go to.”
    “Fuck.”
    “I know.”
    There is silence.
    “When will you be home?”
    “Late,” he says. “I"m sorry, sweets.”
    “Okay,” she says with a sigh. “See you tomorrow, maybe.”
    “Yeah. Okay,” he says softly.
    BIRTHDAY, UNDERCOVER
    January 9, 2006, 7:05 a.m.
    Janie wakes up on her birthday feeling terribly sorry for herself. ı
    She should know better.
    This happens every year.
    It seems worse this year, somehow.
    ı
    She greets her mother in the kitchen. Her mother gives her a halfgrunt, fixes her morning drink, and disappears into her bedroom. Just like any
    ordinary day.
    Janie fixes frozen waffles for breakfast. Sticks a god-damn candle in
    them. Lights it. Blows it out.
    Happy birthday to me , she thinks.
    Back when her grandma was alive, she at least got a present. ı
    She gets to school late. Bashful gives her a tardy, and won"t reconsider.
    Janie always hated Bashful.
    Stupidest. Dwarf. Ever.
    ı
    Psychology is interesting.
    Not.
    Mr. Wang is the most incompetent psych teacher in the history of the
    subject. So far, Janie knows more than he does. She"s pretty sure he"s
    just teaching until he makes his big break in showbiz. Apparently he
    likes to dance. Carrie told Janie that Melinda saw him in Lansing at a
    club, and he was tearing it up.
    Funny, that. Because he seems very, very shy. Janie makes a note, and
    then spills her red POWERade over her notebook. It spatters on her shoe
    and soaks in.
    ı
    And then, in chemistry, her beaker explodes.
    Sends a shard of glass, like a throwing star, into her gut. Rips her shirt.
    She excuses herself from class