Read Online A Shimmer of Angels by Lisa M. Basso - Free Book Online
Authors: Lisa M. Basso
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I swallowed a mouthful of rich hot chocolate and allowed myself to think the word I’d been trying to avoid: dead. She was dead. I felt that. Dr. G always said, you know it’s real when all five senses receive it together . I could still summon the metallic scent of her blood and feel it soaking into my evidence-tagged clothes.
Lee plopped into the seat across from me, startling me out of the memory. “You never called me back last night.”
I pushed my mug toward him in apology.
He greedily gulped up the rest. He smiled at me, but his eyes were rimmed dark and his whole demeanor drooped. I thought to ask him what was bothering him, but it was getting late. I paid the check, and we walked toward school. “Did you hear about Allison Woodward?” he finally asked.
Of course he would have heard about it. “Yeah. I, uh, found her.”
“What?” His voice cracked. “You found her? Holy Daleks, are you all right?”
Daleks. If he hadn’t insisted on last week’s Dr. Who Wednesday marathon, I would have missed that one.
“I, uh, kind of have to be. It sucked. It was … horrible. One of the worst things ever, but I’ll be okay. I have to be.”
Why. He was going to ask why. And I had nothing to tell him. No one wanted a schizo for a BFF. And I couldn’t lose him.
“ One of the worst things ever? Wow, Ray. What have you been through?”
“A lot.” I tugged nervously on my backpack’s straps.
“Losing your mom must have been hard. I don’t really know, because my dad died when I was still a baby. Whatever happened to you in Arizona, that’s all over now.”
Oh, how I wished that was true.
“Thanks, Lee. You really are the best friend.”
Neither of us said another word until we got to school. We trudged up the stairs toward our first period classes.
“Do you think they’ll, uh, make a big announcement about Allison?” Lee asked, his shoulders slumped and his head low.
“Probably.” His sadness echoed so sharply, I had to ask. “Did you know her well?”
“Had a crush on her since fifth grade.” His defeated sigh tore me in two.
We paused at the second floor landing. I reached out to him, then hesitated. The way he adjusted his glasses didn’t hide the hurt on his face. I grabbed him and pulled him into a quick hug. I hated hugs, but Lee looked like he needed one.
The corner of his lips twitched up. “Thanks, Ray.” He sounded like he meant it. “See you at lunch.”
I climbed the remaining flight of stairs alone, ignoring the churning in my stomach, and steeled myself. Missing class wasn’t an option. Not after I’d skipped it yesterday. Besides, being here was better than staying home. The more time I spent around Dad, the more likely he was to notice I wasn’t quite right, not anymore.
Two girls passed on either side of me, one muttering a semi-polite “excuse me.” I followed them into Honors English, head down, feet shuffling.
The new kid was already in his seat. And he still had wings. The tiny specks of light that struggled through the early-October clouds headed straight for him. His wings didn’t disappoint, amplifying their radiance, shimmering across the faces of our classmates.
It wasn’t until I took my own seat—more like fell into it when my knees gave out—that it dawned on me: we were neighbors. Of course he would have been assigned the only free seat in class, the one next to me. It was a pattern: any free seats in my classes were next to me, emphasizing just how much of a freak most of the school thought I was.
He acknowledged me with an entrancing smile. His wings shifted slightly, the tips of his feathers curling under like a cat’s claws.
I returned an uneven smile through dry lips.
If I stretched my hand out, it would pass right through them. I wondered if I’d feel anything. Ghosts are said to give off cold spots when they touch or pass through people. If that’s true, would these wings give off warmth?
No , I reminded myself, because they
Lee plopped into the seat across from me, startling me out of the memory. “You never called me back last night.”
I pushed my mug toward him in apology.
He greedily gulped up the rest. He smiled at me, but his eyes were rimmed dark and his whole demeanor drooped. I thought to ask him what was bothering him, but it was getting late. I paid the check, and we walked toward school. “Did you hear about Allison Woodward?” he finally asked.
Of course he would have heard about it. “Yeah. I, uh, found her.”
“What?” His voice cracked. “You found her? Holy Daleks, are you all right?”
Daleks. If he hadn’t insisted on last week’s Dr. Who Wednesday marathon, I would have missed that one.
“I, uh, kind of have to be. It sucked. It was … horrible. One of the worst things ever, but I’ll be okay. I have to be.”
Why. He was going to ask why. And I had nothing to tell him. No one wanted a schizo for a BFF. And I couldn’t lose him.
“ One of the worst things ever? Wow, Ray. What have you been through?”
“A lot.” I tugged nervously on my backpack’s straps.
“Losing your mom must have been hard. I don’t really know, because my dad died when I was still a baby. Whatever happened to you in Arizona, that’s all over now.”
Oh, how I wished that was true.
“Thanks, Lee. You really are the best friend.”
Neither of us said another word until we got to school. We trudged up the stairs toward our first period classes.
“Do you think they’ll, uh, make a big announcement about Allison?” Lee asked, his shoulders slumped and his head low.
“Probably.” His sadness echoed so sharply, I had to ask. “Did you know her well?”
“Had a crush on her since fifth grade.” His defeated sigh tore me in two.
We paused at the second floor landing. I reached out to him, then hesitated. The way he adjusted his glasses didn’t hide the hurt on his face. I grabbed him and pulled him into a quick hug. I hated hugs, but Lee looked like he needed one.
The corner of his lips twitched up. “Thanks, Ray.” He sounded like he meant it. “See you at lunch.”
I climbed the remaining flight of stairs alone, ignoring the churning in my stomach, and steeled myself. Missing class wasn’t an option. Not after I’d skipped it yesterday. Besides, being here was better than staying home. The more time I spent around Dad, the more likely he was to notice I wasn’t quite right, not anymore.
Two girls passed on either side of me, one muttering a semi-polite “excuse me.” I followed them into Honors English, head down, feet shuffling.
The new kid was already in his seat. And he still had wings. The tiny specks of light that struggled through the early-October clouds headed straight for him. His wings didn’t disappoint, amplifying their radiance, shimmering across the faces of our classmates.
It wasn’t until I took my own seat—more like fell into it when my knees gave out—that it dawned on me: we were neighbors. Of course he would have been assigned the only free seat in class, the one next to me. It was a pattern: any free seats in my classes were next to me, emphasizing just how much of a freak most of the school thought I was.
He acknowledged me with an entrancing smile. His wings shifted slightly, the tips of his feathers curling under like a cat’s claws.
I returned an uneven smile through dry lips.
If I stretched my hand out, it would pass right through them. I wondered if I’d feel anything. Ghosts are said to give off cold spots when they touch or pass through people. If that’s true, would these wings give off warmth?
No , I reminded myself, because they
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