Untethered Read Online Free PDF Page A

bites is the situation. Because Cassie glares at Tori, then Kevin. “Absolutely nothing’s going on,” she says and pushes me and Sam down the hall. “Come on.”
    My face is on fire. Once we’re far enough away from Tori, I whisper, “Don’t do that again.”
    Cassie looks surprised. “What?”
    “Treat me like I’m a kid. Talk for me.”
    “Sorry. I was only trying to help.”
    “Don’t.” Now that Cassie has curves, she’s acting like my mother. I’m sure she sees me differently than she used to. Now I’m Psycho Skinny Sylvie Sydell, her little friend who has to wear two pairs of jeans, one on top of the other, so as not to seem so disgustingly frail. Her little friend who can’t be trusted to drive a car or ride a bike because her sinews might soften all of a sudden and cause an accident.
    “Just don’t,” I say again, angrier than I know I should be.
     
    The morning drags on forever. I check my cell between classes and Cassie’s texted me an apology. By lunchtime we’re friends again.
    Sam catches up to us as we’re walking into the cafeteria. “Can I sit with you?”
    I stop and let the wave of people pass in front of us through the double doors. “God, Sam. Don’t you have anyone to sit with?”
    My brother looks down at his shoes – some sneakers Mom got at Target for $11.99. He’s small and skinny like me —a little too fragile looking. It’s only day one at high school, but I can already tell the next four years aren’t going to be good to him. I mean, he barely got through orientation without crying.
    So, while I really don’t want him to sit with me (I see enough of him at home, okay?), I still want to keep an eye on him. Make sure he’s doing okay. Plus, today is extra tough: I know Dad’s leaving is killing him because it’s killing me. “Fine, you can sit with us,” I say. “Just for a few days.”
    Behind his glasses, his eyes close in relief. Then he nods and smiles and follows Cassie and me through the lunch line.
    “I can’t believe Mr. Crawford is doing it again.” Cassie takes a cup and pours herself a Suicide Mix, every couple seconds moving the cup down the line on the soda fountain to put in a new flavor until it’s full. The end result smells something like cat pee. “It was great and all the last couple of years, him giving out Twix bars for geezer rock trivia questions. But don’t you think at some point the guy should teach Geography instead of the Rolling Stones?”
    Moving my tray down the line, I wrinkle my nose. What is that — refried beans or vomit? “Really, Cass, you don’t think knowing the length of Mick Jagger’s tongue is as important as knowing where the Rocky Mountains are?”
    Sam leans over, his eyebrows knotted. “What’s a McJagger?”
    I ignore him and keep talking to Cassie. “Yeah, well, you haven’t had Trig yet. Mrs. Zimmer already gave us homework. Lots of it.”
    When we finally find enough stuff that resembles food, we head to the cash register. Kevin and his friends are right ahead of us.
    “It’s great that he’s got A lunch,” I whisper to Cassie, feeling my stomach roll at the sight of his back. “I thought for sure he’d change his lunch to B , to be with Samantha his beloved.”
    Cassie shrugs.
    “Unless they broke up since this morning and we just didn’t hear about it yet.” I slide my tray onto the counter. “But why would they do that? They’re inseparable.”
    Cassie shakes her head and pulls her wallet out of her purse.
    I look over at Kevin, heading to the table with his friends. He glances back, eyes on Cassie.
    Oh, God. He doesn’t want to be with Samantha. He wants to be with Cassie.
    I must be standing there with my mouth open, because the lady with the hairnet behind the cash register snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Three dollars!”
    I pay. But it doesn’t matter. I no longer have an appetite.
     

Five
    August: An In-School Out-of-Body Experience
     
    Last hour of the day, I