Just Breathe Read Online Free PDF Page A

sink further down into my seat. “Ever, can you please pair up with Mr. Tanner and show him the assignments for this week?”
     
    “Um yes, Mr. Griggs,” I mumble.
     
    Sasha bumps me with her elbow and asks, “What was that, you just phased out there for a sec.”
     
    I just shrug my shoulders hoping not to draw any more attention.
    Tanner, I think, what is his first name? I glance over at him and he has a confused, almost frown on his face staring straight at me. There’s that warmth again. I look forward suddenly, maybe my mom was right and I am coming down with something. I put my hand on my forehead to feel for a fever, nope pretty normal.
     
    I lean over towards the new boy and without meeting his eyes and ask, “Um, sorry I didn’t get your first name.”
     
    He backs away and stutters like I surprised him, “It…It’s  Jack.”
     
    Then he glances the other way as if trying to avoid eye contact.
    I lean over and whisper, “I  have fourth period study hall in the library at twelve, can we meet then to…ah, catch you up on the assignments?”
     
    He just nods without looking at me and looks up at Mr. Griggs. He doesn’t glance my way again throughout the rest of the class. When the bell, I look over and he’s gone. I think I’m going crazy. Where is Gabbi when I need her?
    Second period creaks slowly by, of course because I want to be somewhere else. I practically run to English Lit and see Gabbi talking to Reggie. Lucky me, now I have to share her during our only class together. I sit down and she glances toward me smiling but does a double take when she sees my face.
     
    “What is it?” she asks.
     
    “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” 
    I take a deep breath and spill it.
    Luckily Reggie is looking the other way talking to another friend. I give her the condensed version starting with yesterday at the lake. I had vowed not to mention it to anyone but now I reason, if anything happens to me at twelve, at least one person knows something.
    Gabbi’s mouth drops open and before she can say anything, our teacher walks in. I hold my breath for a minute thinking, what if he has this class too? I scan the room and find he isn’t here. I take a deep breath, thank god .
    My mind drifts as our teacher, Mrs. Pine starts discussing West Side Story, I’ve read it a thousand times already.
    I imagine walking into the library and Jack showing me that he has flashlights for hands. Maybe he is really an alien from another planet coming to take people back with him. I know fifth grade imaginings. I met Gabbi when I moved to Pahrump in fifth grade. She was my first friend and she’s been the only really close one I’ve had through all the years. We used to play in her tree house, nestled in a huge oak in the middle of her two acre backyard. It is one of those multi-level thingys. I guess her dad wanted her to only have the best of everything being an only child. We would make up these stories about aliens coming down through the tree to abduct us and how life would be so different on another planet. We had the mysterious planet all figured out down to the clothing they wore and the language they spoke. Maybe we were on to something after all. 
    I smile at the memory and glance over at Gabbi. She is looking at me with this questioning look. I brush her off and focus on Mrs. Pine.
    Class drags on forever. Finally, as we walk to our lockers, Gabbi is able to react to my story.
    “Oh my god, are you really going to meet him in the library? Maybe you should skip it and just ignore him.”
     
    I shake my head, “Mr. Griggs asked me to help him. I’m probably making more out of this than it really is. I’ll be fine Gabbi.”
    Realizing now that I sound a little more confident than I feel.
     
    She raises her eyebrows, “Okay I will leave my phone on during next class, text me as soon as you are done. I want to hear everything.”
     
    I take a deep breath and start walking in the direction of the