Silver Tides (Silver Tides Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

radar; all the attention was making me paranoid. Jaimie loved to show off the fan pages that people had posted on networking sites. At first I had followed them a little myself, until people started posting nasty things about me.
    Complete strangers said terrible things like, “Did John ride her into shore? Mya’s fat enough to be a whale,” or “I’d rather drown than meet her on a darkened beach.” My least favorite was the posts that called me a “Fat Bitch.” At least some of the comments were well-composed, suicide-inducing quips; to just call me names was so unoriginal. That’s what I told myself to minimize my hurt feelings.
    I decided not to follow the sites and even closed down some of my social networking profiles because of the mean things people were saying. Sure, there were lots of well-wishers, but all the positive comments in the world couldn’t erase the hateful things people said.
    Jaimie was careful to edit anything she showed me after one of the comments made me burst into tears; it was about my Dad. It hurt because it must have been someone who knew me to have made a racist remark about Dad. Overall, I tried to ignore the whole thing, which was easier said than done.
    I had no desire to go to Miranda’s party on Friday night, but Jaimie insisted I put in an appearance to appease the popularity gods. Despite John still being comatose, Miranda wanted me at the party; my life had been reduced to showing loyalty to Miranda and her posse.
    Jaimie and I arrived at Miranda’s seaside mansion; it was the usual drunken teenage make-out-fest. A group of drunken girls were already gathered in Miranda’s driveway, two of them screaming at each other about who had kissed whose boyfriend.
    We pushed through the entrance where some guys ogled me. The only difference from previous parties was that some of the guys were there to deflower me. Couples made out in the living room, and the smell of alcohol, sweat and cheap deodorant filled the house. It was the last place I wanted to be.
    Miranda was poised over an esky full of ice and beer. She reminded me of a VB commercial; I was pretty sure she was waiting for Dylan looking like that. Jaimie ran to hug Miranda, while I greeted her with a wave.
    “You made it,” Miranda said unimpressed, “John is…”
    “Still in hospital,” I finished.
    “Hmmm.” She sipped her drink gracefully. “Make sure you bring him next week.”
    “Sure if he’s awake,” I said, but Miranda pushed past me to greet Dylan.
    I gave Jaimie an exasperated look and she shrugged. Jaimie was unfazed by Miranda’s mean-girl antics.
    “Hey babe.” Tim bounded in from the pool; he wrapped his wet arms around Jaimie. I could tell by the exchange that there was a fight brewing.
    After Tim’s arrival I was left to my own devices, Jaimie wanted to dance, and Tim had to get changed. They disappeared to do couple stuff. I hated being alone at parties; it made me feel so exposed.
    I bailed out and walked to the hospital after Samuel Larson asked me if I wanted to give him mouth-to-mouth. While my social star was rising, all I wanted to do was retreat to the hospital and spend time with John.
    I slipped into the hospital shortly after dark. I climbed the quiet staircase to John’s room and avoided touching the handrail because of my mild germ phobia. The lights were already dim in the ward in preparation for the end of visiting hours, but I knew that Hannah would let me stay if I was quiet. The hospital felt different at night. During the day people bustled about the halls, healing or being healed or visiting, but at night everything became still. Even the machines seemed more relaxed, like everyone was glad they had survived another day.
    “It’s Friday night,” Hannah clucked. “Shouldn’t you be out perpetrating debauchery at your age?”
    “I’m not really a debauchery kind of girl.” I sighed. “I’d rather read a good book.”
    “You’re a weird girl.” Hannah laughed,