Secret of the Sevens Read Online Free PDF Page A

The board of directors was to continue running the business, but the will stated that there was a group of students at the school who had the authority to veto any board decisions they felt would hurt the school. The will referred to them as the Society of Seven. The Sevens were set up to protect the school, but five died in the fire and the other two never came forward.”
    â€œBecause they’d get arrested for murder.”
    â€œThat’s the theory. Anyhow, the Board needed to create something right away that filled that description in the will, so they worked with Kane to come up with the Pillars. To avoid any more trouble, they decided there’d be six seniors selected every year, with the Chairman of the Board acting as the seventh member and advisor so that they wouldn’t be secret anymore.”
    â€œSo why do you think Singer started it as a secret society? There had to be something gross or illegal going on.”
    Laney doesn’t answer. She’s deep in thought, tapping her knuckles on the desktop.
    â€œSo how do you know all this, anyway?” I add. “About Singer’s will and all that?”
    She swivels in her chair, turning her back to me. “I did some research once.”
    â€œFor a paper or something?”
    Her head lifts toward a photo of her family on her bulletin board. “Something like that.” She’s quiet again.
    When I hear her sniffling, I swing my legs over the side of her bed. “I know you wanted to be a Pillar, Lane, but it’ll be okay. I’m sure you’re already guaranteed a scholarship with all your A’s and compulsive community service.”
    She straightens up quick and wipes her face with her palms. Her desk chair turns a few degrees in my direction.
    â€œC’mon. Who needs Winchester House when you have us?” I lean back on my elbows. “Admit it, you’d totally miss us. Think about all our great times together. No more of Jake’s laundry-day headlocks, where he forces you to whiff his reeking socks? Or the way everyone farts and blames it on you? You don’t get that kind of attention just anywhere. Remember when Marcus and me stole your underwear from the dryer and wrapped them up for Headmaster Boyle as a birthday present?”
    â€œIs this supposed to be making me feel better?” she whimpers. But when she swivels the rest of the way to face me, there is a smile, if just a little one. “You know, I would have missed this place. I probably would have been here all the time anyhow.”
    â€œThen why mope about it? You’re already gonna graduate with a pile of awards.”
    â€œI never cared about that. That’s not why I wanted it.”
    â€œThen why? So you could spend more time with Kollin?”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter.” She glances at her bulletin board and pulls her hair back. “I’m fine now. Really.”
    Just then, the door swings open and Dad Shanahan’s head pops through. His wrinkled brow relaxes when he sees Laney and me on opposite sides of the room. “You feeling better, sweetie?”
    Laney nods and Mr. Shanahan says, “Why don’t you come out and have some dinner, then? C’mon … make your mom and dad happy and eat something.”
    When Laney stands up, I read something in her expression that catches me off guard.
    Disgust.

Four
    The Pillars are gathered in the front of the classroom when I walk in. Perched on the teacher’s desk, Cameron Moore glares as I trudge past him to the back of the room.
    I plop down in an open desk next to Emily. “Hey.”
    She looks up at me from her magazine and then back down to the quiz she’s filling out. “Hey.”
    She must be pissed about our cemetery date. Whate ver. I wasn’t looking for a girlfriend anyhow.
    Laney and Kollin stroll in a minute later. Laney frowns at the Pillars before glancing around the room. Her eyes skip from me to Emily and