Read Online Swept Away by Nicole O'Dell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nicole O'Dell
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her racing heart and trembling hands. She didn’t look up.
“Amber, can we talk?” Brittany’s soft voice didn’t hold even a hint of the rancor of last weekend.
“Okay.” Amber sighed and shut her book. She turned to look at Brittany, raised her eyebrows, but didn’t smile.
“I’m so sorry.” Brittany’s eyes welled up with tears. “You were right. You apologized for your comment. You explained it was your mistake. I should have forgiven you and forgotten about it completely.”
No, you should have dropped out of the contest
. Amber shook her head. “It’s okay. I totally get how it would have been frustrating to think I expected that of you. It’s fine. Can we forget it now?”
“Absolutely.” Brittany grinned and reached out to hug Amber who stood up to grab her tightly. They clung to each other. Flaws or not, trials or not, they loved each other—that much Amber knew for sure. After a bit, they lay back on the bed and watched the ceiling fan rotate into a blur.
“So, what now? What do we do? We have finals this week.” Amber thought of the answer keys she’d hidden directly under the spot where Brittany lay.
“What do we do?” Brittany sat up, crossed her legs, and bounced once, grinning. “We take our tests, we cheer each other on, and we see what happens.”
Amber nodded.
“I’ll tell you what. I’m even going to pray for you at the start of each class period during finals. Will you do the same for me?”
“I don’t know.” Amber laughed. “That’s not such a good deal for you, Britt. I’m sure God’s more likely to answer your prayers than mine.”
“I’ll take my chances, silly.”
“It’s a deal, then.” Amber held out her hand and they shook on it. “For now, want to study?” She held up the mammoth Literature book. She could at least help Brittany study. Maybe she should offer to share the tests with her, or not use them anymore herself.
No
. She’d keep her eyes on the goal.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Brittany grinned. “Only best friends could help each other study with so much on the line.”
“Yeah, best friends. That’s us.”
“Take out your number-two pencils, put all of your books and personal items beneath your chairs, and get ready. We’ll start the test as soon as the bell rings.”
Amber looked across the room at Brittany who pretended to bite her nails and tremble in nervousness. They both laughed, and Brittany put her hands together in a sign of prayer. Amber nodded and closed her eyes for a brief moment. Being quite sure God didn’t want to hear from her after what she’d done, she didn’t pray. Brittany would probably be better off without her prayers anyway.
The calculus teacher watched the clock on the wall as it ticked the final seconds off until the bell rang to signal the official start of the class period. “Okay, students. You may begin your exam.”
Silent except for the rustling of papers, everyone opened their test booklets and readied their scratch paper and calculators. Amber flipped through her test and realized for the second time that day if she hadn’t studied off the sheets Kyle had gotten for her, she’d never have been able to get the grades she needed. Some of the formulas on the test had barely even been discussed in class.
Amber glanced at Brittany—her eyebrows furrowed as she looked down at her papers and chewed on her eraser. Since they had studied together almost daily over the past months—except for the one week they weren’t speaking—Amber knew all of Brittany’s strengths and weaknesses, and knew she’d have a tough time with the test they had in front of them.
Regret and relief mixing like oil and water, Amber took a deep breath and began to solve her first problem. One by one she answered the questions and then double-checked her work.
With fifteen minutes to spare, she closed her exam booklet and cracked her knuckles. Several students shuddered in disgust at the sound of her
“Amber, can we talk?” Brittany’s soft voice didn’t hold even a hint of the rancor of last weekend.
“Okay.” Amber sighed and shut her book. She turned to look at Brittany, raised her eyebrows, but didn’t smile.
“I’m so sorry.” Brittany’s eyes welled up with tears. “You were right. You apologized for your comment. You explained it was your mistake. I should have forgiven you and forgotten about it completely.”
No, you should have dropped out of the contest
. Amber shook her head. “It’s okay. I totally get how it would have been frustrating to think I expected that of you. It’s fine. Can we forget it now?”
“Absolutely.” Brittany grinned and reached out to hug Amber who stood up to grab her tightly. They clung to each other. Flaws or not, trials or not, they loved each other—that much Amber knew for sure. After a bit, they lay back on the bed and watched the ceiling fan rotate into a blur.
“So, what now? What do we do? We have finals this week.” Amber thought of the answer keys she’d hidden directly under the spot where Brittany lay.
“What do we do?” Brittany sat up, crossed her legs, and bounced once, grinning. “We take our tests, we cheer each other on, and we see what happens.”
Amber nodded.
“I’ll tell you what. I’m even going to pray for you at the start of each class period during finals. Will you do the same for me?”
“I don’t know.” Amber laughed. “That’s not such a good deal for you, Britt. I’m sure God’s more likely to answer your prayers than mine.”
“I’ll take my chances, silly.”
“It’s a deal, then.” Amber held out her hand and they shook on it. “For now, want to study?” She held up the mammoth Literature book. She could at least help Brittany study. Maybe she should offer to share the tests with her, or not use them anymore herself.
No
. She’d keep her eyes on the goal.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Brittany grinned. “Only best friends could help each other study with so much on the line.”
“Yeah, best friends. That’s us.”
“Take out your number-two pencils, put all of your books and personal items beneath your chairs, and get ready. We’ll start the test as soon as the bell rings.”
Amber looked across the room at Brittany who pretended to bite her nails and tremble in nervousness. They both laughed, and Brittany put her hands together in a sign of prayer. Amber nodded and closed her eyes for a brief moment. Being quite sure God didn’t want to hear from her after what she’d done, she didn’t pray. Brittany would probably be better off without her prayers anyway.
The calculus teacher watched the clock on the wall as it ticked the final seconds off until the bell rang to signal the official start of the class period. “Okay, students. You may begin your exam.”
Silent except for the rustling of papers, everyone opened their test booklets and readied their scratch paper and calculators. Amber flipped through her test and realized for the second time that day if she hadn’t studied off the sheets Kyle had gotten for her, she’d never have been able to get the grades she needed. Some of the formulas on the test had barely even been discussed in class.
Amber glanced at Brittany—her eyebrows furrowed as she looked down at her papers and chewed on her eraser. Since they had studied together almost daily over the past months—except for the one week they weren’t speaking—Amber knew all of Brittany’s strengths and weaknesses, and knew she’d have a tough time with the test they had in front of them.
Regret and relief mixing like oil and water, Amber took a deep breath and began to solve her first problem. One by one she answered the questions and then double-checked her work.
With fifteen minutes to spare, she closed her exam booklet and cracked her knuckles. Several students shuddered in disgust at the sound of her
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