Read Online Gravity by Amanda Miga - Free Book Online

his
name." He presses my arm hard into my back, “How would we know the
name of some piss-ant I’ve never seen in my life. Even if I’ve seen
you, which I haven’t, why would I even bother to ask your name? How
do you even know Jake?"
    “I’m Jake’s best friend.”
    The Crew laughs. "Jake’s never mentioned you.
Matter of fact I’ve never seen you at the center table."
    "Find Jake and Pete!"
    “Pete? Jake’s best friend is dead.”
    “What?”
    “Pete’s dead, asshole and you don’t look like
Pete to me.”
    My cell rings. Hunter snatches it out of my
pocket.
    “Greetings, this is Random Douchebag’s phone.
Douchebag’s not available may I take a message?”
    I hear Mom's distant 'who is
this?'
    Hunter throws the phone at Davis. “Take care
of this bitch, will you?”
    In which Davis chuckles, “Hello… ah—your
son?... He’s tied up right now…. Yeah, he’s sucking some guy’s
dick… yeah, he's really into it… Alex? Who’s Alex? ...oh you mean
Douchebag… ” Davis hits end and throws the phone over Jake’s
house.
    “Who did you bag this time, Hunter?” Jake
calls out from the porch.
    Hunter lets me go. I get up slowly, holding
my side where the boot dug into me. My fingers feel a funny
material and I look down at my clothes. It's an ugly over-sized
stripe sweater hanging off my body. I'd never wear something like
this—ever. My boxers are over my jeans like the prank on Lucas
Reiner. I would never leave my house like this. Hunter and his crew
are laughing as I make my way past them.
    "Jake!" I shout. “What the hell is going
on?”
    “It’s okay I know him.” Jake sips his beer in
one hand and the other is around Cher’s waist.
    Hunter and his crew back away from me.
“Serves you right freak." I hear one of them say.
    "Are you with him now?" I ask Cher.
    “What was I supposed to do? You didn’t want
me.” She rubs Jake's chest.
    "Of course she's with me, Pete's dead." Jake
smirks.
    "Pete's dead?" I look down at my feet to find
Pete's body beaten to a pulp. Hunter's Crew bashed his head in.
"How could you let this happen?" I approach the porch.
    "I'm sorry. You can't enter." One of Hunter's
Crew blocks the way. "You're not on the list."
    I've had enough of this shit. Everything's
backwards. "Jake, what's going on?"
    "I don't let freaks into my parties. You are
the biggest freak of them all. To think I was your friend. Friends
don't lie and they don't take their friend's girlfriends."
    "But that's what you're doing." I clench my
fists. I hate seeing her at his side.
    "Pete's dead. And you're still a liar. And
you owe me money for the alcohol."
    A sudden high pitch sound brings me to my
knees. I cover my ears and open my eyes. Everyone is staring,
laughing and their mouths are moving, but nothing I can't hear
anything except the ear piercing ringing.
    Someone grabs me. Their fingers tear holes
into the ugly sweater. I slip from their grasp and run across
Jake's front yard, passing the line of cars parked to the corner.
The Crew is after me. I can't shake off the ringing sound in my
ears. I make a quick turn on to a busy street. Somehow the Crew is
still close at my heels. I dart into an alley and hop the fence.
The damn sweater gets caught. I slip it off, leaving it hanging
like a dirty rag. The Crew hit the fence like fish caught in a net
and start climbing like rats. I flee out of the alley and head to
the school.
    The ringing seizes. The sound of my breathing
and silence confirms there's no people; no sign of Hunter's Crew.
I'm not taking and target the school doors. They're locked at this
time of night but the windows in the music room aren't.
    I jog around the building and climb in. I
land on a desk, but not a school desk; an old fancy desk like the
one in Jake's dad's den. Mrs. Rubio doesn't have a desk like this.
Perhaps I entered the wrong classroom. I slide off the desk when
something sharp hits my cheek. I lean away from the object to find
my eyes adjusting at a taxidermy