The Prisoner of Cell 25 Read Online Free PDF Page A

backpack.
    After the bell rang, Ostin and I walked out to our lockers.
    “Man, that test was cake,” Ostin said. “I can’t wait for the next one.”
    “You’re a freak,” I said.
    Suddenly Taylor grabbed my arm. “Michael, we need to talk.”
    “No we don’t,” I said. I kept walking, leaving her standing there.
    Ostin looked at me in amazement. “Dude, that was Taylor Ridley you just brushed off.”
    I looked at him. “So?”
    He smiled. “That was so cool.”
    Taylor ran in front of me and stopped. She looked at Ostin. “Excuse us, please.”
    “Sure,” Ostin said, looking thrilled that Taylor had spoken to him.
    After he’d taken a few steps back she turned to me. “Please.”
    “I can’t,” I replied.
    “I need to know,” Taylor said. “I really, really need to know.”
    I looked at her, thinking. “What did you do to Poulsen?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, mimicking what I’d written to her on the note.
    “You did something ,” I said, “I saw it.”
    “Really? Well, so did you.”
    “Nothing I can tell you about.”
    “Michael, please. It’s important.” She grimaced. “I’m begging.”
    “Dude, she’s begging,” Ostin said, forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to be listening.
    Taylor turned to him. “Excuse me,” she said sharply.
    Ostin wilted beneath her gaze. “Sorry.” This time he crossed to the opposite side of the hall.
    I looked at her for a moment then said, “I’d get killed for telling you.”
    “No one will ever know. I promise.” She crossed her chest with her finger. “Cross my heart.”
    I looked over at Ostin, who was still pretending not to listen. He shook his head.
    Taylor looked at him, then back at me and sighed. “Michael, I  really need to know. I promise, I’ll never tell anyone.” She leaned in closer. “I’ll even tell you my secret .” She just stood there, staring at me the way Ostin stared at jelly doughnuts. Then she put her hand on my arm. “Please, Michael. It’s more important than you can possibly imagine.”
    She looked so desperate I wasn’t sure what to do. Finally I said, “I couldn’t tell you here anyway.”
    “We can go to my place,” she said quickly. “I live just down the street. No one’s home.”
    Ostin looked at me in amazement. I could guess what he was thinking. Dude, Taylor Ridley just invited you to her house!
    “I can’t,” I said. “I have after-school detention.”
    “That’s okay, I’ll wait for you,” she said eagerly.
    “Don’t you have cheerleading or something?”
    “Only on Mondays and Wednesdays. And Fridays if there’s a game.” She looked deeply into my eyes. “Please.”
    Saying no to the girl you have a crush on is hard enough, especially when she’s begging, but I had also run out of excuses. I exhaled loudly in surrender. “Where do you want to meet?”
    Taylor smiled. “I’ll just go with you.”
    “To detention?”
    “I don’t think they’ll try to keep me out, do you?”
    “I don’t know. No one ever tries to get into detention. It’s like breaking into jail.”
    Taylor smiled. “Then I guess we’ll find out.”
    “Hey,” said Ostin, who had inched his way back into our conversation. “What about me?”
    Taylor looked at him. “What about you?”
    “I’m Michael’s best friend. Ostin,” he said, eagerly putting out his hand. Taylor just looked at him.
    “He’s my friend,” I said.
    “What do you want?” she asked.
    “I want to come with you guys.”
    “We can trust him,” I said.
    She looked him over, then turned back to me. “Sorry, but I can’t.”
    I looked at Ostin and shrugged. “Sorry, man.”
    He frowned. “All right. See you guys later.”
    As Ostin walked away, Taylor turned to me. “Let’s go, you delinquent.”
    We walked down the hall together, something I never thought would happen in a million years. I wondered if Taylor might be afraid to be seen walking with me—like her