Uncertainty by Abigail Boyd Read Free Book Online Page A

don't know. I think it's just withdrawal. I feel really anxious and everything is too intense, the sounds, the smells. I mean, I read about withdrawal, and you know me. I read one article and I think I'm an expert."
    Theo chuckled under her breath, probably due to the truth of my statement. With the toe of her sneaker, she drew a heart shape in the sand.
    "Now it's like someone pressed fast forward on my body," I concluded.
    "Does your mom know?" Theo asked.
    I looked at her sheepishly.
    "Yeah, I didn't think so," Theo said. "That still doesn't explain what Henry did."
    "He didn't really do anything." I felt stupid for even bringing him into the conversation. "I just bumped into him in school, like literally bumped into him, touching-his-body wise..."
    "Touching his body?" Theo repeated, both eyebrows reaching her fire-red hairline. "Did you stumble into sex ed?"
    I swung sideways so my swing knocked hers with a clunk. "We got pushed together by the sheep rushing out. And it brought back all my old feelings. The ones I didn't think I had anymore. I couldn't even talk to him."
    "You shouldn't talk to him," Theo said emphatically. Her shoe tip erased the heart with one swift, graceful swoop. "You should set him on fire." She accompanied her words with a toothy grin.
    I snickered, despite the fact that it seemed like an alien thing to do. We both sat together, listening to the traffic on the road, and watching a couple of birds flit around on the grass.
    "I wish Henry had never moved here," Theo said.
     

CHAPTER 5
    AFTER THEO DROPPED me off that afternoon, I stood outside the back door for several minutes, willing myself to go forward. I stomped playground sand from my shoes on the worn mat and went in.
    I remembered Claire's list as soon as I opened the door, and groaned. Why did she have to torture me? Couldn't she give me one day without bossing me around?
    I decided to ignore it for now. I had to; my eyelids were barely staying open, and my knees threatened to give out if I stood for much longer. Hugh must have been upstairs in his studio, since his keys were on the counter and there was fresh coffee in the pot.
    Dragging myself and my heavy backpack towards the stairs, I went down. As I wandered back to my room, I tried to prepare myself for what I might see. I thrust the door open, expecting to see Jenna sitting on the bed, sticking her tongue out at me.
    But the room was empty, smelling of dust and unused scented candles. Not seeing her was a strange, guilty relief, one I would have never expected. Frankly, I couldn't deal with Jenna now, either. My brain was in commercial mode — flitting from one image to another, with no purpose or reason.
    Chucking my backpack under the desk, I collapsed on the bed. I passed out before I could think anymore.
    The next conscious thought I was aware of was annoyance. Hugh was shaking my shoulder, trying to wake me up.
    "I made spaghetti," he said. "All covered with cheese."
    Somehow I'd ended up face down on my pillow, a little splotch of drool emanating from my mouth. I pushed my torso up a fraction, still mostly asleep.
    "What?"
    "I made spaghetti," Hugh repeated. "For dinner. Are you going to get up any time in this century?"
    "Maybe another decade," I said, dropping my head back to the moist pillow.
    "It's already after 7," Hugh persisted. "Do you want me to just save a plate in the microwave?"
    I muttered my agreement, and listened as he rumbled out of the room, flicking the lights off as he went.
    I didn't stir from sleep until later, when I finally dragged myself to heed my rumbling stomach. The food from Dante's had finally settled, leaving me hungry.
    Claire was home. Her briefcase sat open on the table, full of meticulously organized piles of documents with a rainbow of Post-Its. I hoped she didn't notice that I hadn't even taken a peek at her to-do list, but I knew that was a pipe dream. Her shoes clicked on the floor above, back and forth across her room.
    I heated the