Masquerade Read Online Free PDF Page B

shoulders and face, concealing as much as it could. It
wasn’t as shiny or healthy looking as Before, and my blue eyes were a little dull. I told myself it was because I
hadn’t slept well the night before. I never bothered with makeup
anymore, but at least my skin was clear. I was dressed in my usual
baggy shirt and jeans. Kimber laid on the horn again, and I ran out
the door.
    “ You in a hurry?” I
grumped, sliding into the passenger seat.
    “ You didn’t call me last
night,” she accused.
    “ Sorry.”
    “ I called you like a
hundred times!”
    “ I was tired. Is something
wrong?” I looked over at her. She was dressed just as fierce as
always. Her thick red hair tumbled over her shoulders and she was
wearing a long knit dress with a bold, colorful print. Her denim
jacket was scuffed up and worn in all the right places. She didn’t
look like anything was wrong.
    “ We have been invited to a
party this weekend!”
    “ Great.”
    “ Ask me who.”
    “ Whose party is
it?”
    “ Josh Turner’s!”
    “ The varsity quarterback?”
I asked curiously.
    “ Yes!” She clapped her
hands, about to burst.
    “ Wow.”
    “ I know, right? It is going
to be awesome! His parties are legendary.”
    “ Yeah.” His parties were
always the topic of conversation for weeks afterward. Even though
Kimber and I had never been to one, we always heard every last
detail in the hallways at school.
    “ Aren’t you excited?” she
asked, exasperated.
    “ Thrilled.” I tried to
inject some enthusiasm in my voice.
    She pinned me with a look that made my
stomach hurt. “You are not getting out of this one. You’re
going.”
    I wet my lips with my
tongue.
    “ It’s tonight.”
    “ Tonight!” I
gasped.
    “ Yes. Come over after
school, you can borrow something to wear.”
    “ I can’t.”
    “ Please…” she
sang.
    “ I can’t.”
    “ Please, please,
please…”
    Her begging was pathetic.
    “ We have been waiting for
an invite to one of these since freshman year!”
    That was true. “You go…without
me.”
    “ If you don’t go, I
don’t.”
    “ That isn’t fair,” I
groaned.
    “ I’ll hold it over your
head forever!”
    “ Fine,” I agreed,
weary.
    She squealed as she pulled
into the parking lot at school . I was actually glad to be here just to get out of
the car. “Have you talked to Cole?” I asked just because I was mad
that she’d guilted me into going to the party.
    She made a face. “Yesterday. Something
else you would have known if you’d have called me back.”
    I straightened the hood on my head and
stifled an eye roll.
    “ He wants to get back
together.”
    “ Did you forgive him?” Hope
bloomed in my chest.
    “ Are you kidding? I told
him I wasn’t sure what I wanted.”
    “ Why would you say
that?”
    She shrugged. “Let him wonder for a
while.”
    I opened the door to get
out.
    “ He’s coming tonight,” she
said over the hood of her car.
    Great. More drama. Maybe
I’ll have a panic attack, and it will really be fun.
    “ My plan begins
tonight.”
    My heart froze. “You’re
plan?”
    “ Sam is bound to be there
tonight. He’s, like, the biggest attraction at school right
now.”
    “ What are you going to do,
Kimber?”
    She smiled. “You’ll see.”

 
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter Four
     
    Heven
     
    I looked down at the clothes draped
across my bed and frowned. How did I get myself into this
situation? Just minutes before, Kimber had dropped me off with a
promise to return to get me later. I stood there wondering if she’d
believe me if I suddenly got sick. Not likely.
    The outfit she picked out was
gorgeous, of course. Too gorgeous. I didn’t wear stuff like this
anymore. What was the point of trying to look pretty? The dark
denim jeans were designer, and so was the top. It didn’t have a
hood. It was a V-neck. Ugh.
    There was a knock on the door before
it swung open. “Have a good day?” Mom asked.
    “ Great,” I lied.
“You?”
    “ Yes, thank you.”