Beginnings (The Trifectus Series - Book One) Read Online Free PDF Page B

daughter of John Cornington,” he said.
    “Oh dear!” my mother exclaimed.
    “I know.  You’d never think a girl like that would be mixed up with these kinds of people,” he said disappointedly.
    What was going on, I thought.  How did Ashley get mixed up in this?  I wanted to just scream out loud that I did it.  I’m the one that was there.  I am the one that saw the vampire and was madly in love with him.  As much as I wanted to, I didn’t.  Ashley was a mean girl.  Her whole life up until now revolved around making other people miserable.  I bet she wouldn’t try to protect me in this situation, so I won’t protect her. 
    At this point, my father seemed a little disappointed.  Not because Ashley had gotten caught, but because I think he wanted it to be me.  He and I have always had a little tension.  He was never around for my childhood, and he knows I resent him for that.  It isn’t even that he wasn’t around, though.  He had an important, grueling job, and I know that.  It was more the fact that he didn’t even try.  He didn’t try to be at my birthday parties.  He didn’t try to come to my soccer games.  He just didn’t try.  It is more like I am a burden to him and his life would be better with me gone.  Sure, he has never come out and said that, but we all know that it’s true.
    After dinner, I went upstairs to get away.  I started doing homework, but couldn’t get James off my mind.  I loved everything about him.  I didn’t care what he was, because I knew I loved him.  I knew we could make a life together.  We could move away after school and be together forever.  It was the perfect plan.  I could tell my parents I was going off to college, and James and I could move to Paris and start a family.  I would never have to see my parents again and I could be with James every day for the rest of my life. 
    I wouldn’t care what people thought.  I wouldn’t care if they didn’t approve, I thought as I wrote “Mrs. Juliet Sullivan” a hundred times on my notebook cover.  All I wanted was James, and I was going to get him, no matter what.

Chapter Three
     
    Obsessed
     
     
    A few days went by before I saw James again.  It was torture.  All I could think about was him.  I dreamt about him, I thought about him, and I wanted him.  Why was he avoiding me?  Why wouldn’t he talk to me?  He wrapped me around his finger and then threw me away.  I needed to get to the bottom of it.
    As I arrived to school, I saw him, standing there alone at his locker. 
    “Haven’t forget about me, have you?” I asked playfully.
    “Oh—hey—no, I haven’t.” he said.
    “Are you sure?” I asked him.
    “Yeah, I’ve just been busy is all.”
    He was lying.  He wasn’t busy.  We had a lot of the same classes together and we had barely had any work this week.  I knew he was avoiding me.  I knew he wasn’t telling the truth.
    “Are you sure I didn’t do anything?” I asked.
    “Yeah.  It’s not you, it’s me.  I’ve got to go,” he blurted.
    What could I have done to push him away?  Why wouldn’t he want to get close to me?  All I ever thought about was him.  He was all that I wanted, all that I needed.  As he walked away, all I could do was feel helpless.  He was the man of my dreams, and I pushed him away.  I put my back to the locker and slid down crying.  I looked like a mess, and everybody was staring at me, whispering.  Staring at the new crazy girl sobbing in the middle of the hallway for no reason. 
    “Are you okay?” asked Ariel.
    “Yeah—yeah, I’m okay,” I said sniffling.
    “Okay.  If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here,” she said.
    School was hard that day.  It’s bad enough when a guy breaks up with you or kicks you to the curb, but to have to see him in your classes and daily life makes it ten times worse.  He was everywhere.  Biology, history, lunch, gym and in the hallways.  Every time I would turn a corner, he