School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari Read Free Book Online Page A

digesting the boy’s features, but the soft tickle of her netting stirred Garrison back to consciousness.
     As Garrison cracked his groggy eyes open, uncertainty and confusion quickly flashed across his face. He wasn’t sure what had
     happened, but there was a peculiar head pressed against his, and it was freaking him out.
    “Ugh!” Garrison mumbled, and he jerked away from Madeleine.
    Much as a police officer would his gun, Madeleine drew her repellent and prepared to shoot. Clearly, she had come to think
     of her spray as a viable means of protection against anything. Garrison stared curiously, unsure what to make of the girl
     with a veil and belt of repellents.
    “I assume you’re also en route to,” Mrs. Masterson then whispered, “School of Fear.”
    “Yeah. As you can tell, I don’t really like water,” Garrison mumbled while returning Madeleine’s intense gaze.
    “I’m terrified of spiders, bugs, and all such creatures,” Madeleine shyly chimed in, attempting to relate.
    Madeleine continued to stare, making Garrison even more uncomfortable and self-conscious than he already was. After all, two
     minutes ago, he’d woken up with his head in a stranger’s lap and a veiled face pressed against his own. All in all, it had
     been a rather uneasy series of events. Madeleine zealously maintained her gaze, prompting Garrison to divert his eyes. While
     taking in the empty bus, it occurred to him that he could simply return to his seat to escape the rampant awkwardness.
    “Well, I better …” Garrison stumbled over his words as he started back to his seat.
    “Do you have any other fears? Besides water?” Madeleine asked, desperate to keep the young man in conversation.
    “Nope.”
    “Oh, shame,” Madeleine said with disappointment before realizing she had said it aloud. “In London ‘shame’ means great,” she
     poorly covered.
    “Darling?” Mrs. Masterson said with a confused look. “What on Earth are you talking about?”
    “Mummy,” she said sternly, pleading with her eyes for her mother to go along with the ruse.
    “It was a
shame
to meet you, young man,” Mrs. Masterson said with a mischievous expression.
    Madeleine turned to her mother, cheeks scarlet red, and giggled.
    While Garrison may have been embarrassed, he was also overwhelmingly relieved that his father was not present for his freak-out.
     He imagined the chorus of advice on life: NBA and NFL. In short, life doesn’t reward babies or losers, and considering what
     had just transpired, Garrison felt like both. He was so preoccupied by his feelings that he hardly noticed Madeleine watching
     him with the steady eye of an owl.
    Madeleine was enraptured by Garrison’s tan complexion, which greatly differed from the pale boys of London. It wasn’t actually
     the boys’ fault, as the whole of the United Kingdom was under a cloud for much of the year. But at that moment, Madeleine
     decided that boys, like bread, were better toasted.

    Close behind Madeleine and Garrison on Route 7 were Theo and his mother. Mr. Bartholomew had requested to join them on the
     trip but was flatly denied by Theo.
    “Dad, if you come and there’s a car accident, you both could die and I could live. Then what? How would I go on? How would
     my brothers and sisters continue without the love and guidance of a parent? I mean really, Dad! How can you be so selfish?”
    “Theo, nothing is going to happen to your mother or me. I promise.”
    “You promise? Dad, you are so naïve. Life is unpredictable. I’m sorry, but we simply cannot take this chance. You will remain
     at home.”
    “But, Theo,” Mr. Bartholomew grumbled.
    “No buts! My decision is final,” Theo retorted.
    “Okay, Theo. Whatever you say.”
    Once safely on the road, Theo scrutinized his mother, looking for any perceptible signs of fatigue. It was much harder than
     he expected, for riding in cars had always made him drowsy. As he stared at his mother’s face, his eyelids weighed