Read Online Diary of the Gone by Ivan Amberlake - Free Book Online Page B

persona.
    “ Hey, wait!” someone
said.
    Wayne walked fast towards me, a bag
slinging over one shoulder. He was wheezing as if from running for
a while, his face bleached. He clawed my elbow and whispered, “We
need to talk. Now!”
    We elbowed our way through the crowd
causing a few grunts and moans from those we pushed, but Wayne
didn’t care to apologize.
    “ What happened?” I asked
him when we stopped near the school cafeteria, nearly empty at this
time.
    “ It’s Audrey,” he
whispered, but it felt as though he wanted to scream.
    It hit me. The girl. The one who
screamed out there in the dark.
    “ She’s gone! Her parents
called us this morning to ask if she was with me.” Wayne balled his
hands into fists that threatened to punch something.
    Words failed me. Wayne spoke instead.
“There’s someone who might know where Nate and Audrey can be.
Meeting you here at lunchtime.”
    He turned to go.
    “ Wait. Who are you talking
about?”
    “ Talk to you
later.”
    It irritated me that no one cared to
explain anything to me.
    The news of Audrey not coming home
spread like wildfire. Even though everyone spoke in hushed tones, I
caught some of them discussing the details of Greg’s death, the
words ‘strangled’ and ‘marks’ repeated here and there. I
occasionally heard my name mentioned, then schoolmates stole
furtive glances at me. Well, they never meant to be furtive in the
first place.
    When lunchtime arrived, I headed for
the cafeteria as Wayne had instructed. I glowered at everyone for
thinking I was the one responsible for Nathan and Audrey’s
disappearances. As I entered, everyone went silent. I felt like I’d
stepped into a Shadow, no color, no sound, nothing. Some even
stopped chewing, their mouths full.
    I grabbed a tray and proceeded to the
line of students when suddenly I tripped and crashed onto the tile
floor, my tray rattling in the momentary silence.
    A few people burst into laughter, and
I felt my cheeks burning with shame. As I scrambled to my feet I
looked back to see Stan sticking out his leg from behind the
table.
    “ Watch where you’re going,
Blackscum,” he said with a sneer.
    His friends cheered, clapping his
shoulder in approval. He stood up and came over to me, everyone
around watching us. I looked into his hateful eyes, not afraid of
him anymore, even though he was taller than me.
    “ Well, now you’ve asked
for trouble,” someone said from behind him.
    Wayne stood in the entrance, then
crossed the distance between him and Stan in mere
seconds.
    “ Will you just go to—?”
Stan didn’t finish the question. Wayne punched him so hard in the
face Stan fell to the floor, wriggling in pain. The crowd gasped
unanimously.
    “ You will never ever treat
this kid badly,” he said, pointing his index finger at Stan. “Let’s
go,” he said, and I didn’t realize at first he was talking to me,
so mesmerized I was by the sight of Stan cowering and clutching at
his bleeding nose.
    “ Callum!” Wayne called,
then I snapped out of it.
    We exited the cafeteria in total
silence. “Aren’t you afraid they’re going to expel you?” I
asked.
    Wayne walked with confidence I never
had. “The Crosbys will never order us around.”
    I tried my best to keep up with his
strides, then asked, “Why do you hate him so much?”
    He scoffed. “Well, first, he’s a jerk
who treats others like they’re scum. And second, once he tried to
kiss Audrey against her will. It’s good I made it in time and
kicked his ass.”
    Now that Audrey had been mentioned, I
asked, “Where are we going?”
    “ First, to Mrs. Palmer’s
house, then—if we don’t find her there—we’re going to the Swamps,”
he replied brusquely.
    I raised an eyebrow at him.
    “ We need to find her,” he
said.
    “ The Mrs. Palmer?”
    His lips curved into a smile, but his
eyes remain stern. “Nate told us you two had seen her there, right?
The day or two before you found Greg.”
    “ Right. Do you think