Darkness Before Dawn Read Online Free PDF Page A

they were looking enviously at all of us victorious seniors in the front. I had heard them talking in the main hall that morning, looking scared and overwhelmed. Angel had whispered to Joyelle, “Do you know how much homework and notebooks and reports and projects we have to do to get to be seniors?”
    Joyelle nodded. “Yeah, but they were like us once. We’ll get there, too.”
    â€œBut that was a
long
time ago!” Angel had sighed. “We’re only fourteen! I feel like such a baby!”
    â€œI’ll be fifteen next month, and your birthday is right after Christmas, so just don’t tell anybody how young we are. This is high school! Fake it, sister!” Joyelle had laughed with delight.
    Mr. Hathaway asked the entire room for silence, and finally quieted the jubilant seniors the way he did every year. “Remember, seniors, none of you has graduated yet. You still have nine months of education to complete and nothing is guaranteed. I expect the best from each of you or I guarantee you can expect the worst from me!”
    As seniors, we’d heard his first day speech many times before, but this time it was different, so we paid attention. Many of the announcements had to do with dates for the SAT tests, college applications, and counselor visits, along with the usual information about bus schedules, hall passes, and lunch bells. Mr. Hathaway also introduced the teachers who were new to the school. When Mr. Hathaway called them to the stage, the restless teenagers summed up each one in a glance. I could hear the whispers.
    â€œThat one is going to be mean—look at those evil eyes.”
    â€œI’ll be skipping out on that one’s class by the second week—she’s an airhead.”
    â€œWould you look at that outfit she’s wearing! What would possess her to wear purple pants and a green striped shirt?”
    â€œWe can scare her away, but we won’t—she’s too cute.”
    â€œHow can somebody so tall be so clumsy? He tripped twice on the stage steps!”
    â€œShe looks like a kid! That’s a teacher? Are they allowed to wear jeans and gym shoes like us?”
    The last new person to be introduced was Mr. Hathaway’s son. I glanced up in mild interest as Mr. Hathaway called him to the stage.
    â€œHe sure
looks
good! Umph! What a face! What a body!” Rhonda remarked.
    â€œWhat you lookin’ at, girl?” Tyrone teased. “What more can you want? You got me—the magnificent one!”
    â€œI don’t want him, Tyrone. I just recognize quality stuff when I see it. And he definitely has got the stuff!” Shegrinned at Tyrone and punched his arm. “And who named you the mighty magnificent one anyway?”
    â€œI did!” He smiled.
    Mr. Hathaway was smiling, too, as the young man bounded onto the stage. The auditorium echoed with the whispers of approval from the girls. He signaled for silence. “This is the final introduction of the morning.”
    â€œGlad you saved the best for last!” a girl from the back of the room yelled out.
    Mr. Hathaway must have been in a good mood, because he ignored her, although the students laughed at her outburst. “This is Jonathan Hathaway, my son. He’s a junior at the university, majoring in education. He’ll be doing his student observation this year, and he has volunteered to help coach some of our basketball and track teams, so you’ll be seeing quite a bit of him. I expect you to show him the same respect that you show me.”
    â€œOh, he’ll get more than that!” another girl yelled out. Everyone laughed, including Jonathan, who looked relaxed and comfortable. His clothes, unlike the jeans and big shirts worn by most of the boys at the school, were soft and tailored, and hung on his muscular body with ease. The first two buttons of his beige silk shirt were unfastened, and soft curly hairs from his bronzed chest peeked