Read Online Checked Again by Jennifer Jamelli - Free Book Online

stalker. I tell her that I’ll take a turn soon. Then we say our
goodbyes, and I go back to my picture straightening.
    My
next interruption comes as I’m sweeping the floor. Another phone call.
    Thank
God I check the caller ID before I answer. And thank God I took the time to
program this number into my phone.
    Dr.
Gabriel. Ugh.
    Send
to voicemail. Send far, far away.
    I
check his message right before I begin working on the refrigerator. He’s hoping
I’m feeling well…reminding me to get some rest in between classes…oh, and he’s
just going to hold his office hours in the writing center again tonight…in case
I need some relief…and so he can run something by me…
    Fabulous. He’s going to
be stepping all over my personal space in just a few short hours.
    And
there won’t be anyone there to save me this time…
    Those
sad blue eyes pop back into my mind…as does the fact that I still haven’t
written back to his cold, detached message. Nor have I called Dr. Grove’s
office to take that appointment. But I don’t intend to take that appointment…or
any appointment at all. I just haven’t figured out how to get away with that
yet.
    {Demi
Lovato begins her refrain to “Heart Attack . ” I’m not sure
what she’s suggesting…that I’ll have a heart attack if I have to go to another
appointment, or that I should fake a heart attack to get out of going to the
appointment. Hmm…if I fake a heart attack, I’ll just have to have more
appointments—to check my heart and to check my brain because, really, who fakes
a heart attack? And after all of those extra appointments, they’ll find out how
crazy I am and then just send me right back to Dr. Blake. Damn it. Not going to
work, Demi. Not going to work at all.}
    Back
to my morning preparations.
    Somehow
I manage to finish with no more interruptions. Then I get through a couple
hundred pages of Anna Karenina , only having to stop once when Mandy
pokes her head in my room. She says she only came home to change clothes since
it’s so warm out today, but I’m not buying that. I’m sure she’s just following
Mom’s Callie’s crazy—let’s stalk her schedule. I’m positive that this is
the case when Mandy hands me a little white bag, saying she passed by an
awesome new bakery on her way home.
    I
thank her, put the white bag on my desk, and tell her she looks pretty adorable
in her new outfit—a little blue dress and matching sandals. She then heads out
and I keep reading, not opening the bag of, I’m sure, a zillion calories
sitting beside me.
    Soon
it’s time for my leaving-the-house preparations. Before I start them, I change
into a lighter shirt and grab a pair of flip-flops from my closet, figuring
that the writing center will probably be pretty warm. Since it’s October, I’m
sure no one will think to put on the air conditioning…
    And
I don’t want to sweat. And then stink. And then have to sit and dream about
showering the entire time that I work…not that I don’t normally dream about
showering for at least part of my shift—but not the whole time.
    Flip-flops
on.
    Thirty-three
checks completed times three.
    Out
the door.
    Handle
twist. Handle twist. Handle twist.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter
7
    rain
     
     
    I
WAS RIGHT. THE WRITING center is pretty warm. It’s also rather packed once
again. As I walk up to my desk, I look around carefully at each computer chair,
looking out for any surprise guests.
    There
don’t seem to be any.
    Unfortunately,
Dr. Gabriel catches my eye as I look around, as though he figures I’m looking
for him. Gross. I give him a quick nod and head to my desk. Fortunately,
he has a line of students waiting to talk to him, so he doesn’t follow me.
    But
he’ll be up here eventually…
    I
try to push that ugly thought out of my brain as I check my computer for
tickets. When I see that I don’t have any, I pull out my Kindle to continue
reading…but, really, my eyes won’t focus on the screen in front of me.