Annie and Fia by Kiersten White

Author:Kiersten White [White, Kiersten]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
ISBN: 9780062321497
Google: LQk5AAAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 18269365
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: 2013-12-02T23:00:00+00:00

ANNIE

Ten Months Before Keane

I STAND, CLUTCHING MY BACKPACK STRAPS, TRYING not to bounce up and down with nerves. Bella meets me here after fourth period so we can go to lunch together. It’s always the first time I’m around her during the day.

Please, please don’t be dead, Bella. I had Fia check the news all weekend to see if Bella’s dad was arrested, but there was no mention of anything. Fia finally snapped at me and refused to look anymore, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

“Hey,” Bella says, breathless.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” I beam, stupid with relief. It didn’t happen. I’m not crazy. I don’t see things that are real. Or maybe I am crazy, but again: it didn’t happen. Which means maybe I didn’t really see my parents, either!

Bella does her snort laugh. “Yeah, super glad to be here, too.” She shifts and there’s an odd creaking sound. I turn toward the lunchroom and then I hear a clicking noise between her footsteps. Footstep—only one foot.

“What’s wrong?”

“Crutches. Broke my leg. I was wondering if you’d notice. I feel like such a freak, everyone staring. You must feel like this all the time.”

My stomach sinks and before I can stop myself I blurt out, “Is your dad in jail, then?”

There’s a long pause, and Bella’s voice is totally flat when she answers. “What do you mean?”

“I just—your dad. And the stairs.” I scramble for some way to explain what I’m saying. “How you hurt your leg.”

There’s a click of the crutches, and Bella’s voice moves farther away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I tripped. I’m clumsy. Everyone knows I’m clumsy. Why are you talking about my dad?”

I reach out a hand, desperate. “I saw—I thought I saw—I mean, I just thought maybe your dad . . .”

“You saw? Last time I checked, you’re blind.” Her tone is one I’ve never heard before—not directed at me, anyway, only at other girls when she gossiped.

I’m so scared for her. She’s here, but she’s hurt, and I know what happened. I have to help her. “I know about your dad,” I whisper. “Bella, you can’t let him hurt you like that. You have to talk to someone.”

My hand hangs in the air, begging her to take it.

Now she sounds the way she looked when I saw her—terrified. She tries to laugh but it comes out strangled. “You are such a freak. I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Is this what you do for fun? Make up sick stories about people’s families? You really are insane, you know that? Stay away from me.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.