The Monster Within by Kelly Hashway Read Free Book Online Page B

us out.
    “That’s enough for today. I’ll see you both after school tomorrow.”
    School. The next big thing I had to tackle in my new life.
    “Dismissal is at two-thirty, so I’ll expect you here no later than three.”
    “You got it,” Ethan said.
    I waved goodbye and followed Ethan to the car. I slumped into the seat, practically melting into the leather.
    “I’m beat, too,” Ethan said.
    “At least I made some good money in tips.” I pulled a wad of bills from my pocket.
    “Not bad.” Ethan smiled as we pulled out of the parking lot. “So, I got us all registered for school.”
    “How did you do that?”
    “I filled out all the paperwork online and paid a homeless couple to go to the school and pretend to be my dad and your mom. All we have to do is report to the guidance office in the morning to pick up our schedules.”
    “I don’t suppose you were able to work your magic and get us into all the same classes, were you?” I leaned my head back on the seat. Even my hair was tired.
    “Honestly, I have no idea what our schedules will be like. Only that the school has block scheduling, so we have four periods a day along with lunch. But we were placed in classes based on Samantha Smith’s and Ethan Jones’s records, remember?”
    I turned my head just enough to look at him. “Please tell me Samantha Smith wasn’t an honors student.” I’d missed a ton of school thanks to all my cancer treatments. If I was put in honors classes, I’d fail for sure, and the school might look deeper into “my” record.
    “Actually, she was a solid C student. I’m sure you’ll make it look like she had a sudden change in appreciation for a good education.”
    “I don’t want any sudden changes. I have to perform to her ability, or people might get suspicious.”
    “Relax.” Ethan squeezed my hand. “Everything’s going to be fine.” He let go of me, which was odd because he always held my hand when he drove. “Um, there’s one more thing. Samantha Smith was the star cross-country runner at her old school in Phoenix, so you might want to dust off your running shoes and do a few laps around the cottage this evening to warm up.”
    “What?” I nearly jumped out of my seat.
    Ethan burst out laughing. “I’m kidding!”
    I smacked his arm. “That’s so not funny.” But I couldn’t help laughing. “Okay, tell me more about Ethan Jones from Florida. What’s he like?”
    “Oh well, he’s exceptionally attractive, has a 4.0 average, and is a total chick magnet. I don’t need to change a thing.”
    “No, not a thing.” My tone was full of sarcasm. Though truth be told, Ethan was all those things.
    “Nah, really he’s an A/B student. No extracurricular activities, which is good since I’ll be working at the diner after school.”
    Things seemed to be working out. Everything except my problem. The problem I couldn’t mention to Ethan. I tried to tell myself I’d adjust to being alive again. My body would get used to it, and I wouldn’t need to steal life from others after a while. I knew I was fooling myself, but I repeated it over and over in my mind. I was so lost in my thoughts I almost didn’t hear Ethan say, “What the hell?”
    The car stopped in the driveway. I looked at the cottage. It was surrounded by rocks. A circle of rocks. All strategically placed. Someone had made a big circle around our house. It was something straight out of The Blair Witch Project .

CHAPTER SIX
    “D ID you do that?” I asked, knowing there was no way Ethan had anything to do with the rocks. He was as surprised as I was.
    “No, and no one knows we’re here—other than the water and electric companies. I mean, my family hasn’t been here in years. None of them would think I’d come here when I left home. I’m sure it’s the last place they’d think to look.”
    Ethan’s family had had sort of a falling-out about a year ago. Something about his uncle gambling away all his savings. The family had even