Read Online The Predicteds by Christine Seifert - Free Book Online Page A

distance. She’s so skinny and tiny, she looks like a winged fairy in that oversized sweater cape. But something about the way she holds her head, the way she squares her shoulders, makes me think she is far cleverer than she lets on.
    â€œPoor girl. With genes like that, who knows where she’s headed,” Stephie says, smacking her lips.
    â€œPersonally,” Brooklyn says, clearing her throat, “I do feel sorry for her, but I don’t want to be around her. You just don’t know what a person like her will do. Those people who come from that kind of genetic stock are like wild animals. You just never know. We should be kind, of course, but we need to avoid people like January and that awful Nate Gormley. Let them stick together. Then when they snap, they’ll only hurt each other and not innocent people like us.”
    I stare at her with a gaping mouth. Is she serious? I wait for someone to respond, but everyone just sort of nods reverently.
    â€œI can’t believe you would say that,” I tell Brooklyn myself when it’s evident no one else is going to speak up.
    Her eyes widen. “What? I’m just telling the truth.” She turns to the others, waiting for them to defend her. Nobody does. “Fine,” she says eventually. “I’m going to say hi to Sam.” Then she stalks off toward the boys, shooting me a dirty look in passing.
    â€œBrooklyn is kind of excitable,” Dizzy says to me when she’s gone. “She thinks everyone is genetically flawed.”
    â€œThat shooting has everyone on edge,” Lexus say. “Let’s try to forget about it, though. No use obsessing about it. Once we know all of the PROFILE results, we’ll know exactly who to avoid.”
    â€œRight,” Dizzy says confidently.
    Then they change the subject—so quickly that it takes me a minute to catch up. When I do, I realize they are talking about Dizzy’s ex-boyfriend, some guy named Josh Heller. Dizzy points at him in the distance for my benefit.
    â€œIsn’t he hot?” Lexus says.
    I guess I could see how he might be attractive to some, but the baby face and wavy red hair don’t quite do it for me. In the dim light, he looks like he could be Pippi Longstocking’s older brother. “Not really,” I say honestly, but everyone ignores me. They all watch him move toward the lakeshore, a beer in each hand. He stops near January.
    â€œJosh Heller’s mom has more money than God,” Ruth says to me. “Not that I care. But ever since she married David Kable, she’s rolling in it.”
    â€œJesse’s dad,” Dizzy supplies for my benefit. “Have you met Jesse yet?” She sucks in her breath. “Oh, yeah. He was in the closet with you that day. I’m sorry.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” I say. “He seems pretty…” I search for the right word. “Pleasant.” It’s not really what I mean, but I can’t find the words I want.
    Dizzy laughs. “Pleasant?”
    â€œYou obviously don’t know about his past,” Lexus says as she runs her fingers through her hair, her head tipped backward.
    â€œWhat about it?” I ask. More gossip. These girls are absolutely full of it.
    â€œWell…” Dizzy says, giving Lexus a complicated look. “It’s all just rumors. Be quiet, you guys. Jesse saved her life. She doesn’t want to hear this.”
    â€œYes, shush,” Cuteny says. “Besides, it’s rude to talk about people behind their backs.”
    Lexus laughs loudly. “When did that ever bother you, Cute?” She turns back to me. “There’s been a rumor going around, since forever ago, that Jesse was stalking this older girl who broke up with him. She had a restraining order against him.”
    â€œAllegedly,” Cuteny notes.
    â€œAllegedly,” Lexus repeats. “It’s probably not even true. You know how rumors