Read Online Gravity, a young adult paranormal romance by Abigail Boyd - Free Book Online Page A

caught for a second. "No,"
she said. "Your friends just don't like me."
    "I don't really have any friends at
Hawthorne anymore," I said matter-of-factly. Saying it felt odd,
like I should feel worse about the fact. I knew that I was
discounting Becky, but to be honest with myself, I felt more like a
charity case to her than a friend anymore.
    "I thought you and that Lainey girl
were friends," she said, leaning over to gather her sketchbook back
up. I laughed for about the first time in a month.
 
    "What would give you that idea?" I
asked, leaning on the fence. "I am way too dorky for them, and
also" — I gestured to my house — "I don't live in a
mansion."
    "Never mind, then," she
said.
    She started to stand up, but I found I
had a sudden desperation to talk to someone who I wasn't related
to. Someone who didn't know me and hopefully wouldn't make
assumptions.
    "Where did you move from?" I asked,
trying to keep the conversation going.  
    "Chicago."
    "Do you miss it?"  
    "Every day." She looked up at the sky,
as if there were an invisible dome there. "I don't like this
town."
    "Me neither. And I've lived here my
whole life." I brushed away a fly that landed on the
fence.
    "That sucks," she said, her nose
twitching for a moment like a rabbit.
    "What's your name? I'm
Ariel."
    She paused for a second, tucking a
lock of ruby hair behind her ear. "Theo. Theo Weaver. Nice to meet
you." She came over and stuck out her hand above the fence posts
for me to shake, an oddly formal gesture I found
charming.
    "Likewise," I said. "Theo, that's a
pretty unusual name for a girl."
    "It's short for Theosophia. My mom has
strange taste."
    As if on cue, Theo's mom appeared in
the doorway of their colonial-style house. To my astonishment, I
saw that it was Ms. Vore, our art teacher.  
    "That's your mom?" I asked, even
though I could already tell the answer. Theo nodded sheepishly. I
could definitely see the resemblance, and it wasn't just the
glasses. It was the same serious, smart look on their faces, the
same small nose.
    "I'll see you at school, okay?" Theo
said, and retreated swiftly back to her house. I stood wondering
what exactly had just happened, and if we were on good terms now or
not.  
    In Gym the next day, I discovered I
wouldn't be able to go two days in a row without being the target
of mockery.
    "Nice gym shorts. Did you snag them
from a clothing drop off box?" Madison asked me when I was
changing.
    "No," I said. I looked down at the
mesh black shorts I wore. I hadn't realized they were that bad.
Sure, I had owned them for years, but so what? It was gym class,
not a fashion show. At least not to me.  
    Madison herself was
prancing around in pink ones with Juicy printed on the butt. They were
so tight they could have been spray painted on. Logic told me that
clothing was not my most pressing issue. But the other half of my
brain wondered if I should beg Claire to take me to the mall for
sportswear. It would probably make her think I was moving on. She
would be pleased. The thought made me physically cringe.
    I tried to ignore Madison and Lainey
like my authority figures preached in kindergarten. Ignore the
bullies, and they will eventually stop picking on you. The problem
with that little theory is that I had been trying to do that for
years, and it hadn't ever worked. If anything, they only found new,
innovative ways to torture me.
    Inside the gym, the bleachers were
pulled out halfway in anticipation of some kind of social event
that weekend. Theo sat on the bottom row by herself. I noticed her
ankle bandage was gone. I immediately navigated to the empty spot
next to her. She felt safe. 
    "Hi," she said with some surprise,
raising her eyebrows over flashing emerald glitter. It looked pale
compared to the unusual bright green of her irises. "Didn't expect
you to talk to me in school."
    "Why is that?" I asked. "You're the
only person with a functioning brain around here."
    She smiled and looked out over the
masses. She