Infinite (Strange and Beautiful, Book 1) by Brittney Musick Read Free Book Online Page A

brother’s hand inching up a girl’s shirt was beyond
disturbing. I suspected I would probably need a lot of therapy when I was
older.
    After making a quick exit, I went back upstairs and grabbed a
hoodie from my room. Even though the sun was shining, I was sure it was a
little chilly outside. Then I went back downstairs and snuck past the entrance
to the living room and made my exit through the back door, which was through
the utility room. I considered the utility room Mom’s favorite room of the
house. Oddly, she seems to enjoy doing laundry. She actually smiled while she
matched socks. And, again, I’m supposed to be the weird one?
    I crossed the yard and smiled as the cool breeze rushed over my
face, causing my hair to blow behind me in the wind. I loved fall. It was just
such a pretty season. The leaves turned colors and started to fall from the
trees, and they littered the ground with their rich hues. It just made me feel
all warm and fuzzy inside.
    When I was little I used to love to play in the leaves. I could
stay outside for hours, throwing leaves and jumping in them. I would wear
myself out before I came inside. Mom usually made me go take a bath because I’d
be filthy, but then she’d make me a steaming cup of hot chocolate. I believed
hot chocolate was, aside from super yummy, good for the soul.
    Unfortunately, it was still so early in the fall that the leaves
were still on the trees. Only a few had fallen and they crunched under my feet
as I made my way to the oak tree. I liked to call it my reading tree. As long
as I had a good book (or two), I could spend hours beneath it. Once, when I was
younger, I snuck out in the middle of the night with a flashlight, my book and
a blanket and curled up at the base of the tree and tried to read. It didn’t
work out so well. I wound up with a cramp in my wrist from holding the
flashlight, and I got kind of scared out there all alone. I never tried that
again, but it was still a fun adventure. The best part, though, was that I
didn’t get caught.
    I noticed a long time ago that a clump of roots that had come up
from beneath the surface looked like a little seat. I’d sat down, and it was a
perfect fit. It had been my reading seat ever since. I sat there now, but the
fit wasn’t quite so perfect these days. My butt was starting to get a little
big for it, but I didn’t mind too much. A pillow to sit on probably would have
helped, but I hadn’t thought to bring one. Besides, sneaking it past Mom
wouldn’t be easy. She could be a little touchy about her linens getting dirty,
and she was sure to notice dirt or grass stains when she washed them.
    Before I could shut out the thought I wondered what Mom must
think about Luke making a mess on his sheets when he was trying to rid himself
of the pent up sexual frustration Skylar accused him of having. I felt
nauseated for a moment as I tried to banish the disturbing notion from my mind.
    Clearing all thoughts—and nausea—from my head, I smoothed my
hand over the cover before opening the book. I basked in the scent of the
paper. I found it soothing. Opening a book felt like entering the doorway to a
new world, which was why I was so fond of my books.
    Even though my room was somewhat a mess, I tried to take great
care of my books. The bookshelf in my room was starting to look stuffed and
overgrown, but they were all placed carefully, so as not to cause any damage to
any of them. Mom had suggested I get rid of some of them to remove some of the
clutter, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I had a special bond with each
book. Not only did they hold great adventures and new worlds, I felt like each
book held different memories. Every time I’d open a book, I could not only
remember things that were going on in my life the last time I read it, I also
added new memories each time I came back to read it.
    I knew the next time I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower ,
I would remember making an idiot out of myself in front