Fade Read Online Free Page B

thing he didn"t do any coke.”
    She whispers this last bit.
    “Good job.” Janie grins. She knew Carrie"s drug charges would be dropped. She just couldn"t tell her that.
    “Oh, that reminds me,” Carrie continues. She digs around in her backpack and pulls out an envelope. “Here"s your college money back,”
    she says. “Thanks again, Janie. You were awesome to come out in the
    middle of the night to bail us out. So, what"s the deal with your seizures,
    anyway? That really freaked me out.”
    Janie blinks. Carrie-speak is almost always at full-speed, and it changes
    direction often. Which is okay. Because Janie can usually dodge any
    questions she doesn"t want to answer without Carrie noticing. Carrie is a little self-centered.
    And immature at times.
    But she"s the only girlfriend Janie"s got, and they"re both loyal as hell.
    “Oh, you know.” Janie yawns. “The doc"s gotta run some tests and stuff.
    Made me take off work from the nursing home for a while. But if you
    ever see me do that again—have a seizure, I mean—don"t worry. Just
    make sure I don"t fall and crack open my skull on a rusty coffee cart
    next time, will you?”
    Carrie shudders. “Gah, don"t talk about it!” she says. “You"re giving me
    the heebs. Hey, I heard Cabel"s in some deep shit with the cops over this
    whole cocaine scandal. Have you seen him? I wonder if he"s still in jail.”
    Janie"s eyes widen. “No way! You think? Let me know what you find
    out from Melinda and Shay.”
    “Of course.” Carrie grins.
    Carrie loves a good scandal.
    And Janie loves Carrie. Wishes she didn"t have to keep secrets from her.
    2:25 p.m.
    Janie and Cabel have study hall last period in the school library. They
    don"t sit together. Nobody looks sleepy. Things are going smoothly.
    Janie, tucked away at her favorite table in the far back corner of the
    library, finishes a boring English lit assignment and then tackles her
    Chem. 2 homework. Her first impression of that class is positive. Only a
    few geeks take it—it"s a college-credit course. But Janie, having satisfied all her required courses, is taking whatever she can to help her
    out in college. Advanced math, Spanish, Chemistry 2, and psychology.
    Psychology is a Captain requirement. “It"s crucial to police work,”
    she"d
    said. “Especially the kind of work you"ll be doing.”
    ı
    A paper wad lands on Janie"s page of homework and bounces to the
    ground. Janie picks it up while still reading her text book, and opens it
    up, pressing out the wrinkles.
    ı
    ı4:00 p.m.?
    ı
    That"s what the note says.
    Janie glances casually to the left, between two rows of bookshelves, and
    nods.
    2:44 p.m.
    Janie"s chemistry book thumps to the table as everything goes dark.
    She lays her head on her arms as she gets sucked into a dream. For crap’s sake! thinks Janie. It"s Cabel"s dream. It figures. Janie goes along for the ride, although normally she tries to pull out of
    his dreams now that his nightmares have quieted. But, ever curious, she
    rides this one out, knowing the bell will ring soon, ending the school
    day.
    Cabel is rummaging through his closet, methodically putting on shirts
    and sweaters over one another, layering more and more pieces until he
    can hardly move his blimplike body.
    Janie doesn"t know what to think. Feeling invasive, she pulls herself out
    of the dream.
    ı
    When she can see again, she stacks her books into her backpack and
    waits, thoughtful, until the bell rings.
    4:01 p.m.
    Janie slips in the back door of Cabel"s house, shakes the snow off her
    boots, and leaves them inside the heated wooden box next to the door.
    She folds her coat and sets it next to the boots, and heads to the basement.
    “Hey,” grunts Cabel from the bench press.
    Janie grins. She stretches out her slightly aching muscles, picks up the
    ten-pound barbells, and begins with squats.
    They work out in silence for forty-five minutes. Both of them are mentally reviewing the day.
    They"ll talk about