The Inn Between Read Online Free PDF Page A

saucer-wide.
    â€œYou did your Spanish assignment, right?” says Kara.
    Quinn gulps. “I-I meant to … but…”
    Kara’s shoulders drop. She tilts her head and exhales.
    Quinn can feel the heat rising into her cheeks. Her mind races like a mouse in a maze. She yanks her binder out of her locker and rips out a blank piece of paper. “Quick!” she says. “Gimme yours.”
    â€œWhat?” Kara takes a step back. “No way.”
    â€œCome on,” pleads Quinn. “There’s no time. Give me your paper. I’ll change a few words. Señora Márquez will never know.”
    Kara shakes her head. “Nuh-uh. I reminded you every day last week. I even told you I’d help. I’m not giving you my assignment. That’s not fair.”
    Quinn can already picture Señora Márquez as she tells the teacher her assignment is not done. The woman’s face will sag with that drippy look of disappointment. She’ll shake her head slowly. Then walk away. Like Quinn is a lost cause.
    Then Quinn sees her parents. Her mother, the dentist. Her father, the lawyer. They are not disappointed—they are angry. They don’t understand. Quinn must be brilliant. Just like they are. Just like Emma is. It’s genetic, right? The teachers have it all wrong. Quinn’s parents insist there is no learning disability. Quinn is just lazy. That’s all. She’s not trying hard enough. She should work harder. They’ve already taken away a whole month of skiing. Now they’ll take away the entire season. Quinn will have to spend Sundays with Aunt Deirdre and her stinky pet chinchillas, while the rest of the family hits the slopes.
    A watery skin covers Quinn’s eyes. “Please,” she whispers.
    Kara’s lips are sewn tight. She is frowning hard. Quinn can tell she doesn’t want to bail her out—not this time. But as they stare at each other Kara softens. She opens her binder and takes out her assignment.
    The crowd is thinning. Most of the kids are in class. There’s no time to copy here. Quinn will take the paper to science class. She sits near the back anyway. No one will notice her copying. It will be okay.
    Emma is skipping to her third-grade class. She stops in front of Quinn. “What are you guys doing?” she asks cheerfully.
    Quinn snatches the paper from Kara. “Nothing.”
    Kara glares at Quinn, then turns toward Emma. “Hey, Em.” She shuts her locker and heads toward science class.
    Quinn tucks the assignment into her binder and hurries after Kara. She glances over her shoulder. She’s left Emma standing alone in the hallway.

 
    7
    T HE HALLWAY STRETCHED ON AND ON. It turned a corner, went up a short flight of steps, turned another corner, and continued.
    Paintings lined the walls. Portraits and landscapes in dark, crackly oils. Most details were lost in the dim light of the cast-iron sconces topped with bronze candles and bulbs shaped like flames. Quinn hurried to catch up to Kara, who waited for her.
    â€œWhere were you?” said Kara.
    â€œThe old man stopped me—the one reading the paper.”
    â€œThe guy in pajamas? What did he want?”
    â€œI dunno,” said Quinn. “I think he’s a bit nutty.” She paused and then added, “And then there was this other guy—”
    â€œThis place is really beautiful,” interrupted Kara. “Like a big old mansion in the middle of the desert.”
    Quinn glanced down the empty hallway. “Yeah. I guess. I hope the rooms aren’t old and moldy.”
    â€œLet’s find out,” said Kara. She grabbed Quinn’s wrist and pulled. When Quinn winced, she let go. “Sorry. I forgot.”
    Quinn blew across the wound. It was red and raw, but it was beginning to scab. “It’s fine. Tomorrow it’ll be good as new.”
    Their room was perfect. Larger and lovelier than Quinn could have