Forbidden (The Seeker Saga, #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

from his side of the equation. Whenever I called him out on it, he laughed it off.  We were all friends now – Rob, me, Liz, Ashley, Madison, and Eve – and it was for the best.
    Chris, of course, had disappeared from the island.  He was simply nowhere to be found afterwards.  The prevalent rumor was that he had flunked out. But, of course, I knew the truth – sort of.  I never did get a clear understanding of what he wanted, but at least I knew what contributed to his absence. 
    The bell rang announcing the end of class. Right on cue, the sound of scraping chars, closing books, and ruckus of conversation burst into being all around me. I looked around, somewhat dazed.  I hadn’t realized class was nearing its end.  I really wasn’t paying much attention.  But then again, it was the last class of the day, and I hadn’t gotten much sleep last night.
    “Remember, everyone,” Mr. Stannis announced from the front of the room, “your assignment for next class includes all the review questions from chapter nine, plus a first draft of your lab report.  Have a great day.”
    I blinked at his reminder.  Review questions meant that a test was coming up, and I haven’t even looked at our current chapter once.  I promised myself I would get started on all the homework the minute I got to my room.
    “You’ve got that pensive look again,” a deep voice teased from my left.  I looked to find Rob standing beside me.  “And circles under your eyes.”  He waggled a finger in front of my face.
    “Shut up,” I said, pushing his hand away.  He laughed.
    “You want to go grab dinner or something?  I skipped lunch today and am starving .”
    “Is the cafeteria even open right now?” I asked, putting my books in my bag.  “All you’ll find there are the cold leftovers from lunch.”
    “What did they have today?”
    “Oh, your favorite .  The half-baked meat loaf and a soggy side of French fries.”
    “Gross.”  Rob made a face.  “I can wait, in that case.  What are you thinking of doing now, then?”
    “The only thought on my mind is getting back to my room,” I admitted.  “You’re kind of right – I am exhausted.”
    “In that case… I’ll probably head back to the dorms too.”  Rob placed some of my books in my bag. I smiled my thanks.  “Some of the guys are going to play a little pickup baseball in the yard by the dorms soon.  You want in?  It’s always more fun when we get some girls to play.”
    “Thanks, but not today,” I declined.  I finished packing my things and motioned for him to lead the way out the room.  “But maybe Liz or the others will join in,” I added.
    Rob looked at me as if I had just told him the moon were made of cheese, and meant it.  “Yeah right .  The closest Liz has ever gotten to playing sports is walking by the field.”
    “What about Eve?” I asked.  “She might be interested.  She’s always had that extra bit of spunk.”
    “Yeah, maybe,” Rob sighed.  I could tell my suggestions weren’t what he was looking for.  When we stepped into the hall, he lowered his voice and said, “You know, you’ve been working yourself too hard lately.  You’ve got to take it easy.  Relax a little.  I hardly even see you hanging out with the girls anymore.”
    “I’ve just been busy,” I hedged.
    “We all are, but everyone makes time for friends.  I don’t think I’ve even seen you outside of class this week.  And it’s already what, Wednesday?”
    “Thursday,” I corrected.  He looked at me with raised brows.
    “Thursday.  See? There’s my point.  That’s even worse.  You’ve been keeping to yourself too much.”
    “What about last weekend?” I asked.  “We all hung out then.”  In truth, all last weekend involved was a somewhat awkward encounter between some of Rob’s friends and the girls in my circle.  Surprisingly, it was the first time they had all met, and it didn’t go very well.
     “That’s once in the