Unbelievable Read Online Free PDF

that they cut off all the circulation to her toes. The sisters were performing a magic show for their parents; Melissa was the magician, and Spencer was her lovely assistant.
    “I found these this morning.” Mrs. Hastings passed the photos to Melissa, who glanced at them quickly and passed them back. “Remember how you girls used to be such good friends? You were always babbling in the backseat of the car. You never wanted to go anywhere without each other.”
    “That was ten years ago, Mom,” Melissa said wearily.
    Mrs. Hastings stared at the photo of Spencer and Melissa on the hammock. “You used to love Nana’s beach house. You used to be friends at Nana’s beach house. So we’ve decided to take a trip to Stone Harbor today. Nana isn’t there, but we have keys. So pack up your things.”
    Spencer’s parents were nodding feverishly, their faces hopeful.
    “That’s just stupid,” Spencer and Melissa said together. Spencer glanced at her sister, astounded they’d thought the same thing.
    Mrs. Hastings left the photo on the counter and carried her mug to the sink. “We’re doing it, and that’s final.”
    Melissa rose from the table, holding her wrist at an awkward angle. She glanced at Spencer, and for a moment, her eyes softened. Spencer gave her a tiny smile. Perhaps they’d connected just then, finding common ground in hating their parents’ naive plan. Perhaps Melissa could forgive Spencer for shoving her down the stairs and stealing her paper. If she did, Spencer would forgive Melissa for saying their parents didn’t love her.
    Spencer looked down at the photo and thought of the magic shows she and Melissa used to perform. After their friendship had splintered, Spencer had thought that if she muttered some of her and Melissa’s old magic words, they’d be best friends again. If only it were that easy.
    When she looked up again, Melissa’s expression had shifted. She narrowed her eyes and turned away. “Bitch,” she said over her shoulder as she sashayed down the hall.
    Spencer curled her hands into fists, all of her anger gushing back in. It would take a whole lot more than magic for them to get along. It would take a miracle.

3
    EMILY’S OWN AMERICAN GOTHIC
    Late Sunday afternoon, Emily Fields followed an old lady with a walker onto the moving sidewalk of the Des Moines International Airport, dragging her ratty blue swim duffel behind her. The bag was stuffed with all her worldly goods—her clothes, shoes, her two favorite stuffed walruses, her journal, her iPod, and various carefully folded notes from Alison DiLaurentis that she couldn’t bear to part with. When the plane was over Chicago, she realized she’d forgotten underwear. But then, that was what she got for packing frantically this morning. She’d only gotten three hours of sleep, shell-shocked from seeing Hanna’s body fly up into the air when that SUV hit her.
    Emily arrived in the main terminal and ducked into the first bathroom she could find, squeezing around a very large woman in too-tight jeans. She stared at her bleary-eyed reflection in the mirror over the sink. Her parents had really done it. They’d really sent her here, to Addams, Iowa, to live with her aunt Helene and her uncle Allen. It was all because A had outed Emily to the entire school, and all because Emily’s mother had caught her hugging Maya St. Germain, the girl she loved, at Mona Vanderwaal’s party last night. Emily had known the deal—she’d promised to do the “gay-away” Tree Tops program to rid herself of her feelings for Maya or it was good-bye, Rosewood. But when she discovered that even her Tree Tops counselor, Becka, couldn’t resist her true urges, all bets were off.
    The Des Moines airport was small, boasting only a couple of restaurants, a bookshop, and a store that sold colorful Vera Bradley bags. When Emily reached the baggage claim area, she looked around uncertainly. All she remembered about her aunt and uncle was their