Fade to Black by Alex Flinn Read Free Book Online Page B

door of the room, looks out, then comes back. “But about a week before Dad was going to announce his candidacy, there were these photos in the paper. Seems Dad’s opponent heard about Dad’s affair, so he hired an investigator with a long-lens camera. They got footage of Dad and Kimberley in his car.”
    “Doing what?”
    Jennifer looks away. “What people do in cars.”
    I feel my face getting hot. She must see it too because she adds, “I mean, not that I’ve ever done that in a car. Or… I mean, anywhere… I just heard—”
    “Sure.”
    “Anyway, the photo was on the front page of the local paper, with a black slash over the important parts. The bigger regional papers picked it up too. Dad was out of the senate race, him and Mom split up, and I had to go to school every day knowing everyone knew about it, until we moved away six months ago.”
    “And the dance recital?”
    “My teacher said she thought it would be inappropriate for me to be in it. She refunded my costume deposit and everything. It was the first time I had a big part. Anyway, I guess she decided some girl from a decent family should do the Coffee dance from The Nutcracker .”
    “What a bitch.”
    She shrugs. “I sort of found out who my real friends were. And sometimes I’ll meet someone from Crystal Springs who says, ‘Is your father Harmon Atkinson?’ and I have to say, yep. Yep, he is. And I vowed that I was never again going to let anyone force me out of something I wanted because of some problem of theirs. So I know what it’s like … except the part about being sick, I mean.”
    “Yeah, there’s that part.”
    She paces to the door again. “Okay, I’m sorry. I know you can’t die from embarrassment … so maybe I don’t really understand at all.” She looks at her watch. “I ought to go. You’re probably tired.”
    “No!” I want to get out of bed, disconnect everything, and kiss her for even trying to understand, but that would be too pathetic. “No. Don’t go. I like talking to you. I’m so lon—I mean, they gave me a single room, and it’s boring here.”
    She looks around, like she’s seeing the room for the first time. “Yeah, I guess it would be. Didn’t your mom get you any magazines or something?”
    I shrug. “She must be too busy worrying.” Which sounds lame, but why the hell didn’t Mom get magazines? She’s supposed to be so concerned, but she’s not really thinking about what I need. Sometimes I think she acts that way because it focuses attention on her. She doesn’t really care.
    God, I am a shit .
    “Oh, well. I’ll bring you some tomorrow—we get S.I . I could have my mom bring them. She’s a nurse. She works the early shift, so she could get here earlier.”
    “That’d be great.” I want to ask whether she’ll come in too, but I don’t. I wonder if she has a boyfriend.
    “I come after school. Or I could bring you books if you like books better?”
    I nod. “Books are good. I like fantasy, magical worlds, stuff like that.”
    She smiles. One of her top teeth is a little sideways, and it just works on her. “Those are my favorites too. I just finished a good one by Garth Nix. I’ll send it tomorrow.” She looks at her watch again. “I really have to go, though. My break’s been over for five minutes.”
    “Sorry.”
    “Don’t be. I’ll come back tomorrow, okay?”
    She turns to leave.
    “Jen… Jennifer?” I put out my hand to stop her, and I notice she backs away. When she realizes what she’s done, she moves closer again, but not close enough to touch. She turns red, too.
    Still I say, “My mom said they caught the guy who did this.” I gesture at my face. “Who is it?”
    She gives me a funny look. “I thought you knew. It was that football player, Clinton Cole.”

Monday, 3:00 p.m., Cole residence
    CLINTON
    The doorbell rings. I jump. What if it’s the cops?
    It’s not the cops. It’s not the cops. Calm down. Chill! They said they had to talk to Crusan