Read Online Shifting by Bethany Wiggins - Free Book Online

jeans. I touched the stain and brought my fingers to my nose. Nail polish. I had sat in bright, blood-red nail polish.
    My hands balled into fists and my blood started to boil. I saw the pink-and-gray-tiled bathroom through a fog of red. As I ran from the bathroom to the crowded lunchroom, I told myself what I was about to do was worth the consequences I would face.
    Danni was watching for me, perched atop a table surrounded by her friends. Bridger was there, too, talking to Danni and smiling. My heart sank. He was in on it. I didn’t know who to hit first—him or Danni.
    But then Bridger saw me and frowned. He met me halfway across the lunchroom and grabbed my fist. I kept walking, pulling him with me.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” he asked, trying to uncurl my fingers. I glared at him and stopped.
    â€œTell me we’re friends,” I growled, clenching my fists tighter. “Tell me you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”
    He studied me. “We’re friends. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”
    â€œGood.” I yanked my hand from his and strode over to Danni. She was gloating, laughing as I approached. When she opened her mouth to say something, I shoved my balled fist into it as hard as I could, knocking her backward off the table. She lay frozen on the grimy lunchroom floor, staring up at me. But when I started for her again, she scrambled to her feet and hid behind a couple of big senior guys. I pushed and shoved them out of my way and grabbed the back of Danni’s shirt as she tried to run away.
    She whirled around to face me and the fight was on.
    She didn’t know how to fight—just sort of hugged me, pulled my hair, and buried her face in my shoulder—making it impossible for me to punch it again. I started punching her in the ribs and pulling her cropped brown hair. She tried to kick my shins and bite me, but in the middle of a fight, you don’t feel little things like that.
    When she was suddenly yanked away, I swung hard and fast and my fist clipped her just below the eye. Arms came around me. I could smell Bridger and knew he was the one restraining me, but I wasn’t done beating the crap out of Danni Williams. I struggled against his iron embrace, but couldn’t break free.
    Then I saw Danni wrapped in a backward hug by the school nurse. Danni wasn’t struggling to get free, like me. She was struggling to put Ms. Opp in front of her. Danni was terrified. Of me. I froze.
    All the steam went out of me and I leaned into Bridger. I had become just like the girls that used to corner me and beat me up. I couldn’t believe I’d sunk so low.
    â€œIf I let go of you, do you promise to leave her alone?” Bridger asked, his mouth against my ear.
    I nodded because I knew if I tried to talk I’d probably start to cry. His arms fell from me and my body heat seemed to fall with them.
    â€œWhat is going on?” The gathered students moved aside as the principal strode over. He gasped when he saw Danni. Her chin was streaked with blood from a split lip and her eye was swelling shut. His astounded, glasses-framed eyes turned to me. “Did you do that to her?”
    I nodded, still unable to speak. Bridger’s hand found the small of my back and lingered there. I closed my eyes and leaned against him.
    â€œTo my office, girls.” I squared my shoulders and stepped away from Bridger. Dr. Smith started herding Danni and me out of the cafeteria. “We don’t need your assistance, Mr. O’Connell,” he said when Bridger tried to follow.
    Slowly, like the onset of a really bad headache, my bruises and scrapes became painfully obvious. My shins hurt, my shoulder throbbed from Danni’s biting, and my right hand was burning. I looked down and saw blood on my knuckles—my blood. Danni’s tooth had split my knuckle and beneath the skin I could see pale bone. I pressed the knuckle against my jeans.
    The three of