Read Online Beautiful by Amy Reed - Free Book Online

hold up the manila envelope, andSarah hands her the official letter I typed up on Alex’s mom’s computer.
    The old lady puts on the reading glasses that are hanging around her neck. She wheezes as she reads, and the dog is biting my ankles. I want to kick it but I don’t. “Hmm,” the lady says. “What kind of animals?”
    â€œGerbils,” Sarah says. “Mice, lizards, snakes. You know, science animals.”
    â€œI don’t like snakes,” says the woman, squinting at us.
    â€œMe neither,” says Sarah.
    â€œAre you going to do experiments on them?” She looks worried.
    â€œNo. We’re just going to observe them,” I say. “It says so in the letter.” I point it out for her.
    â€œThat’s good.”
    We stand there for a moment, Sarah and I smiling our sweetest smiles.
    â€œWell, I guess I could spare a few dollars. For education and all.”
    â€œThat would be great,” says Sarah.
    â€œOur class would really appreciate it,” I add.
    She goes back into the house, and the dog follows her. As she finds us our drug money, Sarah and I look at each other and try not to laugh.
    â€œHere you go, girls,” the old lady says as she hands me a five-dollar bill. I put it in the manila envelope.
    â€œWould you like a receipt?” Sarah asks. “For tax purposes.” We stole a receipt pad from the office supply store down the street. We thought of everything.
    â€œOh no, girls, that’s fine,” the lady says. “What would I do with another piece of paper?”
    We say our good-byes and thank yous and Sarah adds a “God bless you” and I think I’m going to burst with laughter as we speed-walk around the corner to where Alex is waiting for us. As soon as we get out of sight of the old lady’s house, I am laughing so hard I think I’m going to pee my pants and Sarah’s practically on the ground and she keeps saying, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,” and then gulps for air, and I put my arm around her shoulders and focus on my bladder.
    Alex emerges from behind a van. “What’s so funny?” she says, like she’s angry.
    â€œYou should have seen that lady,” Sarah says.
    â€œSarah blessed her,” I say, and we’re laughing again and Alex does not look happy.
    â€œHow much did you get?”
    â€œFive dollars,” I say, and suddenly things don’t seem so funny because Alex is all business and there’s a scowl on her face like we’ve done something very wrong.
    â€œWe need more.”
    â€œOh, lighten up,” Sarah says, and now no one is laughing. Now everything is heavy and ruined.
    â€œDon’t talk back to me,” says Alex.
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause I’ll hurt you.”
    â€œBullshit.”
    â€œYou don’t believe me?”
    â€œNo.”
    They stare each other down and I want to be anywhere but here. Sarah looks weird, like she’s someone else, possessed, like she could die right now and not care. Alex looks like she could kill her.
    I could leave and no one would notice. I could just walk away.
    â€œHit me,” Sarah says, looking Alex straight in the eyes.
    â€œYou want me to hit you?”
    â€œYeah, hit me.”
    They stare at each other while Alex considers this. I am quiet. I look up at the tops of trees like I see something interesting. I must pretend I’m invisible. I must pretend nothing’s wrong. My body’s tense, solid, like my petrified muscles are the only thing keeping Alex and Sarah from killing each other. My brain is black space, empty, with one line of tiny whitewriting, barely visible, white words against black, silently repeating,
Please stop please stop please stop.
    Alex rolls her eyes and starts walking. “I’m gonna hit you when you don’t want it,” she says.
    â€œWhatever,” Sarah says, and we follow Alex to the next