Read Online Rising Star by Cindy Jefferies - Free Book Online Page B

arm.
    â€œHave you seen him?”
    â€œI’ve been looking for you,” Marmalade said. “Danny saw your brother.”
    â€œWhere?” She scanned the parking lot wildly.
    â€œHe was heading for the lake! Danny’s gone after him.”
    Chloe didn’t wait to hear anymore. Her heart was in her mouth. She ran toward the lake as fast as she could.
    â€œChloe, wait!”
    If only she’d been wearing her tennis shoes instead of her best shoes in honor of the concert. She slipped and slid on the gravel as she wove her way between people. It was better on the grass. She paused for a moment to kick off her shoes, and then she started running again. She could see Danny down by the lake, but she couldn’t see Ben.
    â€œPlease let him be all right,” she panted. “Please let him. Don’t let him drown.”
    Danny glanced up and saw her. He waved and bent down to the surface of the water. Chloe could hear people behind her, running to catch up. But all she could think about was her baby brother. She stumbled on a protruding clump of grass and almost fell. As she recovered herself, she heard a loud splash.
    â€œNO!” she screamed. “NO! SAVE HIM, DANNY! SAVE HIM!”

14.
    What Friends Are For
    Chloe splashed into the shallows and sank ankle-deep into the soft mud at the bottom. She couldn’t stop screaming. “BEN! BEN!” Why wasn’t Danny saving him?
    Then he splashed in to join her. She was still screaming. She didn’t feel the icy water. She was thrashing about, searching for her little brother, but she couldn’t see anything in the mud she was stirring up. Danny reached her and grabbed her arms.
    â€œDon’t go any further, it’s dangerous!” he yelled. Marmalade was there too, and together the boys dragged her out onto the bank. She was still screaming, totally out of control. What use was fame or money or anything else if her little brother had drowned?
    Pop and Lolly were waiting on the bank. They were shouting, too.
    â€œHe’s all right, Chloe! Really! Listen to us. He’s all right!” Pop threw her arms around Chloe and held her tight as Danny and Marmalade let go. Tears were streaming down Chloe’s cheeks and Lolly did her best to wipe them away.
    â€œWhere is he?” Chloe broke free of Pop and spun around, desperate to catch sight of her brother.
    â€œPlease, Chloe,” begged Danny, his teeth chattering with cold. “Calm down. It’s all right. He’s safe.”
    â€œ But where is he? ” she yelled.
    Lolly took Chloe’s face in her hands and held it until their eyes met.
    â€œBen is safe,” she said quietly, and Chloe knew that what Lolly said must be true.
    â€œWhere is he?” Chloe begged again, her voice ragged.
    â€œWith your mom and dad, I expect. On his way here in your car,” said Pop. Chloe stared at her, and then at the rest of them. She couldn’t make sense of it. What was going on? Her whole body was shaking as if there had been a terrible tragedy. Had there been or not? What were they all doing at the lake if Ben was in a car?
    â€œI don’t understand,” Chloe said, her voice trembling. Her friends exchanged glances. No one knew what to say.
    â€œPlease don’t be angry,” Lolly begged, shivering in her thin dress. “We were trying to help you get your voice back. We hoped if you were scared enough, you might get all worked up and then shout at us when you realized it was a trick.”
    â€œAnd it worked!” Pop said. “I’ve never heard anyone scream as loudly as you did just now. You have gotten your voice back!”
    â€œWe didn’t mean it to work quite this well, though,” Danny said anxiously. “We didn’t think you’d throw yourself into the water to save him.”
    â€œWhy not ?” Chloe yelled, sudden relief giving way to fury. “He’s my little brother and I was