Tora (The Tora Trilogy Book 1) by Lucy Nichols Read Free Book Online Page B

here.” She clicked her fingers.
    Her confidence had just plummeted. Now she knew slipping behind the group to disappear wasn’t an option, it made her feel a whole lot worse. Being the new kid again sucked, but not as much as starting school mid-term after everyone had settled into their new classes. It stirred up a cold grey fear in the pit of her stomach.
    Eva straddled one of bleachers. In many ways, her school in Boca Raton had been rather conservative. The girls were forced to wear dresses that fell down to their ankles, even in the summer. Religion was compulsory and more often than not, she was forced along with her classmates to attend regular sittings at the chapel on the school grounds. She tried to imagine Ariana at Margate College making a crude joke in a loud, lively voice. She tried to imagine what Thea would make of her. No one had been as boisterous and wild as Ariana was.
    “Now pull out those scissors and make me look fab!”
    “What?” Eva’s jaw dropped. “But your hair is – gorgeous!”
    It was true: Eva would do anything to have hair her hair. Ariana pulled her hair out of her high bun, letting it fall loosely over her shoulders into locks that Eva was deeply envious of. Her hair was Neutrogena pretty, ready to be displayed on the pages of a magazine. In the sunlight, her enviable waves sparkled a little, giving off a tinge of defiant red, revealing highlights Eva hadn’t noticed before.
    “But what about the cams?” Eva looked up to find a dome planted above her head reflecting a smaller concave image of Eva from above.
    “I refuse to even acknowledge them.” She said, crossing her arms. “They’re not patrolled like you think they are.”
    “I’d like my hair to fall just below my ears.” She waved a photo in Eva’s face. “See. It’s edgy and I like it.”
    Eva crossed and uncrossed her legs. She wasn’t sure whether to feel unnerved by the way Ariana assumed she could have anything she wanted.
    Eva frowned.
    “Don’t give me that –i-don’t-know-how-to-chop-off-hair-look. I don’t care what you do with it as long as I look like her.” Ariana demanded.
    “Alright.” Eva said, unsure how to proceed.
    Sitting awkwardly in a back to front chair on the deck, Michelle had gone about looping her teased hair into a messy ponytail before cutting the whole lot off. But Eva was sure there had to be a more efficient way of chopping hair. Eva tucked her hair behind her ears, but short wisps of baby hair flopped back in front again. Eva gathered her thick long hair in her hands and grabbed a hair tie from Ariana’s open palm, tying it into a bunch. She took the scissors and just below the hair tie, she began to cut away.
    When Eva decided she couldn’t do any better, she ran her hands through her hair to fluff it up a little. Individual strands of hair had fallen in a heap on the pavement along with her artificial hue. “Your hairs done.” It actually looked really cool on her.
    “Awesome.”
    Ariana whipped her head around, pulling a mirror from the bag on the bench.
    “It’s time to hear the verdict!”
    Eva watched as she tugged at her loose strands of wavy hair. She leaned in, checking herself out in the mirror, drawing her lips into a pout.
    “Ummmmmm.” She drew her forefinger to her mouth, shooting her a quick sideways glance.
    “Love it.” She said running her hands through her freshly cut mop of hair.
    “A natural you are.  You’re my new stylist whether you like it or not. I’m not giving you an option by the way.”
    “Why is everyone so, um, hostile around here?” Eva asked.
    “Miss Reardon?” Ariana said boldly, raising an eyebrow and rising up from the seat.
    “Um… yes,” She almost whispered tentatively, glancing around cautiously to make sure no one was eavesdropping, uncertain of whether Ariana was the right person to be spilling her character judgements to.
    “People put you in your place.” She said. “Her job isn’t to put you at ease.