Read Online Speak No Evil-Gifted 6 by Marilyn Kaye - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marilyn Kaye
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just the way it was.
But this was an opportunity to talk to Ken, and Amanda was going to have to break the unwritten rule. So when she picked up her tray she didn’t go directly to her usual table, where Nina and her other friends were sitting. She waited until Ken emerged from the line.
‘I have to tell you about Harmony House,’ she said.
He didn’t ask why the story couldn’t wait for class. His eyes searched the room. ‘There’s a table.’
Amanda knew people were looking at them as they sat down at the empty table together, and she knew that she’d have to answer for this later, but it was unavoidable. She was impressed that Ken didn’t even look embarrassed. He really was too cool for words.
‘What happened?’ he asked. ‘Did you get inside?’
Amanda shook her head. ‘There wasn’t anyone checking in. But I talked to Doctor Paley.’
‘About Carter?’
‘Not really.’ She reported the conversation she’d had with the doctor. ‘I got this feeling he knows all about the kind of gifts we have. And I think he can help us.’
‘Help us do what?’
She hesitated. She really had no proof of what she was about to say. But she couldn’t help herself. It seemed like a possibility, and Ken would be just as interested as she was.
‘Help us lose our gifts.’
Ken’s eyebrows shot up. ‘You really think so?’
‘He’s a doctor, Ken. I bet he knows more about our conditions than Madame does.’
‘Wow,’ Ken breathed. ‘Wouldn’t that be something . . .’ His eyes shifted. ‘Hi, Nina.’
‘Hi, Ken. Amanda, Britney’s got a big problem. We need you!’
Amanda gritted her teeth. What could she do? Ken might think she was selfish if she didn’t rush to the aid of her friend.
‘See you in class,’ Ken said. He picked up his tray and strolled over to a table where some of his friends were sitting. Amanda took her tray back to her usual table, where Britney, Sophie and Katie were sitting.
Nina hadn’t been lying. Poor Britney looked like she was on the verge of tears.
‘He hasn’t even spoken to me today,’ she whimpered. ‘He acts like I’m not even there.’
‘Who are you talking about?’ Amanda asked.
Sophie answered for her. ‘Tommy Clerk, of course.’
Amanda’s brow furrowed. ‘Tommy Clerk?’ She looked at the others. ‘Why is she crying over him?’
Katie frowned at her. ‘Amanda, where have you been? Britney’s been talking about Tommy for weeks!’
Amanda recovered a dim memory of Britney’s latest crush. ‘Oh yeah, right. Sorry, Britney, I forgot.’
Real tears began to flow. ‘How could you forget?’ Britney wailed softly. ‘I’m in love with him!’
It was on the tip of Amanda’s tongue to remind her that she’d been in and out of love with half a dozen boys since September, but she managed to keep this to herself. Britney looked up to her, the way Nina used to, and Amanda didn’t need any more ‘frenemies’. She had to be sympathetic and offer some advice.
‘Tell me what happened,’ she ordered Britney. At the same time, she handed her a tissue.
Britney blew her nose. ‘He always goes to his locker just before lunch. So I went by there, and I said “hi”.’
‘And then?’
‘He said “hi”.’ Fresh tears began to flow. ‘And that was all! He closed his locker and walked away!’
‘Boys can be so cruel,’ Katie muttered. ‘Forget about him, Brit. You can do better.’
‘But I want Tommy!’ Britney sobbed. She appealed to Amanda. ‘What shall I do?’
The other girls, even Nina, looked at Amanda and waited expectantly for the Queen Bee to speak. Amanda was on the line, and she needed to show them she was still in charge of the clique.
‘You’re not flirting, that’s the problem,’ she told Britney firmly. ‘Saying “hi” isn’t enough. You have to come on a little stronger.’
Nina raised her eyebrows. ‘But you’re always saying we should play hard to get. You said boys don’t like girls who show how they
But this was an opportunity to talk to Ken, and Amanda was going to have to break the unwritten rule. So when she picked up her tray she didn’t go directly to her usual table, where Nina and her other friends were sitting. She waited until Ken emerged from the line.
‘I have to tell you about Harmony House,’ she said.
He didn’t ask why the story couldn’t wait for class. His eyes searched the room. ‘There’s a table.’
Amanda knew people were looking at them as they sat down at the empty table together, and she knew that she’d have to answer for this later, but it was unavoidable. She was impressed that Ken didn’t even look embarrassed. He really was too cool for words.
‘What happened?’ he asked. ‘Did you get inside?’
Amanda shook her head. ‘There wasn’t anyone checking in. But I talked to Doctor Paley.’
‘About Carter?’
‘Not really.’ She reported the conversation she’d had with the doctor. ‘I got this feeling he knows all about the kind of gifts we have. And I think he can help us.’
‘Help us do what?’
She hesitated. She really had no proof of what she was about to say. But she couldn’t help herself. It seemed like a possibility, and Ken would be just as interested as she was.
‘Help us lose our gifts.’
Ken’s eyebrows shot up. ‘You really think so?’
‘He’s a doctor, Ken. I bet he knows more about our conditions than Madame does.’
‘Wow,’ Ken breathed. ‘Wouldn’t that be something . . .’ His eyes shifted. ‘Hi, Nina.’
‘Hi, Ken. Amanda, Britney’s got a big problem. We need you!’
Amanda gritted her teeth. What could she do? Ken might think she was selfish if she didn’t rush to the aid of her friend.
‘See you in class,’ Ken said. He picked up his tray and strolled over to a table where some of his friends were sitting. Amanda took her tray back to her usual table, where Britney, Sophie and Katie were sitting.
Nina hadn’t been lying. Poor Britney looked like she was on the verge of tears.
‘He hasn’t even spoken to me today,’ she whimpered. ‘He acts like I’m not even there.’
‘Who are you talking about?’ Amanda asked.
Sophie answered for her. ‘Tommy Clerk, of course.’
Amanda’s brow furrowed. ‘Tommy Clerk?’ She looked at the others. ‘Why is she crying over him?’
Katie frowned at her. ‘Amanda, where have you been? Britney’s been talking about Tommy for weeks!’
Amanda recovered a dim memory of Britney’s latest crush. ‘Oh yeah, right. Sorry, Britney, I forgot.’
Real tears began to flow. ‘How could you forget?’ Britney wailed softly. ‘I’m in love with him!’
It was on the tip of Amanda’s tongue to remind her that she’d been in and out of love with half a dozen boys since September, but she managed to keep this to herself. Britney looked up to her, the way Nina used to, and Amanda didn’t need any more ‘frenemies’. She had to be sympathetic and offer some advice.
‘Tell me what happened,’ she ordered Britney. At the same time, she handed her a tissue.
Britney blew her nose. ‘He always goes to his locker just before lunch. So I went by there, and I said “hi”.’
‘And then?’
‘He said “hi”.’ Fresh tears began to flow. ‘And that was all! He closed his locker and walked away!’
‘Boys can be so cruel,’ Katie muttered. ‘Forget about him, Brit. You can do better.’
‘But I want Tommy!’ Britney sobbed. She appealed to Amanda. ‘What shall I do?’
The other girls, even Nina, looked at Amanda and waited expectantly for the Queen Bee to speak. Amanda was on the line, and she needed to show them she was still in charge of the clique.
‘You’re not flirting, that’s the problem,’ she told Britney firmly. ‘Saying “hi” isn’t enough. You have to come on a little stronger.’
Nina raised her eyebrows. ‘But you’re always saying we should play hard to get. You said boys don’t like girls who show how they
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