Read Online Acting Brave (Fenbrook Academy #3) by Helena Newbury - Free Book Online Page B

that was just the way of things, right? As you grew up, things changed and you went your separate ways. So...why did it feel so wrong?
    I suddenly coughed and spluttered—I’d been so preoccupied with moping that Karen had paddle-steamed past me and I was in her wake. I powered forward and rejoined the formation.
    “We need to celebrate,” said Clarissa, looking across at me.
    “Not unless I pass the screen test,” I told them. “I don’t want to jinx it.”
    “Fine,” said Nat. “Flicker if you get in. Clarissa’s place and orange Skittle vodka if you don’t.”
    Clarissa’s place. Nat moving out had been the end of an era. Next, I guessed, Neil would move in with Clarissa and then they really would all be in couples. There was a part of me that actually hoped it wouldn’t happen, that Neil would cling on to his biker lifestyle and stay in his own place in Boston. I immediately felt my stomach twist in guilt.
    There was a huge splash just in front of us as a guy flew out of the end of a water chute and plunged into the water.
    “Why do people do that?!” asked Karen, spluttering.
    We all looked blankly at her. “What...go down a water slide?”
    We stopped swimming and treaded water. Karen did the same—sort of—by windmilling her arms.
    “It’s... fun,” I said.
    “Why?” She looked genuinely confused. “Why is sliding down a big plastic tube into some water fun?”
    “It’s, you know...like a slide, only better because it twists and turns and—” Clarissa broke off at Karen’s expression. “You know, a slide. Karen, you must have gone to a playground at least once!”
    Karen looked at her and then looked away, embarrassed.
    “What did you do, your entire childhood?” asked Nat, horrified.
    “Brahms,” mumbled Karen, not meeting her eyes.
    The rest of us all looked at each other.
    “I’ll try it,” Karen said abruptly. She paddle-steamed over to the edge of the pool and climbed out.
    “You don’t have to—” I said quickly.
    “No. It’s fine. Obviously I’ve been missing out.” She walked toward the spiral staircase that led to the water slide.
    “It’s quite a big one,” I said. “Are you sure—”
    But she was already marching up the stairs, all five foot four of her. I felt my chest tighten. She was so determined to prove herself, to catch up on the life she’d missed before Connor. Maybe too determined.
    I turned back to the others. “Okay,” I said. “Well, this is probably a good thing. It’s a good thing, right?”
    They all nodded. But as Karen climbed higher, she slowed down. It really was quite a big water slide.
    “Maybe we should be ready at the bottom,” said Nat. “Just in case.”
    We all swam over to the exit of the slide. Karen was at the top of the steps now, but she was barely moving. She looked very small, all the way up there. I mean, even smaller than normal.
    “You don’t think she’ll….” I looked at Nat and Clarissa in turn. I didn’t have to say “freak out”—they knew what I meant. They’d been there when Karen had had one of her full-on meltdowns after nearly flunking, a meltdown that had started with catatonia and ended with her fainting on the front steps of Fenbrook. It hadn’t been the first time, either. Breaking down under pressure had been why she’d left her first music college in Boston and come to Fenbrook in the first place.
    Of course, she was a lot more relaxed now. Connor’s mix of bad boy Irish charm and—from what she’d told me— seriously hot lovin’ seemed to work like a safety valve for her. On the other hand, this new attitude she had, this need to grow up too fast and prove herself at every turn, seemed like an accident waiting to happen.
    We watched as she sat down at the slide’s entrance, looked down at us just once, her face pale...and then pushed off. We all held our breath.
    The noise started as a worried moan, but rose quickly to an uncertain wail, echoing around the walls of the tube and