Out of My Mind by Pat White Read Free Book Online

easily before he ripped it away.
    “Move, Pratt,” Greg Hoffman says, towering over his desk.
    “It’s okay, Greg,” I say, not wanting him to get in trouble because of J.D. “Burke assigned Pratt as my official note-taker.”
    Greg claims the desk on the other side of me. “I wish they’d given me that job.”
    “It’s taken,” J.D. says.
    “You’re hired.” I smile at Greg and turn my back on J.D. “I’m sure I’ll have a better chance of getting an A with your notes.”
    A few of the kids laugh.
    Greg gives me one of those sexy, crooked smiles of his. “I’d be happy to make you a copy of my notes if you need them.”
    “She won’t,” J.D. counters.
    I roll my eyes at Greg and notice a scar running down the side of his arm. I’ve got one on my head, a big one. I feel a connection to Greg.
    I reach out and place my hand on his arm, aware of how hard the muscles feel beneath my fingertips. Muscles honed by working out and tackling opponents. “I’d love your notes. Thanks.” I smile and gaze into his blue eyes.
    He’s close to asking me out and it’s only the first day of school. Yes!
    No! No! No! I’m careening again. Being sucked into a HULU and I can’t stop it.
    A door slams shut. I’m locked in a dark shed, a stream of sunlight piercing through a crack in the wood.
    “Stupid, dummy dork!” a girl shouts.
    “Let me out!” a scared little boy cries, pounding on the door.
    “Stupid, dorky, Greg-ee!” another girl sings.
    “I’m gonna tell!” the boy whimpers.
    “I’m gonna tell!” a girl mimics.
    The little boy grabs a saw and wedges it in the crack of the door. He shoves it forward and back, trying to saw through the lock.
    The door suddenly pops opens and he tumbles out, landing on his stomach. The girls laugh.
    The boy stands up and wavers. Tears stream down his face as he clutches his arm to his stomach. It’s covered in blood.
    I gasp and blink a few times.
    “You okay?” Greg says. He’s leaning away from me like I’ve broken out in a contagious rash.
    “Yeah…fine,” I squeak.
    I hate HULU’s.
    “Stop flirting and pay attention,” J.D. orders.
    I snap my attention to him. Post HULU time sucks. It’s like I’m completely naked and whoever is nearby can see into the core of my soul.
    J.D.’s frowns like he’s puzzling over my momentary weirdness.
    “Shut up.” I snap my gaze from his. For a second I think I see concern there. Now I’m really going crazy.
    “Everything okay?” Mrs. Bartlett looks from me to J.D. and back.
    “Fine, thanks,” I say, my voice still tighter than usual.
    The kids are deep into the usual gossip, so no one notices my freakish moment. Well, almost no one.
    Out of the corner of my eye I can tell J.D. is watching me. Why? Is he waiting for another breakdown?
    I rest my cheek on my hand to block him out. Need time to recover, come down from the HULU rush. I’ll be fine. Everything’s fine. I just wish I could figure out a way to stop these things before I go completely nuts.

 
     
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    The Princess was definitely back on her throne. Swinging her hips through the hallways, flirting with Greg the douche, and cutting down J.D. every chance she got.
    And she didn’t miss a single one.
    Like he cared? He just needed to fulfill his part of this nightmare. Take notes. Hand them over to her. Done.
    J.D. followed her to Beginning Art. He had a free period, but liked hanging out in Mr. Cooper’s art room. Coop had been good to him. He’d hired J.D. to help with art classes at the community center and paid him for doing chores at his house. It wasn’t easy getting a job in this town with J.D.’s reputation.
    J.D. had considered becoming an art teacher once, before the car accident. He didn’t think many school districts would consider hiring a criminal.
    He settled at a table in back of class while Mr. Cooper explained the different mediums: acrylics, watercolor, pencil. Princess Catherine and her posse