Legacy by Calista Anastasia Read Free Book Online

day sped by. Mercy was certain she had aced the test. She knew all t he answers and the essay question was a no-brainer. She handed her test pape rs in and returned to her seat.
    Lindy made a face at her when she passed her seat. “ Brainiac ”, she said under her breath and s tuck her foot out in the aisle.
    Mercy stumbled and caught herself before she fell. She glanced around to meet Lindy’s self-satisfied expression . Go away. Just take your gruesome face someplace else. Mercy didn’t like the way Lindy was able to upset her. Like she could ruin Mercy’s whole day with a single sneer. She lifted her chin and straightened her spine. I will not let you affect me. Go away vicious girl!
    When class was over, she met up with Felicity in the hall. They hung back a little and Kelli came out to join them. “Lindy alert! Lindy alert!”
    “What does that mean,” Felicity asked. “Is she riding her broom, or something?”
    Mercy’s gut squeezed. She wondered if she would be required to ride a broom. Gah! What a scary thought. Guess I'll have to open th at damned handbook again .
    “No,” Kelli said. “She’s got Greg trapped in there and she’s doing her gooey eyes thing.”
    “Gooey eyes?” Felicity giggled behind her hands.
    Kelli rolled her own eyes. “You know, she’s acting all soft and girlie, twirling her hair and looking at Greg all gooey-eyed.”
    “Oh!” Mercy turned toward the classroom, but stopped. She didn’t know what she would say if she g ot up the nerve to go in there.
    “Don’t worry,” Kelli said.  “Greg is being cool. He’s just being Greg.”
    Mercy nodded, unable to speak.
    “You know…” Kelli shrugged. “Nice. Greg is a nice guy.”
    “Yeah, he is.” She could breathe now. “He is.”
    Greg came out of the classroom with his backpack slung over one shoulder. He grinned when he saw her and extended his free hand. "Thanks for waiting for me."
    Mercy reached to take it, and when he grasped her hand, she was filled with a warm, safe feeling. She glanced back and met the narrowed gaze of Lindy, standing in the doorway of the classroom . T his time, t he hate waves bounced off her because Greg was holding her hand.
     
    ~*~
    At the house, Mercy slung her backpack on the floor near the door. It was the weekend and she didn’t have homework…at least not at school. She eyed the handbook sitting conspicuously in the center of the table. “Okay, okay,” she said.
    She went to the kitchen to forage for a snack and was surprised to find a loaf of fresh baked bread sitting on the counter. A jar of her grandmother’s strawberry preserves and a jar of peanut but ter were lined up side-by-side.
    Her pulse quickened. Gran! She’s home!
    She checked the house, but Alistair was the only other inhabitant. Outside. She’s got to be in the garden. Mercy rushed out the back door, expecting to find her grandmother picking beans or plucking tomatoes from their vines. Her heart sank in her chest when she scanned the yard and saw that she was alone. She walked up and down the rows, between the green beans and t he ripening tomato plants. She paused beneath the peach tree , listening for any sound , but only the buzz of the bees and chirp of birds overhead responded to her silent plea . Mercy blinked away the tears that gathered. Where is my grandmother? Why did she leave me?
    She cast a last glance over her shoulder before going back inside. She rinsed her face and hands with cool water and dried them on one of Gran's tea towels . Then she made a sandwich , spreading peanut butter and jelly on the fresh bread. As soon as she tasted the bread, she knew her grandmother had made it. The familiar flavor of peanut butter and Gran’s homemade strawberry preserves gave her momentary comfort. But if Gran had come home to bake bread, where was she now?
    When she had finished her snack, she wandered to the table and leafed through the pages of the handbook. She was surprised to see that only two