Read Online Wishing Pearl by Nicole O'Dell - Free Book Online Page A

or don’t do it? A defining moment. She had one foot in the party scene, and one foot back home with Daddy—except Daddy wasn’t there. So what was her decision going to be?
    She might as well take a chance. Who knew when there’d be another opportunity? And if she didn’t like it, she’d just not do it again. No need to make it such a big deal, right? She was a smart girl—everyone said so—so she’d know when she’d had enough. As the little rolled cigarette passed in front of her face, Olivia watched her hand rise to accept it. A foreign object—like it was someone else’s hand pinching the marijuana between her fingers. Olivia lifted it to her lips and sucked in the heady air. She held it for several moments—until she just had to breathe—like she’d seen the other girls do.
    The pot went around the circle a few more times until only a few nubs lay in the green metal ashtray. Olivia couldn’t tell if the haze filling the room had come from the smoke or if it was because of her own dizziness. She held her hand up in front of her face and giggled at her wiggling fingers. What was so funny? Olivia had no idea.
Life
was funny.
    The other girls joined in, cracking up at nothing until tears ran down their cheeks.
    Tara took several deep breaths and held her stomach. “Why are we laughing?”
    “I don’t know,” the other three girls replied in unison, which sent them into another fit.
    “I’m going to the bathroom. Nobody leave, okay?” Bailey slurred her words.
    “Where would we go?” Olivia giggled.
    “I dunno. I’m just saying.” Bailey turned toward the bathroom. “Hey!” She pointed her finger and flung a wobbly arm at Jordyn. “Do you have any mac ‘n’ cheese?”
    “Oh, I love macaroni and cheese.” Tara let out a belch, which started her on another round of laughter.
    “Oh yeah! That sounds so good.” Jordyn stumbled to the kitchenette and flung open all the cabinet doors. “Found some.” She held up two boxes of spiral Kraft and opened the refrigerator door.
    Emma located a pot under the stove and filled it with water.
    Jordyn stood in front of the open fridge for a full minute. “What am I looking for?”
    “Milk and butter for mac ‘n’ cheese?” Emma asked.
    “Oh, right.” Jordyn bit her lip. “I have yogurt.” She moved a few things around and pulled out a jar of powdered coffee creamer. “I know. We’ll mix this with water to make milk and use yogurt instead of butter.”
    Olivia finished her beer and rose to help, holding on to the countertop as she made her way. “That’ll probably be even better than the regular way. Maybe we can patent that recipe and get independently wealthy.”
    “Here, put some of this in there, too.” Bailey handed Jordyn a jar of bacon bits.
    “Ooh! Perfect.” Emma pinched a few bacon bits and placed them on her tongue.
    Thirty minutes later, after a big bowl of bacon-macaroni-yogurt-and-cheese and a couple of more beers, Olivia held her stomach and moaned. “I don’t feel so good.”
    “Now that you mention it, I’m not feeling too hot either.” Bailey zigzagged in the general direction of the bathroom.
    Olivia sank to the floor and crawled to the sofa. She climbed onto the cushions and dropped her head on a velvet throw pillow. “I’m just gonna lay here for a little bit. Save me some more of the good stuff.”

Chapter 6
    H ot coffee breath tickled her cheek, but it hurt to even think about opening her eyes. She threw an arm over her head and moaned. So bright. Whoever was there didn’t seem to be planning to move anytime soon. If those girls were about to do something to her with cold water, she’d have to kill them.
    Okay. Open your eyes. You can do it
. Olivia pried one eye open and found a man staring at her, just inches from her face.
    No!
    Oh wait, it wasn’t Charles. Then who? Olivia let her eyes rove a little farther down the man’s face.
Uh-oh
.
    “Nice of you to join the living, missy.” The policeman shook