Promise Me Something by Sara Kocek Read Free Book Online

the projector. “I don’t know how this thing works,” she muttered. “And I can’t even think straight, I’m so pissed off.”
    “Pissed off?” I stepped back. “At me?”
    “Not at you!” She turned one knob with so much force, I was afraid it would snap off. “Did you hear what Mr. Murphy just said to Tim?”
    I shook my head and reached over to turn on the projector. The bulb flickered on, casting a bright, blank light onto the screen across the room.
    She narrowed her eyes. “He threatened to make him wear the sissy hat during his presentation, and then he called him limp-wristed .”
    “So?”
    “He’s a total homophobe. He hates gay people.”
    “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” I said, glancing over to check on Levi. He was still watching me, a smile in his eyes.
    Olive’s eyes flashed. “Are you serious, Reyna? Didn’t you hear about that sophomore who had a breakdown last year after Mr. Murphy accused him of being gay? He had to go to Silver Hills.” She lowered her voice. “The mental hospital.”
    “That’s probably just a rumor,” I said.
    “Girls, are you ready?”
    Olive jumped. Mr. Murphy had materialized behind us. I reached over to plug in the connector as he tapped his watch with one finger. A moment later, the image of Genghis Khan lit up the room. I felt unusually bold as I stepped forward, Levi’s eyes following me the whole way.
    “We’re good to go,” I said.

    Strictly speaking, I didn’t need to invite Olive over that afternoon. Our project was finished. But Lucy had been spending almost every night at our house, prowling around and rearranging the furniture like Mom never existed. Night after night I was forced to listen to Dad rave about what a good cook she was, which wasn’t even true—all she ever made was pasta. So when Lucy pulled into the school parking lot and told me she was cooking lasagna for dinner, I decided company would be a welcome distraction. I ran back over to the edge of the parking lot to invite Olive. She said yes in a heartbeat.
    The drive home was awkward. We were mostly silent, and when Olive did talk, she was so quiet she didn’t sound like herself. The few questions Lucy asked—Are you buckled? Is the air conditioning reaching you?—Olive answered with a curt, “Yes, thanks,” or “No, thanks.”
    When we got to the house, I led her straight through the garage, down the hallway, and into my room. It was the fastest path through the house, conveniently bypassing the messy living room. “Why are you always so shy around everyone besides me?” I asked, trying to distract Olive from all the crooked family photos on the walls. “Lucy probably thought you were mute.”
    She just shrugged. “How long has she been screwing your dad?”
    “They’ve been dating since April,” I said. “At least, that’s when they met.” I didn’t like to think about Dad screwing anyone, least of all Lucy.
    Reaching my room, I dumped my backpack on the rug next to the closet as Olive followed me inside and asked, “Why do you hate her?”
    I paused in my tracks. “I don’t hate her.”
    “You so do,” said Olive. “I’m not blind.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    She rolled her eyes. “The hatred is practically dripping off you, Reyna. The whole ride home it was like you were sitting in a puddle of it.”
    I had to laugh.
    She grinned. “I rest my case.”
    I glanced at the door to make sure it was closed. “I mean, she’s nice, but I can’t believe my dad is still dating her.”
    “Why not?”
    I sat on the bed and told her about the accident—how Lucy drove right through the intersection without stopping. How Dad’s car didn’t have side air bags. How she was the reason I almost became an orphan.
    “Yeah, but you didn’t.”
    “Barely,” I said. “There was a slab of glass an inch away from his spine.”
    “But she didn’t mean for it to happen.”
    “She almost killed him!” The hair on my