Stone Cold Read Online Free PDF Page B

he left the cab until he entered his room. There was only one thing on his mind. His h ands were shaking as he sat on the edge of his bed. The combination of running and his nervous reaction to what was on that pink paper had him covered in perspiration. Sweat was beginning to run down his face. His clothes were wet and clung tightly to his body. Conall pretended not to notice as he unraveled the pieces of paper in each hand.
    He moved to his desk and laid each piece carefully in front of him. He smoothed each one gently, outward from the center to the corners, careful not to damage them any more than they already were. When he was satisfied he’d removed as many wrinkles as possible, Conall began assembling the pieces with the precision of a plastic surgeon. When he finished he sat back to examine his work. All it needed now was some tape to hold it together and it could finally be read. Satisfied he had done the best reconstruction job anyone could do with what he had to work with he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After about a minute he slowly opened them and looked down. His heart picked up speed as the adrenaline began to flow again. He could hear and feel it pounding in his ears.
    “Why am I so nervous about this message? I don’t even know her. I don’t even know yet if this was meant for me or if it’s even from her.” Conall was surprised by his reaction to what was, up until this point only a piece of paper, that may or may not be from a girl he only knew as Hannah.
    It’s now or ne ver.”
    His eyes moved to the page and focused on the words.
     
    “Dear Office Staff at Cen  al Pa   E s  Hi    S   ol  555:
     
    My    e is Hannah             and I’m trying to find a boy who is p   ibly a student at your    ool named Conall. He was wearing a royal                     et with a
    C   HS    5 patch. We     yesterday on      ferry to Ellis Island but were not able to e         ge contact info   tion or      last names for that matter. 
     
    I              ike for you to give him     ail if at all possible. 
     
    Thank you for your          help.
     
      inc rely,
     
    Han        y
    Cel
     
     
    Conall,
     
    If you g                ail, my mom and I al    ys visit my aunt who lives in NYC on April 16 every year but we miss        this year because of the field trip so we’re going on June 30 instead. If you                 it and want           me again, I’ll be in Battery Park at the   enches in the Bosque Garden near t  e ferry
    land ng at 1:00 P.M. on that day. Le              we can both be there because if not, we     just going to have to try aga    next year on April 16 at the same time and place and every year after that until             lly meet if that’s what it takes. All joking aside, I’ll be wearing an athletic jacket t          s my first name on the back            easier to find. I can’t give out my address until we know each oth    b      r but you can call me. My email       ress should              is printout too.
     
    Can’t wait until June 30.
     
    Talk t       u soon,
     
         nah         y
     
    The words came out slowly. He read it over and over again hoping that each time it would read differently, that somehow the blanks would be filled in.
    Even with parts of the message missing , Conall knew it was meant for him and it was from Hannah, the girl he hadn’t been able to erase from his mind. The girl he’d met little more than several days ago who he might never see again.
    Her picture , although smudged, was the only part of the letter that was still intact.
    “How could all of the vital parts of who she is and how to contact her be missing from this paper ? Ugh!”
    In frustration, Conall picked up the