Breaking Down Sydney (Sydney West #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Shakespeare. It was going to be a long day if all I could think of was love quotes from famous dead people.
    What was it with school and Shakespeare anyway? He was forced down my throat in high school, and now college? I liked Shakespeare when I had the aid of SparkNotes, but why was he someone to be obsessed about? It seemed like he was a disturbed man who enjoyed the act of death.
    I scribbled absentmindedly on the cover of my notebook out of boredom, just lines and stars. That was until the lines swirled and crossed, turning into words. It took a minute to realize I was writing a quote down on the cover as if it were meant to be there. I didn’t remember thinking of the quote, yet there it was in my bubbly handwriting.
     
    But we loved with a love that was more than love.
     
    Edgar Allen Poe. When did I start quoting him? What I needed was fresh air. There was still thirty minutes left in class, but I couldn’t wait. I was a water balloon about to burst if one more drop of water fell.
    Somehow I was bewitched. I prayed as classes dragged on and projects grew closer to their due dates that I’d fall back into the routine of school. I needed to be distracted. My heart, soul, and body ached at the absence of Jason. How could someone make you wish you were broken in two? If I were in two, a part of me could’ve stayed in California. Such crazy talk. That was a foolish girl speaking. Focus, I needed to focus.
     
    First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity.
     
    Now George Bernard Shaw’s quotes were flowing out of my pen. I wasn’t well. I was losing my mind. I left the lecture as my professor talked about the significance of Julius Caesar . The goal was to go down to the Student Union and grab some food to clear my lunatic thoughts. Only I found myself sitting on the steps of the closest library, texting Jason. The love bug was such a pain in the ass. Was there a way to kill it? Did I really want to?

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
     
    Homecoming parties were all anyone could talk about. I usually went to a club instead of college parties. Homecoming was the worst of them all, full of people “testing” if they were wild or not. If that wasn’t bad enough, some students were trying to figure out their sexuality. Basically, homecoming consisted of minors having too much sex or sneaking shots of vodka and getting sick all over the dorms. I was thankful the freshmen were at the other end of campus. Upper classmen had their own buildings, and we were also closer to the local mall.
    I was going to pass on the frat parties and stay in. Some of my classes had already given me essays to write, so I wanted to start researching articles to help with my theses.
    “Syd, can we please go? I think an after party might be good for both of us.” Amelia wouldn’t stop begging, not since she brought home a flyer someone handed her advertising the stupid school traditional party. If I found out who, I’d break their arm.
    I waved her off and sat on my bed, looking down at my phone. “You can if you want. I’m over the whole drinking upside-down beer bong thing. Been there and threw that up.”
    Amelia held her hands together like she was praying. “But I can’t go alone. Haven’t you seen those specials on the news about girls who don’t use the buddy system? Don’t you want me to stop being depressed?”
    There was no use. She wanted to hang with me and probably a few other girls from her classes. I guess there was no harm in a few drinks and dancing since I knew she wouldn’t care about the boys with Hunter clouding her thoughts.
    I sat my cell phone next to me and tapped my nails on its screen. “Enough. If you want to go, I guess I’ll tag along. The parties here aren’t as good as the ones in Los Angeles, but they’re still parties.”
    “Really?” She grabbed me and almost broke my ribs with her hug. “Thank you, Syd!”
    “But…”
    Amelia let me go and gave me