Read Online Bluehour (A Watermagic Novel) by Brighton Hill - Free Book Online

return shortly. I hoped that he
wasn’t avoiding me. It just couldn’t be possible.
    Ashton stopped me in the hall to tell me that
Danny agreed to double date with us. I warned Ashton about my
father and his rules of forbidding me to swim in the ocean. He was
actually really easy going about it and didn’t make any overt
judgments which made me feel good.
    Cooking class dragged on. The teacher made it
way more important than it should have been. She showed us all
sorts of kitchen utensils and gave us way too much homework. For
our first assignment, we had to memorize all the different types of
cooking appliances and know their uses. It was tedious, annoying
work, but I was just glad that we didn’t have to use the oven or
stove yet.
    When I told Agatha about the double date, she
was thrilled. She was already talking about how she was going to
make all sorts of snack foods for us to picnic on the shore. When
she saw Danny buying food in the cafeteria, she ran over to him and
hugged him like a child.
    He looked surprised, but laughed
acceptingly.
    I stood behind Agatha while she chatted with
Danny. Now that I was the third wheel and all attention was off me,
my curiosity started getting the best of me again. I kept catching
myself looking over at the exchange students, wondering if Laurent
had returned, but there was just the four of them: Marine,
Brigitte, Marcel, and Pascal.
    “Hey, Danny.” I tapped him on the shoulder.
“Do you know why Laurent Moreau isn’t here?” I whispered because
even though the très beaux were across the room, I was unreasonably
paranoid they might hear me.
    Danny smiled broadly. He looked a little too
happy that I was imploring him for information. “I was wondering
that myself, but when I asked them, they ignored me.”
    “Really?” I touched my chin.
    “Yeah,” he responded in a high pitched
voice.
    “I wonder why?” I glanced over at them,
putting my hand on my hip now. Oddly, they were eating on fine
china. Danny was right—they all sat up very straight at the table
and seemed to have perfect manners. I noticed how they laid their
napkins in their laps like they were eating in a fine restaurant
rather than in a cafeteria.
    “I wonder a lot of things about them,” he
snorted. “They are the most interesting people I have ever met. And
funny enough you’re not the only one asking me about Laurent. I
think ten other girls have already asked me the same question.”
    “Oh.” My face grew hot.
    “It’s really kind of hilarious.”
    “What’s funny?” Agatha asked.
    He was glad to explain. “Now that I spend
time escorting the exchange students, everybody wants to talk to
me. I know it’s not me of course, but so many people are fascinated
with them and are always asking me for information.” He laughed a
goofy laugh and Agatha joined in too.
    I sort of rolled my eyes and wanted to leave.
I didn’t like how this school year was going so far. Boys seemed to
complicate everything. I just needed to focus on getting into
Berkley and now I was already going on my first date ever with one
of the more popular boys in school, Agatha was getting all wrapped
up in Danny, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over Laurent.
    I just wanted things to get back to
normal—just me and Agatha. But, somehow I knew that wasn’t
possible. Something inside of me hinted at a life unexpected. I
sensed that my reality was going to dramatically change and that I
had absolutely no control over it. It was coming fast and all I had
to do was let go. Just enjoy the ride, I told myself. Let go.

Golden Bronze
    The next day at school the lectures became
more intense. The teachers began assigning extensive homework. They
all pretty much said the same things—that advanced placement
students need to prepare for the competitive nature of college. If
we think high school is difficult, just wait until the universities
get a hold of us. “Sink or swim,” more than one of them said.
    My obsessions over