Toxic (Better Than You) Read Online Free PDF Page A

fuck you,” he whispers into my ear.
                  To anybody watching, we probably look like a couple of horny teenagers, which is exactly his intention. But the truth is that I’m about to throw up, that if I had a knife I would use it on him without any hesitation. That thought scares me.
                  Before I can even beg him to stop touching me, he lets go and I practically fall backwards with the freedom. I stay facing the locker, breathing hard, my heart beating so fast it hurts.
                  “One day, Lo,” he says finally. “Just you wait and see.”
                  I’m quiet the rest of the day, but nobody notices, not even Melissa. She’s busy filling in the new girl and I’m glad for it. All I can think about is Danny and his promise, and I wonder why he’s so sure. I’m not like Mom and I never will be. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that.

7
    March 19, 2002
                  “Wait, so you’re moving ? Why are you just now telling me?” I ask angrily.
                  “I just found out last night, Lo. We’ve been in class all morning and we haven’t had a chance to talk. And anyways, you didn’t tell me about what happened with Danny yesterday! I had to find out from frikkin Daisy! How does Daisy know before I do?” Melissa throws back at me.
                  “It wasn’t a big deal! She probably just saw it happen. God, you fucking tell me you’re moving and you expect me to remember something stupid like what happened with Danny? Seriously, Melis?”
                  We stare each other down for what feels like a full five minutes before Melissa backs down with a sigh. “It’s not for a couple of weeks,” she says sadly.
                  I can feel the burn of tears in my eyes but I blink them back. I don’t cry in front of people. “What am I supposed to do?”
                  Melissa shrugs her shoulders and then smiles at me. “You’ll figure it out. Plus, you’ve got Sam now.”
                  We both look over at Sam, who’s watching us with wide eyes. “Right,” I say, completely sure that Sam could never replace Melissa.
                  “Everything will be fine.”
                  But I know it won’t be, because Melissa is the only person who knows everything about me, the only person I trust. With her gone, I’ll have no one to talk to. No safe place to go. It’ll be back to spending nights at home and scrounging for food that doesn’t exist. Just when I think my life might turn out okay, it turns around and takes a huge shit on me. And then it laughs.
                  Melissa invites me over after school but I tell her I have to go home and clean my room. Really, I just want to start getting used to being without her now rather than having her ripped away the next day. At least this way it’ll be slow and gradual. Maybe I won’t even notice she’s gone. I doubt it, though.
                  The minute I walk into my house, I regret my decision. I’m about to turn around and tell life to rip the band aid, but then Mom calls my name and I know I’m stuck.
                  “Coming!” I reply sullenly.
                  I walk out onto the patio only to find it empty. Then I’m confused because I don’t know why she would be calling me from her room. Carefully, I knock on her slightly open door and wait for her to respond.
                  “Is that you, Sugar Plum?” she asks sweetly.
                  I tense, because she’s only sweet when she wants something and I’m afraid to find out what it is this time.
                  “It’s me, Mom.”
                  “Come help me.”
                  With a sigh, I push open the door, not surprised to find a man passed out on her