Beginnings of the Heart Read Online Free PDF

managed a tight-lipped smile and then I was saved by the bell, literally.
    â€œMr. Williams, you’re going to be late to your class and this isn’t it.” Mrs. Austin, my English teacher, addressed Cole.
    â€œOkay.” He said still looking at me. “I’ll be waiting after class.”
    He kissed me on the top of my head and then left.
    I looked over my shoulder and watched him leave. I knew he was worrying, but I couldn’t tell him. Not yet, and definitely not here at school. He was just going to have to be patient until later.
    English went by in a blur, and I jumped when the bell rang. I was so tense my stomach threatened to revolt, and my head was still swimming with unanswered questions. Although I had to admit to myself it might not be just the tension making me nauseous.
    As promised, Cole was waiting in the hall for me. I don’t know how he got out of class so fast. He grabbed my hand in a fierce hold and we started walking to our next classes. I was still wondering how I was going to get through a whole day like this when he interrupted my thoughts.
    â€œWhat’s going on? You don’t look any better. At first I thought maybe you just had a headache or something.” He said.
    I shook my head slightly.
    â€œThen what…?” He stopped suddenly in the hallway. “Are you going to break up with me?” Cole asked, his voice straining on the last word.
    He was staring at me with a pained expression.
    I tried to put all the longing I dared into my face and tried to keep the terror his words had caused out of my eyes.
    â€œNo. You’re not even close, and I really don’t want to talk about what the problem is here. Please, just try to wait a little longer.” I said.
    He stared at me for a moment longer, his eyes searching my face as if to confirm what I had told him, and then resumed our walk down the hall.
    Cole took a deep breath and glanced down at me. “I’ll try to be patient, but it isn’t going to be easy, and you can’t get mad at me when I still try to get whatever this is out of you.”
    I laughed weakly . Oh something was going to come out all right, just not what you were thinking, I thought to myself.
    â€œI care too much about you to not worry. If you tell me you’re okay, I’ll try to leave it alone until after school.”
    I looked at him and could honestly say, “I’m fine.”
    We arrived at my room and he kissed me on the forehead. “I love you. I’ll be here after class.”
    â€œI love you more. I’ll see you in a little bit.” I said.
    Walking into history and pretending everything was okay wasn’t as hard as I thought it might be. Somehow Cole’s fear had quieted some of the questions in my mind and calmed some of my own.
    I tried to focus on the lecture Mr. Simon was giving, but I gave up and just tried to fake taking notes and listening as my own mind churned. I mindlessly let my eyes wander around the room. I wondered what my friends would say when they found out I was… I couldn’t even think the word.
    Would they still talk to me or just behind my back? What were my parents going to do? I was pretty sure the first thing my mom would want to do was kill me. Thinking about my parents made my stomach tighten up even more so I pushed them from my mind.
    I made it through history and math without anyone noticing I was completely distracted. My friend Bree looked at me questioningly a few times, but I held her off with a smile and tapped my head. She smiled, thinking I had a headache.
    Now all I had to do was make it through study hall and lunch with Cole and I was almost home free. In the afternoon our classes were on opposite sides of the school and we didn’t see each other much.
    Alas, my luck failed me once again. I’m not sure why I was surprised.
    After study hall Cole and I walked to lunch together. When we entered the cafeteria the aroma of