The Secret Hour Read Online Free PDF Page A

then turned back to her computer screen. “Okay. Just don’t get into any bad habits,” she relented. “And try to keep it to a dull roar.”
    Jessica’s eyes fell to her trig book. She actually
did
have some serious studying to do. Mr. Sanchez’s class had moved through the first chapter with lightning speed, as if they’d started the book last year. Jessica was pretty sure she understood what Mr. Sanchez had covered in chapter two, but a few concepts kept popping up that were just incomprehensible. Mr. Sanchez seemed convinced that Jessica had been in advanced classes back in Chicago and that she only stayed quiet because she was way ahead of the rest of them. Not exactly.
    Jessica knew she should be studying, but she felt too restless, too full of energy. Her dream the night before had done something to her. She wasn’t sure what. She wasn’t even positive it had been a dream. Had she actually gone sleepwalking? Jessica’s sweatshirt had gotten wet somehow. But could you really walk around in driving rain without waking up? Maybe was she just going mildly nuts.
    But whatever had happened last night, it felt wonderful. Her sister, Beth, had thrown her usual breakfast tantrum this morning, screaming that she could never start over in Bixby after spending the first thirteen years of her life in Chicago. Dad, with no work to go to, hadn’t gotten up at all. And Mom had been in a huge rush to get to her new job, leaving Jessica the thankless task of getting her little sister out the door. But somehow this morning’s dramas hadn’t bothered her. The world seemed to be in focus today. Jess finally knew the way to all her classes, and her locker combination had spun from her fingers without a thought. Everything felt suddenly familiar, as if she had lived here in Bixby for years.
    In any case, Jessica was way too restless to be reading a math book.
    And listening to her new friends talk about the weird history of Bixby was much more interesting than trigonometry. Constanza Grayfoot was beautiful, with dark, straight hair and olive skin and just a trace of an accent. She and her friends were all juniors, a year older than her, but Jessica didn’t feel younger around them. It was like being the new girl from the big city had mysteriously added a year to her age.
    “I’ve got another one,” Maria said. “How come there’s a curfew here?”
    “Number two: Annoying curfew,” spelled out Constanza.
    “Curfew?” Jessica asked.
    “Yeah.” Jen rolled her eyes. “Up in Tulsa, or even over in Broken Arrow County, you can stay out as late as you want. But in Bixby, if it’s after eleven, you’re busted. Until you’re over eighteen. Don’t you think that’s weird?”
    “That’s not weird, that’s just lame,” said Liz.
    “Everything
about Bixby is weird.”
    “Everything about Bixby is
lame.”
    “Don’t you think Bixby’s weird, Jessica?” Jen asked.
    “Well, not really. I like it here.”
    “You’re kidding,” Liz said. “After living in Chicago?”
    “Yeah, it’s nice here.” Jessica felt strange saying the words, but they were true. She’d been happy this morning, at least. But the other four girls were looking at her like they didn’t believe her. “I guess there is some weird stuff about Bixby. Like the water. It tastes funny. But you guys know that already.”
    The others stared at her with blank expressions.
    “But you know, I guess once I get used to it—” Jessica started.
    “What about the snake pit?” interrupted Maria.
    A momentary hush fell across the table. Jessica saw Ms. Thomas glance up, her interest piqued for a moment by the sudden silence, then turn back to her screen.
    Constanza nodded. “Number three: Snake pit.” Her voice was just above a whisper.
    “Okay,” Jessica said. “I’m going to guess that this snake pit is more on the weird side than the lame?”
    “Yeah,” Liz said. “If you believe in all that stuff.”
    “What stuff?” Jessica