Read Online Swallowing Stones by Joyce McDonald - Free Book Online Page B

far—Jenna never saw anyone else. And when she looked out her window after dark, he would always be gone. So she really had no way of knowing if the person he was waiting for had come or not.
    Tonight the streetlight cast leafy shadows on the empty stone steps of the church. If the boy had been there earlier, he had already left. Still, she had to wonder why he came.

7
    t he next morning Jenna sat on the deck eating an English muffin, waiting for Andrea to show up. The branches of two giant sugar maples formed a canopy overhead. They waved gently in the breeze. It was an unusually clear and cool morning for late July.
    Gazing up at the branches, Jenna was suddenly reminded of her dream about the Ghost Tree. The same dream that had continued to haunt her night after night since her father’s death. She could feel the pull of the forest, the helplessness of her own body as it was dragged along by the tangled mass of vines. She hated the sensation of being out of control. It terrified her.
    It was better not to think about the dream. Instead she took another bite of her muffin and thought of Jason Friedman.
    And the first thing she did, when she arrived at the pool a half hour later, was look for him. But he was nowhere in sight.
    “Don’t worry, he’ll be here,” Andrea whispered as several of their friends crowded around them. Jenna hugged those she hadn’t seen since the funeral, glad to see them. She felt, at least for the moment, as if nothing had changed. Although she didn’t try to kid herself.
    Then she unfolded her beach towel and sat down. She had just begun to smear suntan lotion on her arms when she saw Jason coming toward her. He seemed to have gotten taller since she’d last seen him, and a little thinner. But he still had the same impish face, though his usual grin was absent at the moment. He sat down on the grass next to her and put his arm around her shoulder, then let it drop. The half hug was awkward, as if he wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do.
    “I’m really sorry about what happened to your dad,” he said. “I just found out this morning. We didn’t get home till late last night. I called your house a little while ago, but nobody answered. I guess
you’d
already left.”
    Jenna only nodded. She couldn’t seem to speak.
    “Jeez, I feel rotten.” He reached for her hand. “I should have been here with you.”
    Something odd was happening. Her heart was racing furiously, and not in the way it used to when she was near Jason. This was entirely different. The pounding was so intense it filled her ears and blocked out all other sounds.
    When she still didn’t say anything, Jason put his hand on her shoulder, tilting his head so that he could look directly into her face. “I feel like I’ve really let you down. I’m sorry.”
    Jenna shook her head, trying to reassure him. “It’s okay. You couldn’t have known.” She found herself struggling to take a breath.
    “It must be tough.”
    “It is.” The words poured out on a whispered rush of trapped air. Jenna gasped, then took a deep breath.
    Andrea, who had been listening to every word, leaned forward and tapped her arm. “Are you okay?”
    “It’s the heat,” Jenna said. She stood up and noddedtoward the water. “I’m going in.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Andrea and Jason exchange concerned looks.
    She sat down on the edge of the pool and let her feet dangle in the cool water, hoping neither Andrea nor Jason would follow her. She closed her eyes and took deep swallows of air. With each breath, the smell of chlorine stung her nose.
    When she opened her eyes, she thought she caught one of the lifeguards on the other side of the pool watching her, although it was difficult to tell since he was wearing sunglasses. Something about him seemed familiar.
    “You sure you’re okay?” Jenna felt a hand on her shoulder as Andrea sat down beside her.
    “I’m sure. It’s the heat, that’s all.” Jenna was still