The Wish by Gail Carson Levine Read Free Book Online

straightened me from behind.
    â€œYou’re such a klutz,” Nina said. “It’s hard to believe you know how to walk.”
    They skated me around the rink. Mostly I glided along, carried by their power, but I tried to move my feet a little. Stephanie, who was skating rings around us, said in a rush, “I-can’t-believe-how-patient-you’re-being-Neen.”
    BeeBee said, “Don’t be fooled. She’s as nasty as ever.”
    â€œNasty, but patient. It’s weird.” Stephanie looked at me again.
    â€œSorry for slowing you down,” I said to everybody.
    â€œHey!” BeeBee said. “What are friends for?”
    Stephanie skated away.
    â€œShe’s mad,” BeeBee said.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œShe’s acting like a dope,” Nina said.
    â€œShe’s jealous because we invited you,” BeeBee said. “She wanted to be alone with us.”
    â€œBut if she’d give you a chance,” Nina said, “she wouldn’t mind.”
    â€œDid she say she doesn’t like me?”
    â€œShe said she doesn’t like you or dislike you,” Nina said. “She doesn’t get it—why everybody likes you so much.”
    But she should have liked me. She shouldn’t have been able to stop herself. My stomach lurched a little. Was the spell ending? Was this how it would end, one person at a time? Who would be the next to go?
    They skated me around two more times, and then Nina deposited me at the rink wall.
    â€œI think we should skate with Stephanie some more,” BeeBee said.
    â€œSkate!” Nina told me. “Practice! Or you’ll never make the Olympics.” They skated away.
    They still liked me. So what was going on?
    My right leg started to go out from under me. I bent down and clutched the wall. After a few minutes, I let go and straightened up. Then I inched along, feeling like I needed a cane or, better yet, a walker.
    â€œGive me your hands. I’ll pull you.”
    It was Timothy, class funny man, blading backward in front of me. He’d take my hands, flip me over his head, and holler, “Timber.” I shook my head.
    â€œI won’t hurt you,” he said. “I promise.”
    â€œI’ll do it.” Evadney skated up and held out her hands. I took them, and she started pulling me.
    â€œLift your feet,” Timothy said.
    â€œThat’s good,” Evadney said. “But stop looking down. Good. Very good! Now I’m letting go of your hands. You’re on your own.”
    I was skating—really skating! Stephanie, BeeBee, and Nina passed us, holding hands and skating in step with each other—left foot, right foot, never falling out of step.
    â€œWay to go, Wilma,” BeeBee called as she whizzed by.
    â€œFaster, girl!” Nina yelled.
    Stephanie didn’t look at me.
    I tried to go faster. I put some push into my glide, like everyone else did. It worked! I grinned, and pushed even harder.
    Disaster struck. I tripped and pitched forward. I tried to save myself. I waved my arms like a windmill and sort of ran with the skates—I must have looked like an animated cartoon. Then I went down. I shot along the ground for a few feet, scraping my helmet and the side of my jaw on the concrete. Then I skidded to a stop.

Chapter Ten
    B eeBee got to me first. “Are you okay?”
    I sat up. My face stung. Everyone from Claverford plus Stephanie stood around me. “Am I bleeding?”
    Nina crouched in front of me. “Not much. It’s a good thing you had the helmet.”
    My T-shirt was filthy. I had made an idiot of myself.
    I started to undo my skates.
    â€œDon’t do that,” Nina said. “You have to skate some more, or you’ll never get on a horse again.”
    So I stood up, and Nina and BeeBee and everyone else from Claverford made me skate around the rink a few more times till I began to feel sort of comfortable again. I skated solo, but