Disconnect Read Online Free Page A

time with Justine. I have better things to do with my hard-earned money than spend it all on a holiday with you…you jerks.” I hung up before she could say another word.
    I swiped at the tears and leaned back against the wall. I stared at the screen, willing Selena to call back, to text me. While I waited, I ran through all the mean and awful things I would say to her.
    The phone did not ring. The screen stayed blank.
    I shoved my pillow back under my head and jammed the phone underneath.
    When Mom called me for supper, I yelled that I didn’t want any. When she knocked on my door later, I pressed my face into the pillow so she wouldn’t hear me crying.
    I pulled out my phone and punched in a whole bunch of texts to Josie.
    That cow Selena!
    Remember the CCC? #3? Stick together?
    U kno that gry skirt? I do hav it. It’s perfect wth the blu shirt!
    I hate this. Call me.
    BFF my ass.
    Dont u dare try 2 make xcuses.
    I deleted them all.
    I turned my phone off and threw it across the room. When it fell behind my chair, I didn’t bother to check it was okay.
    I crawled into bed, pulled the covers up to my head.
    Mom and Dad knocked during the evening. When I didn’t answer, they whispered to each other and then went away.
    Next morning, my phone worked. But there was nothing from Selena. Or Josie.
    All the way to school, I worked on what I would say to them. If we ever spoke again.
    By lunch, they had still not called or texted me. “Want to see a movie on the weekend?” I asked Cleo at lunch.
    â€œSure you’ve got time for me between keeping in touch with old friends and babysitting?” She peered inside her wrap, then rolled it back up.
    â€œYou said you liked movies.”
    â€œI thought you were saving all your pay for your trip to Calgary?”
    â€œI’m not going.”
    â€œHow come?” Cleo asked.
    â€œJosie and Selena are taking this dumb girl they hardly know. Justine,” I sneered. “Justine Marcus. It’s not like she’s a friend or anything. She just stands next to them in the choir.” I would have told Cleo that used to be my spot, but I didn’t want to start crying again.
    â€œSo did you have a big bust-up when they told you?”
    â€œKind of. I guess so.” I never wanted to speak to Selena again. Josie neither. She could have voted Justine out of the trip and insisted I came along. She should have. But she didn’t.
    Cleo eyed my fries. “I had this friend in Westbank, Lauren, since kindergarten. In grade seven she came with us on a road trip into the Rockies. In exchange, I was supposed to go to Disneyland with her family. Somewhere my parents would never go.”
    â€œYou haven’t been to Disneyland?” I asked her.
    Cleo flapped a hand as if that wasn’t what mattered. “The point is, when they finally went, they said they wanted a family trip. So they took a cousin Lauren had never even met.”
    â€œOuch.”
    Cleo flipped her hat strings. “When they got back, they were buddies. The cousin was in, and I was out.” She grabbed a fry. “Your friends are dumb if they don’t invite you to go with them.”
    â€œWell…” I wanted to defend Josie and Selena. Rule number three in the Cool Code was Stick Together.
    Though why should I care? I’d been gone less than two months, and I’d already been replaced.
    â€œIt’s like little kids on a playground,” said Cleo. “I can’t be friends with you because you are friends with someone I’m not friends with,” she went on in a singsong voice. “Like there’s not enough friendship to go around.” When she flung her arms out, a guy carrying a loaded tray nearly dumped it on the giggling girls at the next table. “There’s enough love in the world for everyone,” Cleo announced.
    Was it them she was talking about? Or me?
    I got busy plucking sprouts out of my