Haunting Zoe Read Online Free PDF

paper off the door and wad it into
a ball, tossing it over my shoulder as I step into the hallway. The
first day of school is in less than a week, but I almost can’t
bring myself to think of it. It’s not that I hate school, per-se,
but it’s tedious and boring. Not even my advanced classes really
challenge me, and let’s face it, I’m probably going to spend the
bulk of the year in the library anyway—which I’d rather do without
a bunch of other people annoying me. I’m supposed to be there
tomorrow since I volunteered to help set up for back to school
night, but I’m actually debating blowing it off.
    Then a pang of guilt sets in and I think
better of it.
    Mrs. Jackson had been kind enough to let me
spend most of my summer there, helping out at times, or just
devouring the new books. As I’m rummaging through nearly barren
cabinets my cell rings on the counter. Putting on the Ritz ,
Carlos’s ring tone, echoes through the house. I snatch it up.
    “Hey Carlos. What’s up?”
    “Not much. How are you feeling? I called
earlier but your mom answered. She said you were still
sleeping.”
    I stifle a yawn. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I
don’t know what happened. Panic attack or something?”
    Yesterday’s events seem so surreal, I can’t
make sense of any of it. I suppose grief does weird things to the
body.
    “As long as you are feeling better now.” His
voice is hesitant, like he’s waiting to gauge my reaction.
    I cringe and drop the bag of Cheetos I’m
holding as I remember my scene at the viewing.
    “Oh shit. How bad is it?”
    There is a short pause at the other end of
the line. “Not terrible. Though you started quite a trend. About 30
girls threw themselves on the coffin and wept like idiots after you
left.”
    I sigh as relief settles into my chest,
releasing the tension. “Well, I suppose that’s good at least.
Better to be considered an attention whore than a lunatic, right?
Any viral videos yet?”
    “A few of the other girls posted pics, but
none of you.”
    I frown and switch the phone to my other
ear.
    “I can hear you frowning, Zoe.”
     
    Now I grin. He knows me so well.
    “Would you really rather be a crazy,
attention grabbing, wannabe?”
    I pull open the bag and stuff a cheesy poof
in my mouth, crunching on it as I answer.
    “Better than being invisible. I could strip
naked and ride a horse down the hall in Lady Godiva style and no
one would even notice.”
    I can hear him laughing. “Oh, honey, you
don’t have the figure for nudity.”
    I roll my eyes. “Thanks for that.”
    “Well, if you’re quite done with the pity
party, I could use some help picking out my back to school
wardrobe. I’m driving to the city to hit Bloomies. Wanna join?”
    “When are you going to get over your crush on
the hot guy at the Bloomingdales counter?”
    He huffs, “When he quits looking so good in a
pair of slacks. Come on, don’t crap out on me. If I go alone he
will think I’m stalking him.”
    “You are stalking him,” I say around another
Cheeto.
    “Well, yeah, but I don’t want him to know that I’m stalking him.”
    I shake my head and take my bag of powered
cheese awesomeness back to my room. “Sorry. You’ll just have to go
with your plastic.”
    “Fine. I will let my credit card be my guide.
But you owe me one.”
    “Put it on my tab,” I say, unable to keep the
smile off my face as I end the call.
    Brimstone, my lean black kitty, leaps onto my
desk and demands affection the way only cats can.
    “Well, Brim. We both knew this day was
coming. Today is the day I stay in my pajamas and do nothing but
glut myself on Cheetos and read books.” I say it as if it’s the
first time that it’s ever happened rather than being a semi-regular
occurrence.
    She rubs her head against me, unimpressed by
my slothful declaration. I grab my dog-eared copy of The
Collected Works of Edgar Allen Poe and settle in. It’s a bit
darker than what I’ve been reading lately, but it’s by far