Broken Hearts Read Online Free Page A

hair. Then he straightened his maroon and white Shadyside High sweatshirt. “Are we going to the mall, or what?” he asked.
    â€œYeah. Sure,” she replied, untangling a long, danglingearring. She started toward the doorway. “I’ll go upstairs and tell Erica we’re leaving.”
    â€œIs Erica going to give you a hard time?” Steve asked.
    â€œShe usually does,” Josie said.
    She stopped just outside the doorway to the den. The mail had been piled on the narrow table against the wall. She picked up the stack and shuffled through it.
    â€œHey, something for me,” Josie said, pulling out a square envelope. She let the rest of the mail drop back to the table.
    â€œWho’s it from?” Steve asked.
    Josie shrugged. “I don’t know.”
    She ripped open the envelope and pulled out a greeting card.
    She read it silently, then gasped, her hand trembling, her eyes wide with fear.

Chapter 2

HAVE A HEART
    â€œI —I don’t believe this,” Josie stammered, staring at the card.
    â€œWhat is it?” Steve asked, turning away from the window.
    â€œIt’s a valentine,” Josie replied, holding it up.
    â€œFrom who? I didn’t send you a valentine.” He made his way across the room to her.
    â€œIt isn’t signed,” Josie told him. “But it—it’s disgusting.” She shoved the card into his hand. “Here. Read it.”
    Steve took the card from her and examined it. There was a satiny red heart on the front.
    He opened it up. The printed words had been crossed out with a black marker. Written underneath them in blue ink was a short rhyme.
    Steve read it aloud:
    â€œViolets are blue
    Roses are red.
    On Valentine’s Day
    Josie will be dead.”
    Steve stared down at the card for a moment, scanning the rhyme again, silently this time. Then he closed the card and grinned at Josie. “It rhymes okay,” he said.
    She gave his shoulder a hard shove. “Who cares? Can’t you take anything seriously?”
    His smile faded. He looked hurt. “You don’t think this is serious, do you?” he demanded, rubbing his shoulder. “It’s too dumb.”
    Josie pulled the card from his hand and glanced over the handwritten message again. “I don’t know how to take it,” she said. “I mean, it is stupid, but it is a threat.”
    â€œIt can’t be serious,” Steve said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s just someone’s idea of a joke.”
    â€œWhat kind of joke?” Josie demanded heatedly. “I mean, what’s the funny part?”
    â€œI don’t know. I don’t get it,” Steve said. He picked the torn envelope up from the table. “No return address.” He put the envelope back and turned to her. “So who sent it?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Josie said, staring at the card. “Probably Jenkman.”
    â€œJenkman?”
    â€œYeah. Probably. He’s such a creep,” Josie said, frowning. “He still calls me, still pesters me. He can’t believe I broke up with him. He can’t believe that I don’t want to go out with him again.”
    â€œYou think he sent this?” Steve asked.
    â€œYou should see the way Jenkman stares at me in school,” Josie continued. “Like a hungry puppy dog. Mister Pitiful. He follows me, staring at me. Like I’m supposed to feel bad or something. Like I’m supposed to care.”
    â€œCalm down,” Steve said softly.
    â€œHow can I calm down?” Josie snapped. “I broke up with him five months ago. And now he sends me this dumb thing. Is he crazy, or what?”
    â€œYou know what I think you should do?” Steve said seriously. “I think you should ignore it.”
    â€œHuh? Ignore it?”
    â€œYeah. Don’t mention it to anyone. Pretend you never got it. That’s what I’d do.”
    Josie tossed the