Read Online Brighter, a supernatural thriller by V. J. Chambers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: V. J. Chambers
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wasn't really good at science, but she liked it a lot, and that was why she'd decided to major in it. She wanted to learn as much as she could about it. It was her passion, but it was difficult for her, and she spent a lot of time studying.
After a few months, the dorm lottery for the following year came up. Ramona hated her current roommate, who was a ditzy sorority girl. Cecelia liked her roommate, but mostly because the girl was never in the dorm. She spent almost all her time with her boyfriend, who lived off campus. Still, with a little cajoling, Ramona was able to convince Cecelia that the two of them should room together the following year. So they went to the lottery together and wound up with a room in Ramona's old dorm on the smoking wing.
The following year, they moved into their room together. Set it up just the way they liked it, with bunks jutting from the wall, dividing the room. They set up one side as a "bedroom," with their dressers and clothes. The other side they made a "living room" with a beanbag chair and their TV. The first few months were great, just like the previous semester. The girls spent time talking. They drank together. Borrowed each other's clothes. Went to the dining hall together.
Then... Ramona didn't really know what happened. One of the things had to have been Ben. He was leaving town, and she ended up spending more time with him than usual, so Cecelia had probably been alone a lot. The two had never hung out with each other exclusively, but Ramona considered Cecelia her closest friend, and she assumed Cecelia felt the same way. So, with Ramona being at Ben's half of the time, Cecelia probably felt a little abandoned.
Or maybe it had nothing to do with that at all. Maybe it was just natural growth. People grew apart sometimes. A lot of the time, actually. Anyway, Cecelia started hanging out with the river hippies. Especially Dawn. Suddenly, Dawn and Cecelia were always together. The answering machine in Ramona's room was filled with messages for Cecelia from Dawn. Cecelia stopped going to the dining hall with Ramona. She wasn't in the dorm room much. Ramona almost never saw her anymore.
She tried not to be jealous. She didn't want to act like a first grader about the whole thing. But she couldn't quite help it. Dawn had stolen her best friend. At least, that was how she felt. She felt hurt and left behind. She felt very, very alone.
She and Cecelia both went home for winter break. Ramona came back. Cecelia did not. A few weeks went by, and then Cecelia came by to collect her stuff. She told Ramona she was dropping out of college.
Ramona was floored. She was what? That wasn't like Cecelia. Cecelia loved college. She loved biology. She was always telling Ramona about stuff she'd learned in class about certain plants they saw growing around campus. She loved it. But once Ramona thought about it, she realized that Cecelia had been pretty close-mouthed about all that stuff since she started hanging out with Dawn. Also, she didn't study much anymore, and Cecelia used to study a lot.
Cecelia explained to her that the work was just too hard. She had failed two classes and would have to make them up. She just wasn't really interested in school anymore. Ramona wanted to know what she was going to do for the future. Cecelia didn't know. She seemed totally unconcerned with that. She'd figure it out later, she said. So Cecelia moved in with Dawn and started working at a restaurant in town as a waitress, and sometimes Ramona saw her at the bar. But that had basically been the end of their friendship.
Cecelia had changed. Ramona guessed that she had changed too, but Cecelia's change had bothered her. It was like Cecelia was a completely different person. Gone was the girl who climbed trees in skirts. In her place was a party chick who worked just to make money to support her drinking. Ramona didn't know who Cecelia was anymore.
And then the thing with Tucker happened. One night a few weeks
After a few months, the dorm lottery for the following year came up. Ramona hated her current roommate, who was a ditzy sorority girl. Cecelia liked her roommate, but mostly because the girl was never in the dorm. She spent almost all her time with her boyfriend, who lived off campus. Still, with a little cajoling, Ramona was able to convince Cecelia that the two of them should room together the following year. So they went to the lottery together and wound up with a room in Ramona's old dorm on the smoking wing.
The following year, they moved into their room together. Set it up just the way they liked it, with bunks jutting from the wall, dividing the room. They set up one side as a "bedroom," with their dressers and clothes. The other side they made a "living room" with a beanbag chair and their TV. The first few months were great, just like the previous semester. The girls spent time talking. They drank together. Borrowed each other's clothes. Went to the dining hall together.
Then... Ramona didn't really know what happened. One of the things had to have been Ben. He was leaving town, and she ended up spending more time with him than usual, so Cecelia had probably been alone a lot. The two had never hung out with each other exclusively, but Ramona considered Cecelia her closest friend, and she assumed Cecelia felt the same way. So, with Ramona being at Ben's half of the time, Cecelia probably felt a little abandoned.
Or maybe it had nothing to do with that at all. Maybe it was just natural growth. People grew apart sometimes. A lot of the time, actually. Anyway, Cecelia started hanging out with the river hippies. Especially Dawn. Suddenly, Dawn and Cecelia were always together. The answering machine in Ramona's room was filled with messages for Cecelia from Dawn. Cecelia stopped going to the dining hall with Ramona. She wasn't in the dorm room much. Ramona almost never saw her anymore.
She tried not to be jealous. She didn't want to act like a first grader about the whole thing. But she couldn't quite help it. Dawn had stolen her best friend. At least, that was how she felt. She felt hurt and left behind. She felt very, very alone.
She and Cecelia both went home for winter break. Ramona came back. Cecelia did not. A few weeks went by, and then Cecelia came by to collect her stuff. She told Ramona she was dropping out of college.
Ramona was floored. She was what? That wasn't like Cecelia. Cecelia loved college. She loved biology. She was always telling Ramona about stuff she'd learned in class about certain plants they saw growing around campus. She loved it. But once Ramona thought about it, she realized that Cecelia had been pretty close-mouthed about all that stuff since she started hanging out with Dawn. Also, she didn't study much anymore, and Cecelia used to study a lot.
Cecelia explained to her that the work was just too hard. She had failed two classes and would have to make them up. She just wasn't really interested in school anymore. Ramona wanted to know what she was going to do for the future. Cecelia didn't know. She seemed totally unconcerned with that. She'd figure it out later, she said. So Cecelia moved in with Dawn and started working at a restaurant in town as a waitress, and sometimes Ramona saw her at the bar. But that had basically been the end of their friendship.
Cecelia had changed. Ramona guessed that she had changed too, but Cecelia's change had bothered her. It was like Cecelia was a completely different person. Gone was the girl who climbed trees in skirts. In her place was a party chick who worked just to make money to support her drinking. Ramona didn't know who Cecelia was anymore.
And then the thing with Tucker happened. One night a few weeks
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