Lucas Ryan Versus: The Hive (The Lucas Ryan Versus Series) by Madison Daniel Read Free Book Online

going mad?” I was losing it. I couldn’t afford to do that though. Not tonight. Not her night. From down the hallway the auditorium doors flew open, unleashing the rumble of drums and music. My chest filled with a heavy urgency as Olivia and her bandmates called to me.
    My hand gripped tightly around the edge of my locker door. “I have to go.”
     
    ~ Pick me up. ~
     
    “I can’t. I need to see her.” Great, I was pleading with a piece of science fiction in my high school locker. Yup, I was crazy. Straightjacket time. No one would ever believe this. Not even Roland, and he was the biggest sci-fi geek in the Southwest. Would anyone understand?
     
    ~ She will. ~
     
    “What?” I whispered. This impossible thing was talking to me. Not aloud, but in my head. Oh God...I was going nuts. I leaned my head just inside the locker opening.
    “What did you say?” I asked, again. My voice was soft and shaking.
     
    ~ Olivia will understand. ~
     
    I froze with fear. “What are you?”
     
    ~ Pick me up. ~
     
    I began to shake.
     
    ~ Tell Olivia. ~
     
    “What?”
     
    ~ Trust no one else. ~
     
    “Okay.” I slammed the locker closed with a metallic crash. My heart was beating at twice its normal rate and picking up speed. I ran down the hall in a half crazed panic. I almost ran back out the front doors of the school, but forced my sneakers toward the auditorium entrance. With a lump in my throat, I slowly reached out for the door handle.
    “Where do you think you’re going?” a familiar voice cursed. Reality slammed back into me as I recognized the voice in a matter of seconds. I let a long, annoyed breath escape my lips and rested my shoulder against the faded wood of the door.
    “You can’t go in there!” Felicity cursed.
    “Felicity, not tonight...please. I can’t do this tonight,” I warned, in a forceful whisper.
    “I don’t care. You’re not allowed in there!” she said, way too loud. I turned to find her hateful eyes staring at me.
    “Why not?” I asked.
    “You didn’t pay!” she shouted, and stuck her bony little finger out. It pointed at a giant jar that was halfway full with money. In thick red ink were the words, Science Club - $2.50 a ticket. I forgot that this after hours concert was a benefit for the school’s Science classes and wouldn’t you know it, little Miss-Know-It-All just happened to be the Science Club president. My eyes rolled around their sockets as I took a step closer.
    “Well?” she cursed again, with her hand outstretched in my direction. I looked at her long and hard as I imagined a runaway bus smashing through the front of the school, and parking itself on top of her dizzy head of blonde curls.
    A crooked smile settled along her lips, “If you want to see your girlfriend, you have to pay.”
    “Evilicity...” I grumbled, to myself. From behind me came the crunch of Olivia’s guitar and I caved in. I handed Felicity a twenty dollar bill, “Here.”
    She smiled politely and slowly counted out my change. She took longer than she needed too. Anything to get under my skin. How I loathed thee!
    “Thank you for your support,” she said, smugly. I tried my best to ignore her when the door flew open behind me. Taylor stood tall with a surprised look on his face.
    “There you are, Romeo! Come on, I already paid for your ticket,” he said, with a smile. He placed his hand on my shoulder and pulled me through the doorway.
    “Evil!” I yelled, as my eyes caught Felicity’s. She waved at me with a wicked smirk and a giggle. Where was that bus when you needed it? I disappeared into the auditorium as the door promptly closed. I didn’t have much time to sulk over Felicity’s dirty little trick because the moment the first wave of music hit me, I was hypnotized.
    The auditorium was awash in a sea of colored lights that flew around the room and filled my eyes with anticipation. I could feel the rhythm of the music building in my chest. It tickled with each pulsating