Harp's Song by Cassie Shine Read Free Book Online

scouted throughout his junior and senior years, finally accepting a scholarship to play for the University of North Carolina—which I am happy about because he’d had offers in California. Being that far away from him would have been horrific. While UNC isn’t around the corner, it is only eight or so hours from where I will be, and that I can handle.
    I shake my head looking at Connor, who is surrounded by people as he walks to the doors, but as my best friend does every morning, he holds the door open and waits for me before we walk to our lockers. At the end of last year, Connor sweet-talked the office secretary into assigning our lockers next to each other … again.
    Of course he did.
    As we approach them, I see Ethan, which is unusual because his locker is in the other senior hallway, and we usually don’t see him until lunch.
    “Hey man, what’s up?” Connor greets him as soon as he sees him.
    “Hey,” he says nodding to Connor, “Hi Harp.”
    “Hi Ethan, thanks again for your help Friday night.”
    “Oh yeah, sure Harp, no big deal, but that’s why I’m here.”
    Connor and I share a puzzled look, “What’s up?”
    “Well, you know Justin’s cousin from the party?”
    We both shake our heads. How can I forget?
    “He’s a new student here. He’s starting today. I saw him and Justin come in together this morning, and I wanted to tell you guys so you can keep an eye out for him.”
    I am stunned because I thought Vincent looked older, but obviously I was wrong. Well, hopefully he will stay away from us, especially after Connor set him straight. I turn to open my locker and Ethan turns his back to me to continue talking to Connor. With the noise in the hall increasing and the way they are talking so low and closely with each other, I can’t hear what they are saying. I get my books and turn to them.
    “Hey, I’m going to go to class, I’ll see you there in a few minutes.”
    I can clearly see the worry in Connor’s face. I wonder what he and Ethan are talking about. I’m sure he’ll tell me once he gets to class.
    “Ah, Miss Evans, you’re early today. Did you have a good weekend?”
    “Hi, Ms. Anderson, yes, thanks.”
    After we exchange greetings, I sit in my seat and re-read my paper for the hundredth time. I’m sure most of the kids had a hard time picking one favorite memory to write about because they have a lot of good memories to chose from. But I didn’t. I was always happy playing music, and had nice memories of amazing performances, but that wasn’t the same.
    My happiest, most favorite memory was the vacation I went on with Connor’s family last summer. I’d enjoyed all of it, the drive there and back, and the three weeks we spent there. Especially our time at the beach lying out in the sand, swimming in the ocean and watching Connor and Patrick toss a football. Well, I mainly watched Connor toss the football, secretly fascinated with the way his stomach muscles stretched when he brought his arm above his head aiming his toss. Like I said, I’m not blind or dead. I understand why girls throw themselves at him, and I’m so thankful he’s my best friend.
    Before we started the trip, I was filled with anxiety that my mom was going to change her mind, so it wasn’t until we were actually packed in the van, and on the highway that I started to relax. I’d never been outside of Iowa before, and as crazy as it sounds, I was looking forward to the almost seventeen hour drive. Connor hated it and now that he was old enough to drive, his mom made him take shifts with her so she didn’t have to do it all.
    Our plan was to stop about halfway for dinner and stay the night in a hotel. It all seemed surreal to me and so … normal. Patrick and I played games for a long time, but after a while he fell asleep. Connor had just gotten done with his shift driving and was taking a nap too, so it was just Catherine and I awake. I put my headphones in and listened to my favorite classical