Pieces of Me by Erica Cope Read Free Book Online

              “What are you talking about?”
              “I'll be patient, because I bet when you finally smile, it'll all be worth it.” He saunters away, leaving me staring in confusion in his wake.
              Why would he say something like that? I shake it off and look for Olivia on the dance floor. I don't want to interrupt Olivia's dance with Beck but I also didn't want to just bail on her either. So I tell her that I'm ready to leave so she isn’t looking for me later.
              “Are you sure?” she asks.
              “Yeah, I'm just really tired.”
              “Okay, well let me go tell Beck I'm leaving.”
              “You don't have to leave. I can walk home alone.”              “Ha! Yeah, that's not happening. Be right back!” She dances off towards Beck and whispers in his ear. He looks mildly disappointed which makes me feel bad. I really was perfectly fine walking home alone. It was only a couple of blocks and I have pepper spray.
              “All right! Let's go!” She links her arm through mine. I guess if I was going to have a friend forced upon me, I could do much worse than this bubbly, over exuberant blonde. I bet, if I let her, she might even teach me how to laugh again.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
     
    I walk out of my biology class in a fog. Failed? I actually failed ? I've never failed anything before. It's not like I was expecting to get an A or even a B but I at least hoped that I would pass. But failed? Never anticipated that. The anxiety is making me feel sick and I don't know what to do. Did I just not study enough? Is this how college is going to be? God, I hope not.
              I shove the test marked angrily in red into the side pocket of my backpack. I will look it over more thoroughly when I get home tonight. Maybe my professor will let me do some extra credit to make up for it. I doubt it, but it won't hurt to ask. Or maybe if I do ask, he'll not only deny me the chance to bring up my grade but also decide to make the rest of my semester completely miserable for having the nerve to even make such a request. That seems in-line with what I know of him so far—grumpy old man. I kind of want to kick something to take out some of my frustration. I failed? What am I going to do?
              It's Tuesday so my only morning class is my Bio lab. By the time I get to The Java Bean I'm in a seriously bad mood. I bring my biology book with me so that I can read during the down time this afternoon. Maybe if I just read and re-read the material it will finally click in my brain. Maybe if I ace the rest of the tests this semester I can at least pull off a passing grade in the class.
              As usual the afternoon is pretty much dead so I take advantage and focus on the next unit of biology, the oh-so-exciting stages of cell reproduction. The pictures depicting interphase, prophase, metaphase, and anaphase all look exactly the same to me. I'm giving myself a headache trying to tell the difference.|
              “What are doing?”
              “Studying.”
              “Do you need any help?”
              “Are you even allowed? Wouldn't that be, like, a conflict of interest or something since you're the lab assistant?”
              “I won't tell if you won't,” he says with a smirk. “But honestly, it's perfectly ethical. That is, of course, unless you start asking me for early test questions.”
              “I think I can manage on my own. But thanks.”
              “Well, if you change your mind, just give me a call.” He writes down his number on the inside cover on my notebook.
              “Holden!” I turn toward the voice and