The Space Between Heartbeats Read Online Free PDF Page B

door is closed and I hesitate, remembering the disorienting sensation of falling through the car door. Before I can figure out a solution to my dilemma, the door bursts open and a stream of girls blasts through me, as if I’m no more than a cloud of smoke.
    Casey Morgan shivers and wraps her pink cardigan closer to her chest. “Did you feel that?” she asks Grace Chan.
    But I don’t hear Grace’s response because walking toward me now are Amber, Penny, and Lauren . My eyes narrow as I remember Trent resting his hand on her hip and pressing his mouth against hers. Traitor.
    When Amber reaches me, I grab for her arm out of instinct, but my fingers swipe straight through her flesh. She has no reaction, too busy giggling with Lauren over her make-out session at study group. I trail behind them down the hall, feeling dejected and desperate.
    “I couldn’t help it,” Amber says with a sly grin. “He’s hot.”
    Lauren flips her blonde locks off her shoulder. “He’s not that hot. You were just too drunk to notice.”
    Amber’s face indignantly flushes pink. “I was not! I barely drank last night, I was driving.”
    “You were a little drunk,” Penny murmurs, pulling her phone from her bag.
    Which is a polite way of saying she was probably way too drunk to drive home safely.
    “Okay, fine, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a good kisser,” Amber says.
    “So you gonna start dating him?” Lauren nudges Amber with her shoulder and arches her eyebrow.
    “Maybe.” Amber shrugs.
    Penny grins and threads her arm through Amber’s.
    “Either way,” Lauren says, “you better make sure Nicole keeps her hooks out of him.”
    I bristle. That’s rich, coming from Lauren, who had her hooks in my boyfriend less than two hours ago.
    Amber rolls her eyes. “Did you see her prancing around last night in her new outfit? She’s such a little thief.” Her voice drips with disdain as they all take a right, heading for the library for our free period.
    Well, she’s certainly changed her tune. It stings, though, to hear her talk about me that way. I expect it from Lauren, and I have no illusions about who Amber is, but I guess I’d naively hoped she saved her venom for others. For people who weren’t her so-called best friend.
    Penny squeezes Amber’s arm to her side. “Whoa, you guys, check this out. I just got a text from Milly.”
    The two other girls give her blank stares.
    “You know, the chubby girl who helps in the office.” Penny frowns. “Do you ever listen to anything I tell you?” She holds the phone up to her face with a huff.
    I move behind my friends in order to avoid an onslaught of human traffic as we weave through the narrow corridor.
    “Listen to this . . .” Penny slows to a stop once we reach the bank of lockers just outside the library. The fluorescent lights flicker and buzz, and a cluster of freshmen girls push past, one of their backpacks knocking into Penny’s arm. She shoots them an annoyed look, then reads aloud from her phone. “Just overheard convo. Nicole not at school. Mom thinks she’s AWOL.”
    The girls gasp and my chest tightens with hope. Now they can start piecing it together and come find me. Amber may be mad over something I’ve supposedly done, but she has to care that I’ve gone missing.
    Lauren shakes her head. “No way. She’s cutting again.”
    “Yeah, I mean, she didn’t call this morning,” Amber adds, her upper lip curling.
    Penny glances up from her phone. “Did you call her?”
    “I tried.” Amber’s voice goes high and she scuffs her heel on the floor.
    “Liar.” Lauren giggles. “You’re still mad she rejected your ride home last night.”
    Wait. I did what ?
    Amber throws her arms up. “Hey, I had to discuss a very important kissing scenario and she wasn’t there for me. She was too busy nursing her nine-thousandth beer by the fire.”
    “Guys!” I shout, unheard. “Can one of you start to worry, please?” I think of my body lying