The Firefly Effect Read Online Free PDF

secure the house or whatever you have to do.”
    “Not long.” Folding his hands behind his head, he smirks up at me. “Don't worry, Felony baby. I'm not leaving anytime soon. We'll have plenty of time to catch up.”
    Catch up?
    He must be out of his mind. Catching up with him is the last thing I want to do.
    From the moment we first locked horns, I knew I hated Shane Becker.
     

    6th grade
     
    “Hey.”
    I pretend I don't hear him, but he continues to poke me in the back until I want to break that finger off and shove it up his nose. He's so annoying. I know what he wants – the same thing he always wants. To mooch off me.
    “Hey,” he persists, a little louder. “Lemme borrow a pencil.”
    I swivel around in my seat to glare at him. “You ask me this every day. Did it ever occur to you to bring your own supplies?” I'm sick of this. He's so stupid. It's not like he doesn't know he's going to need something to write with every single day.
    Propped on one elbow, the boy my friend Stephanie and I have dubbed 'Shane the Pain' gives me a bored look. “That's what I have you for.”
    “I'm not your mother, in case you haven't noticed. I'm not responsible for you.” I turn back around and try to concentrate on the test in front of me, hoping he'll bug someone else instead. He's such a creep. I think he comes from a skanky family. He needs a haircut really bad and I swear he only owns like three or four shirts. He wears the same ones over and over.
    As usual, ignoring him doesn't work. He's gone back to poking me with a finger. “Me – la – niiiie...” he sings softly. “Gimme a pen - ciiill...”
    Across the aisle from us, Stephanie attempts to help me out. “Maybe she's getting tired of you always asking her for stuff!”
    “Nobody asked your opinion, Ste- fanny .” Grabbing the end of my ponytail, he tugs on it until my head is wobbling back and forth.
    “Cut it out!” I snap.
    “Gimme a pencil and I'll leave you alone.”
    “Yeah, until tomorrow!” Just to shut him up, I unzip my pencil holder and hand one over to him. “Here. And I want it back when you're done. So don’t chew on it and get your gross germs all over it.”
    “Whatever, Mosquito Bite.”
    That jerk! I do him a favor and he's calling me immature names. He thinks he's so funny. Just because Stephanie's boobs are bigger than mine doesn't mean I'm totally flat-chested. There's something there. Just not that much.
    I'm trying to think of a witty comeback when Ms. Ingram comes breezing back into the classroom. The steady hum of whispers and giggles fades quickly into a hush of deep concentration and pencils scratching over paper.
    “Psst. Hey.”
    Oh, great. Here we go again. I pretend I don't hear him, but that's never stopped him before.
    “What'd you get for number four?”
    “Figure it out yourself,” I whisper over my shoulder. Moron.
    “Just tell me.”
    “No!”
    “Well, what's number five then?”
    “Shut up.”
    “Come on, Mosquito Bite. Gimme some answers.”
    Setting my jaw, I pay no attention to his harassment. Surely at some point he'll get tired of bugging me. Right?
    Wrong.
    A finger pokes me sharply between my shoulder blades. “Hey. Hey. Hey! ”
    Finally losing my temper completely, I jump up from my desk and whirl around to holler at him, “WHAT THE CRAP IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU STUPID ASSHAT?”
    The entire class erupts in wild hysterics. Shane included. Even Stephanie is giggling behind her hand. Ms. Ingram is the only one not laughing.
    “Melanie Lane! You will report to room twenty-seven for in-school suspension this afternoon. And you can go ahead and turn in your test paper – since you feel the need to be disruptive during class, you may retake it after school where you will have no distractions.” Still scowling, she claps her hands together. “I want it quiet in here right this minute, unless the rest of you would like to join Melanie this afternoon!”
    My face is burning with humiliation, and