G-157 Read Online Free Page A

ability to speak would vanish and she’d take to collecting cats and screaming guttural nonsense at anyone who stepped on her lawn. She shook her head. No, the Army would get her long before that point. They always got the ones who didn’t lie and pretend they were hunky-dory. Always . A sick feeling shot down her spine.
    “Hey,” Melissa called, startling her from the terrifying reverie. “Why do you look like that?”
    “Like what?”
    “Sad.”
    “I don’t know. Just frustrated I guess,” Aire said, shrugging her shoulders.
    “About what?”
    “My parents,” she sighed. “They don’t get why I want to go to college.”
    Melissa crinkled her nose. “I told you not to tell them about that. I don’t know why you’d want to leave John’s Town either.”
    “I know,” Aire said, rubbing a hand over her face. “Let’s not talk about it today.”
    “Okay,” Melissa shrugged. “So are you excited for The Moto? I don’t think I can stand to wait another two weeks for it to come. I’m so excited Gary is in the Junior Pros this year.”
    “Yeah, I’m really excited . Congrats on Gary making it to J.P.’s.”
    Melissa’s face began to glow, her speech speeding up as she chattered on about the event. “Gary just looks so cute in his uniform. He got a new lime green helmet and jersey with his equality credits last week . About time too since he looked ridiculous in that orange get up on a bright green bike. And don’t forget,” she said, elbowing Aire’s side. “Troy is going to be there, too.”
    “I didn’t forget that,” she smiled.
    “So?” Melissa asked, her brown eyes glittering.
    “So, what?”
    “What are you going to do about it?”
    “About what?” Aire asked. They reached the end of Buffalo Trail and took a left onto Washington. Melissa rolled her eyes.
    “You know exactly what I’m talking about,” she said.
    “Nope, no idea.” Aire turned her head away to look at anything but Melissa. “Aren’t you so glad it’s not raining today? I sure am. Yesterday sucked. ”
    “Don’t change the subject,” Melissa said, giving her a playful shove. “Are you going to ask him for his practice jersey or not?”
    “No.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because that is way too scary.”
    “What the heazy, Aire?” Melissa shouted. “You’re not afraid to go to the worst part of the States by yourself but you’re afraid to ask a boy if you can wear his practice jersey?”
    “Yep,” Aire nodded. “Asking Troy if I can wear his jersey is way scarier.”
    They’d reached the corner of Washington and Bourbon, the business district alive once again. The community service crew was scattered about the buildings sweeping sidewalks, pulling weeds, and emptying garbage pails into the passing trash wagon. A CLOSED sign was posted on the door of the General Delivery. Inside she could see Mayor Jenkins pointing to mail bins and flipping through ledger books. Mike Hadley’s head bobbed up and down, a too wide grin on his face as Jenkins explained the inner workings of the office. Mrs. Jacobs gets recruited and Mike gets his job, Aire thought. Oh the glorious justice of John’s Town.
    “Well,” Melissa said. “You better hurry up and ask him before someone else does. I heard Lucy Mobley has a crush on him.”
    “No,” Aire said, her eyes flashing with anger.
    “Yep,” Melissa nodded. “So you better ask him today. Actually, you better do it tomorrow when you can wear a hat. Your mom did a real number on your bangs.”
    “Thanks,” she said, scowling as she tried to hide the ridiculous bangs under the rest of her hair.
    “Well, it really doesn’t matter,” Melissa shrugged when they reached the school. “You’re not going to ask him anyway, so you can blare those bangs around all you want.”
    Aire’s scowl deepened. They reached their lockers an d began taking out their books: h istory, chemistry, algebra. Aire weighted down her back pack with her first three hours worth of text,