Read Online Gone by Francine Pascal - Free Book Online Page A

you?”
    â€œAmen, Sam.” Heather sighed. “A-freaking-men to that.”
    â€œOne thing, though,” Sam said. “Um… is Gaia going to be there?”
    The emotional roller coaster continued. Here they were at the very end of the school year, and they were still talking about GaiaMoore. Boy, did that bring back a ton of ugly flashbacks. “To be honest, I don’t know,” she said. “Why?” She clenched her teeth. “Is that going to be a problem for you? If she’s there?”
    Sam took far too long to answer this. But he did finally answer. “No,” he said. “No, that won’t be a problem for me.” It sounded like he was discovering this fact for the very first time. But it also sounded like he was pretty happy with his discovery. And that made Heather happy.
    â€œWell, good.” She smiled.
    â€œYou know, Gaia wasn’t the only major relationship in my life. I seem to remember you and I having a good thing. You know… before.”
    â€œYeah,” Heather breathed. “I remember.” She felt herself fading back into fond memories of her and Sam Moon: at restaurants… in Sheep Meadow in the park… in bed…
    She quickly thrust herself back into the present. “But I’m not—I mean, this prom deal is a purely platonic request.”
    â€œOh,
hell,
yes.” Sam laughed. “I’m not crazy enough to try that again. I mean… no offense.”
    â€œNone taken,” she assured him. “But I’m not that girl anymore, Sam. I swear I’m not.”
    â€œYou know what?” he said. “I can tell.”
    That might very well be the sweetest thing he’d ever said to her. No, maybe not the sweetest. But it was thething she had most wanted to hear from him. She knew she had made the right call. There truly was only one Sam Moon.

Evil Pills
    NOW JAKE WAS THE ONE PACING THE floor. Oliver was just sitting there on the couch, brooding.
    That agonizing coded phone call had pushed his blood pressure to its absolute maximum. Why did she even call if she wasn’t going to let him help? Was she
trying
to get herself killed? Was that what was happening here? Because that was the only possible explanation for her denying his help and staying put in that apartment with Skyler Rodke. The girl had to be suicidal.
    Jake finally stopped his pacing and turned to Oliver. “So what do we do now?”
    Oliver didn’t answer. He just sat there burning a hole into the opposite wall with his eyes.
    â€œOliver? What do we do now?”
    Oliver didn’t even turn to look at him. “We find Chris Rodke.”
    â€œHow? You said it yourself. The asshole is hiding. Even your crack staff can’t find the kid—”
    â€œShut up,” Oliver snapped. He flashed Jake a venomous glance. “Just keep your mouth shut and let me think.”
    â€œOkay. I’m sorry. I just don’t see how we’re going to find him. And I think we’re running out of time. I think whatever they’re going to do to her, it’s going to—”
    â€œI do
not
need your speculation, Jake. I do not need anything from you except
silence,
do you understand?”
    Jake stomped his foot on the floor. “Look, what is
wrong
with you? What is with the way you’ve been talking to me? What is with the psychotic looks? I mean, I’m just as pissed as you are, but I thought we were in this together. I’ve never seen you like this. It’s like you dropped some freaking ‘evil pills’ this morning or something. The
Rodkes
are the bad guys, remember? Not me, not you. Them.”
    â€œI am becoming impatient.” Oliver’s jaw was practically sealed shut. It was a wonder he could form any words. “That is what is wrong with me. I am losing patience.” He stood up from the couch and began to walk toward Jake with a near-menacing glare. “And you’re