Read Online Dust to Dust by Melissa Walker - Free Book Online Page B

day.”
    â€œWhat conversation?”
    â€œIn the cemetery,” she says, her eyes shining with anticipation. “Remember, you said you knew those people whose names were on the plaque, and that you were friends with them but that something wasn’t right?”
    I look down. Now that I’ve seen Thatcher, I have the feeling he wouldn’t want me talking about the Prism. But I’ve already told Carson something about that world, and my best friend is not someone who lets these things go.
    â€œCan I take a rain check on that conversation?” I ask her. “I’m sorry . . . I’m just not up for it right now.”
    She looks disappointed, but I can tell she doesn’t want to push me too much.
    â€œWhy don’t you tell me more about the gossip that happened while I was in the coma,” I say. “I want to be caught up for school on Monday. What’d I miss? Who’s fighting? Who’s in love? Who got drunk and hooked up?”
    It’s a lame attempt to change the subject because Carson knows I don’t really care about stuff like that, but she reacts strangely. She freezes for a moment, and her face looks stricken. Then she movesslowly to a spot on the bed next to me, her eyes glistening with tears.
    â€œCars, what is it?”
    She averts her gaze. “I wanted to tell you sooner, but . . .”
    The pause is excruciating. “ What? ” I ask finally.
    Her face crumples. “Um, it’s about Nick.”
    â€œWhat about Nick?”
    Another pause. “Two things.” I can tell the tears are about to come streaming down her round cheeks. “I’ve been holding this in and I don’t think I can do it anymore and I have to tell you because if I don’t I’m going to go crazy and—”
    â€œGeez, Carson! What is it?”
    â€œIthinkIkissedhimwhenIwasdrunk.”
    She says it in such a gush—“I think I kissed him when I was drunk”—that if I didn’t already know about this, deep down, I’d probably have to ask her to repeat it. Carson covers her face with her hands, peeking out through her fingers to see my reaction.
    I close my eyes, though, because I’m picturing a moment in my mind, a vision that’s been triggered: Reena using my energy to take control of Carson’s body during a party at Tim McCann’s house.
    Carson’s lips curving up in triumph. Carson straddling Nick and pressing her lips to his. Her hair falling over her neck as she leans down to . . .
    I shake my head to try to stop the memory as it comes. I saw Reena enter Carson’s body; I saw her possess my best friend and kiss Nick in that moment, right after he said . . . that he was planning on breaking up with me.
    How did I forget that? Those words came out of his mouth—he even told Carson. But the real Carson wasn’t there. She was already possessed. Thinking about it makes my skin crawl and my stomach ache, but I know it wasn’t Carson who betrayed me—it was Reena.
    As I open my eyes to stare at Carson now, I worriedly search for aftereffects of the possession in mybest friend, scared that she might be physically weaker or somehow mentally changed. But thankfully I see nothing different about her at all—Carson is Carson. The possession doesn’t seem to have hurt her.
    Once that fear has worn off—temporarily, at least—I’m aware that it wasn’t her fault . . . and yet, as she looks at me nervously, I feel an arch in my back, a heaviness in my chest. My Nick. She kissed him. I’m surprised at myself. Maybe . . . maybe the boy who’s alive has more of a hold on me that I thought.
    She drops her hands and grabs mine. “Oh, Callie, I’m so sorry. I don’t what came over me. I would never, ever do something like that to you! But I know it happened and I’m just . . . I hope you can forgive