Secrets and Shadows Read Online Free PDF

and rol ed her eyes. “Like they don’t want money back. At al . They donated the money for al the food. They’ve arranged a distributor. The school keeps whatever money we spend on lunches.”
    “Huh. So why aren’t the lunches going to be free?”
    “Thatta’ girl,” she agreed. “Why would the school stil want a profit when they can guarantee free food for al the kids?”
    “Okay, so—”
    She sighed, tolerating my stumbling. Barely. “So that’s what you’re going to ask—”

    Suddenly her words faded; a sound like the ocean fil ed my ears, ruining my focus.
    Pietr and Sarah walked past. Hand in hand. As comfortable as any real couple.
    Sarah smiled at me.
    Sophia’s hand waved before my face. “Tune in, okay?”
    “Um, yeah. Who am I interviewing?”
    Again with the eye rol .
    “Perlson. Remember him? Our vice principal?”
    “Yeah, yeah,” I grouched, taking the paper she offered.
    “You need to cover this fast,” she urged. “The program starts soon.”
    “Oh. Okay.”
    “Jessie.” Sophie snagged my sleeve, tugging me closer with a touch not nearly as soft as her voice.
    “Quit staring at Pietr.”
    “What?”
    Scandalized, she hissed, “You’re staring at Pietr Rusakova. Sarah’s boyfriend?” She stepped back, her eyes larger than I’d ever seen them. That was saying something since Sophie always wore a somewhat stunned expression. “Wait. Whoa. You and Pietr?”
    I scrunched my face up at her. “Don’t be ridiculous, Soph. He’s Sarah’s boyfriend. Like you said.”
    A light sparked in the depths of Sophie’s dark brown eyes. “Jessie. Don’t get tangled up with what Sarah wants.”
    “Hey, Jessica!” Derek headed down the hal toward us, his smile dimpling. Al -American good looks, a popular footbal player, and he actual y paid attention to me.
    Sad I didn’t care much anymore.
    “And don’t get entangled with Derek, either,” Sophie ordered, just outside the volume of her standard whispery words. She toyed with her col ar and dodged away before he reached us.
    Sophie stil did what she could to avoid being near Derek. She’d dated him once and never again. As much as Amy and I tried to pry details out of her, she never said much about it. We’d gotten worried, but she’d assured us it certainly wasn’t like he’d physical y attacked her.
    But that was al she’d said. And only once.
    “Hey,” I greeted him, focusing on the paper Sophie had pressed into my hands. Prices to be reduced to one dol ar. A pretty stiff reduction. Who could reduce things that much in this economy? And who would give that much support to a public school so far from what most considered civilization?
    “What you got?” Derek asked, slipping the sheet from my fingers with a brush of his hand.
    “Research for an article.”
    “I heard about this. Sounds like a great deal.”
    “Yeah. Maybe too great.”
    Derek grinned. “Sometimes you chase stuff that doesn’t need chasing, Miss Investigative Reporter.”
    “I just want to know the truth behind stuff. Don’t you?”
    “Nah. Not always,” he admitted. “Sometimes the truth’s harder to swal ow. Why worry so much?”
    “So ask the easy questions—if any questions at al ?”

    “Sure. Perlson’s a good guy. No need to see ghosts where there’s only shadows, right?”
    “And that’s why you’re an athlete and I’m an editor,” I quipped with a smile to echo his. “You can take sports at face value most times. But people?” I shrugged. “They can be harder to figure out.”
    “Interesting point, except people devise and play sports,” he retorted, his grin tilting.
    I’d swear his teeth twinkled. “Huh.” I took the paper back, stuffing it into my backpack.
    “Not just a pretty face here,” he said with a chuckle. The warning bel rang. “Whoops. Better get to class.” He jogged off.
    In silent agreement I headed down the hal , doing a little mental math. Even lunch at a dol ar a day might be too much to make