Hell's Belles Read Online Free PDF Page A

moor.
    When Ms. Schwartz told them they could spend the rest of the class reading silently, Annie lowered her head and kept her eyes firmly on her book for the rest of the lesson, even when the PA speaker erupted in a loud crackle of static.
    â€œMay I have your attention please!” the school secretary’s voice burst into the room. “I have an important reminder from the social committee. Tickets for the annual Halloween dance will go on sale today. Costumes of an appropriate nature will be required in order to gain admittance to the dance.”
    The announcement was followed by the bell. Kelsey was up from her seat like a shot; her cheer minions, Ginger and Lulu, in their matching miniskirts and flawless makeup, flew right to her side.
    â€œI’ve got the most awesome idea for a costume!” said Ginger.
    For that, Kelsey must have given her a death look, because Annie heard Ginger quickly add, “But I’m sure it won’t be anywhere near as awesome as yours, Kelsey. Nobody’s will be.”
    Seriously? Annie almost felt sorry for the girl. She may have been “popular,” but she was sorely lacking in self-respect.
    When Kelsey and her followers had gone, Annie finally lifted her gaze from the book.
    And there were those beautiful green eyes, looking right into hers.
    â€œSo, Annie,” Tyler said, “can I ask you a question?”
    She managed to gather up her things and walk to the door without fainting.
    So far, so good.
    When they stepped out into the crowded hallway together, Tyler had to raise his voice to be heard above the din. “I know you haven’t been here long, but you know about Halloween, right? I mean, they have that in England, don’t they?”
    Annie couldn’t speak, because another of Brontë’s lines was thundering in her head:
    â€œ I have to remind myself to breathe — almost to remind my heart to beat!”
    She answered Tyler’s question with a nod.
    â€œOkay, cool,” he said. “’Cause there’s this Halloween dance.”
    Annie’s heart slammed into her ribs like a blocker slamming into a jammer. “Sounds lovely,” she squeaked.
    Tyler laughed. “Well, I don’t know about lovely. But the social committee goes all out decorating the gym and everybody wears these tricked-out costumes and there’s a DJ.”
    Annie just smiled. She was already picturing herself in a long Victorian dress as Catherine, slow-dancing with Tyler, who’d be the wild and passionate Heathcliff.
    Ask me, she thought. Ask me to be your date.
    â€œAnyway, I was thinking it would be cool to go as David Beckham.”
    Tyler reached into his locker and rummaged around for a pen. “And I was wondering if maybe you might. . .”
    Annie held her breath . . . go with you . . .
    â€œ. . . have an authentic England soccer shirt I could borrow?”
    So that’s what this was all about? A costume? Annie felt even stupider than she had when Dee Stroyer had knocked her out of bounds in yesterday’s scrimmage. Tyler didn’t want to take her to the dance. He just wanted a Halloween costume.
    â€œSure,” she heard herself say. “I think my dad has an old England strip somewhere. I’m sure he’d be okay with you borrowing it.”
    â€œGreat! When will you be home so can I pick it up?”
    â€œHard to say. I’m kind of busy with —”
    When she stopped short, he gave her a quizzical look.
    It was on the tip of her tongue to say “roller derby practice.”
    But she didn’t.
    â€œ. . . with school work and things,” she finished feebly. “But I’ll try to dig it out.”
    â€œThanks,” said Tyler.
    In the next second he’d been swept away in the sea of students, rushing to class, leaving Annie standing there at his locker, feeling like a complete fake.
    She loved everything about roller derby, from the skating, to the