The Bodies We Wear Read Online Free PDF

I doubt there’s a single school in the district that will take me if I mess up. Most schools have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to Heam usage. There are no second chances. There are some groups that try to fight the stigma associated with Heaven’s Dream—Heam’s official name—but they’re fighting a losing war. Hardcore users will always be ostracized.
    But even with all these rules, I like school. It’s a chance for me to be normal, well, at least pretend to be normal. I get to wear the school uniform and walk down the halls. It’s amazing I ever made it this far.
    As I sit in the back of the classroom, the teacher drones on about the importance of algebra but I’m not listening. I’m thinking about Chael. Is it a coincidence that I’ve met him twice in less than twenty-four hours? Is he following me? It’s possible that I screwed up somehow, let down my invisibility guard, and now they’re aware I exist. There’s even a chance they might recognize me although I’ve gone to great lengths to disguise all traces of the child I once was. With the exception of the soapbox preacher, I’ve never gone out of my way to let anyone see my scars. Could someone have seen me in the crowd last night and tattled on me?
    No. That’s impossible. Even if someone did recognize me, I’m still nothing but a single girl in the crowd. A hardcore Heam abuser who managed to go straight.
    Not a threat.
    Not yet.
    I’m so involved in my thoughts I don’t hear the teacher call my name.
    Not the first time.
    Not the third time either.
    What I do hear finally are the giggles. When I look up from the doodle on my notebook, they are all looking at me. Several pairs of eyes. Lots of smirks.
    “Um. Yes?”
    “The answer would be appreciated, Faye.”
    I look at the board. There are scribbles of x ’s and y ’s and a bunch of numbers. I have no idea. The silence grows and all I can hear are the sounds as people fidget in their chairs to get a better look.
    “Forty-three?” I finally say. Of course it’s wrong; there’s no way I can possibly be correct. A huge breakout of giggles confirms it.
    “Silence,” Mr. Haines snaps.
    No one listens.
    “Can I be excused?” I ask. When Mr. Haines raises his eyebrows, I give him the best pity face I can muster. “I’m not feeling well today. Sorry.”
    He waves a hand at me and I pick up my binder and pencil case. There’s only five more minutes left of class so it’s safe to assume he doesn’t expect me back. I hear the murmurs from behind my back as I walk down the aisle and toward the door.
    In the bathroom, I go into the stall and lock it behind me. I sit down on the toilet and rub my temples with my fingers. I wasn’t lying when I asked to be excused; I’m really not feeling great. My head is suddenly pounding and I wonder if I inhaled too much smoke earlier.
    The bell rings and instantly I hear the muffled noises as the kids gather in the halls to rush to their next class. The door opens and a girl comes in, stopping in front of the mirror. A few seconds later I hear a thud as someone else enters, kicking at the door.
    “Get out of here,” the girl hisses. “This is the ladies’ room, idiot.”
    A low throaty chuckle. “Give me the money you owe me and then I’ll leave.”
    Inside the stall, I perk up my ears and hear the girl as she steps back against the wall. “I told you, I don’t have it. You need to talk to Jesse.”
    “Maybe I’d rather talk to you.”
    “Leave me alone.”
    It only takes me a second to decide that today, I’m going to break some rules. Unlocking the door, I step out into the middle of the action. The girl is Paige LeBlanc, one of the more popular girls, and she’s backed up beside the hand dryers and staring at a guy I’ve never seen before. He’s not a student; the leather pants he wears are not part of the school-issued uniform. He’s greasy too—hair, face, probably even underneath his jacket. His clothes are expensive but