Read Online Ripple Effect: A Novel by Adalynn Rafe - Free Book Online Page A

Lining the walls of the hallway were orange lockers, behind them walls composed of red bricks, and below me, a white linoleum floor. End of explanation. That was how the entire school looked essentially.
    A door opened in front of me. It’s one of the doors that lead to the main office. Out walked a familiar girl, one that I used to see every day when I would wake up and look in the mirror.
    Before me stood Cecily Wolf, teary eyed and depressed.
    At least she wore decent clothes, like jeans and a baggy t-shirt—except for the bright colored bra that appeared underneath her shirt. Her hair was up in a sloppy ponytail and her eyes had horrible bags under them, like she was sick or something.
    “Trouble in the hierarchy?” Kelly asked, referring to the tears that lingered on my cheeks.
    “I think I am starting to remember what was happening. I began having nightmares again, harsh and brutal nightmares, and my mom—who I was not particular of at the time—sent me to the school psychologist.”
    “Nightmares of what?”
    My gaze left Cecily and focused back to Kelly. “Of dying, I think. Or perhaps I had intentions of dying . . .”
    We followed Cecily as she rounded the corner into the buzzing cafeteria. Hazel sat at a long table by herself, dressed in a gray jacket and white summer dress, her nose shoved in a book. Honey colored hair covered half of her face, hiding her green eyes as she read the story that captured her.
    Just before Cecily reached Hazel, Sabrina stepped in front of her. Yes, the one who was gorgeous with stormy gray eyes, luscious black hair now braided over her shoulder, and long, slim legs that fit perfectly into designer jeans. Her mother had migrated here from Spain and married her rich white father. Everyone knows her as the duchess of the royals—the ruler of her kingdom. Even the bling on her purple leather coat suggested such. She fancied silver loop earrings, dark makeup, and cleavage exposure.
    My question . . . why in the world was she talking to me? To Cecily? We hated each other and always had. Why exactly? I couldn’t remember.
    “Hey, um . . .” Sabrina said with forged forgetfulness, flinging her hand in the air. “What’s your name?”
    Cecily rolled her eyes. “The name is Cecily.” She bit her tongue from saying more.
    Sabrina smiled, fake as usual. “Oh, yeah.”
    I knew what she was doing. She was making it seem like we had never encountered each other before. For the sake of her appearance, of course.
    “What do you want, wench?” Cecily asked boldly, hands on hips.
    Sabrina seemed shocked, appalled almost. “Watch it Wolf,” she hissed.
    “Why are you talking to me?” Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you wasting my time?”
    Sabrina ground her teeth before forcing a smile on her face. She outstretched her polished hand filled with golden rings and priceless jewels to give me a flyer for a party that weekend. “Thought I would let you know about it. Apparently you’ve caught the eye of the person who is throwing it.”
    With mounds of reluctance, Cecily took the flyer from her and looked at it. Of course it was bright pink and filled with bubblegum font letters. In the background, something exploded––like a soda can––and a bunch of idiots started laughing over it.
    “Who’s throwing it?” Cecily asked, her eyes glued on the bright paper.
    Sabrina moved her head closer to Cecily. “The man who makes the calls. He has a proposal for you,” she whispered seriously, trying to keep it secret. Was that a hint of distress that I heard in her voice? Sabrina smiled, making whatever emotions she had conveyed disappear behind her mask. “I’ll be there. It’s the cool spot right now.”
    Cecily wasn’t sure. Sabrina hated Cecily and always made it apparent. What were her motives for inviting her to a party? She looked toward Hazel, and Sabrina quickly stepped between the two.
    “You know you want to come . . .” Sabrina instigated. A flash of some other