Read Online The Pantheon by Amy Leigh Strickland - Free Book Online Page A

with that fight June started last week.” She twirled her long blonde hair on one finger, eyes large and fixed on him, lips curled into a nearly-invisible smirk. “I’ll just head to class now. I won’t be very late and you won’t have to bother filling out paperwork.”
    Devon placed her hand on Jason’s arm again and he felt a jolt go through his body. He told himself to focus, to tear his eyes away, and to walk away now because something was very, very wrong and Devon was seventeen.
    “ Dr. Livingstone,” a sharp voice called behind him. The air cleared. Jason whirled around, thankful for the rescue even if it was Candice Matthews. It was not. “Great, I was just looking for you.”
    Miranda Rutherford was the model student at Olympia Heights Senior High. She was intelligent, articulate, responsible, and behaved. Despite standing at an unimpressive five-feet two-inches, she had presence. Miranda, or Minnie, was the top of every class and president of nearly as many clubs as June Herald. Unlike June Herald and her rival, Devon, Miranda didn’t have much style. She had round glasses, shoulder length hair that fell around her face without any attention other than a brushing after her shower, and hadn’t ever bothered to pierce her ears. Today Miranda was dressed for gym, wearing sneakers, track shorts, and a purple t-shirt that read “I believe in Severus Snape.”
    “ Jake Estavez hurt his ankle out on the soccer field,” she said, looking like she was still catching her breath. “Coach Morin sent me in to find you.”
    Jason glanced back at Devon, giving her a look that he hoped conveyed how close she had cut it. He was grateful because Minnie had saved him, though from what he wasn’t exactly sure. “Alright,” he said, walking toward his office to grab the first aid kit hanging near the door. “Lead the way.”

    The bell rang in Honors Chemistry that afternoon. Dr. Davis asked June Herald to stay after. June approached the desk. The only other student left in the room was Minnie Rutherford, who was locking up the chemical storage cabinet.
    “ Is something wrong?” June asked, her eyes drifting to watch Devon follow Zach into the hall.
    Dr. Davis opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a manila folder marked with “Labs” and last Thursday’s date. She presented June with her latest lab grade. A “D”. “You’re an A student, June. What is this?”
    “ I uh—I guess I just didn’t grasp the concept of what we were doing.” She bit her lip. June knew exactly what had happened with that grade. She’d spent most of the lab watching Devon bat her eyelashes at Zach. Every time June would get her focus back, Devon would find some excuse to walk by Zach’s table and run her hand along his shoulder. Zach would get all dopey looking and then June’s focus would leave the line graph of temperatures. Devon’s pursuit of Zach was problematic, but this new problem was going to have to take priority. The grade wouldn’t look good in her average and she needed to get into an Ivy League school. She’d been dreaming of Harvard since she was twelve and she’d just barely squeaked out of the fight without a mark on her permanent record. She took a deep breath. “Can I make it up?” she asked.
    “ Can you find a lab partner to come and do it after school today?”
    June knew she’d never get Zach to do it. He had football. She considered Dr. Davis’ question for a moment.
    “ I can stay.” Minnie had overheard them and came back to the desk. She handed Dr. Davis the keys to the cabinet. “If you need my help. I mean, this kind of stuff is fun.”
    “ Oh thank you!” June gushed, “You’re a life saver!”
    “ Alright, two fifteen. Don’t be late.” Dr. Davis locked the keys to the cabinet in her desk drawer.
    “ See you then,” June ran for the door. She needed to catch up with Zach.

    Minnie was already waiting when June got to the chemistry classroom. She was reading a