Lucas Ryan Versus: The Hive (The Lucas Ryan Versus Series) Read Online Free

upset.
    “You’ve been warned many times before that your amateur business ventures are illegal on school grounds.”
    “But...”
    “But nothing! It’s one thing if you want to ruin your future, but you seem intent on taking Mr. Swift with you,” his voice filled with disgust.
    “That’s not true!” I snapped.
    “Taylor Swift is a shining example of this proud school and all that is stands for. You will NOT taint that,” he scolded, tapping his foot.
    “Gimme a break! All you and this school stand for is using my best friend and his God given talents! You don’t care about the real Taylor!” I had officially lost my temper now, and with it, any self-control I had left. The last of the remaining kids in the crowd winced at my big mouth. A few of them even giggled, quietly.
    “Office! Now!” he yelled, and his giant glasses fell from his face. Without thinking, I quickly caught them just below his angry grimace. The sun shined through them with a dozen colored flecks of light. He watched me stunned and embarrassed. I felt like throwing them as hard as I could in the opposite direction, but I swallowed that image down like a jagged little pill. Mr. Parker’s face turned bright red. Then I thought, what would a hero do? What would Taylor do?
     
    I handed them back to him.
     
    “Fine.”

LEVEL 03: Burden In My Hand
     
     
     
    I really needed to get my act together. I was on thin ice with my parents already. A school suspension would not go over well. I turned up the volume on my mp3 player and tried to relax as the music flowed through my earbuds. With a tiny hum, I waited for Vice-Principal Chan and her wrath. I grew up knowing her and her husband. Friends of the family. That changed when I started high school though. Ms. Chan distanced herself from my family when I started as a freshmen, I’m not sure why. She was always very kind to me, but she was not the biggest fan of my hijinks. She always gave me a second or third chance. But what about a fourth and fifth chance?
    Nervously, I sat outside her office in a small plastic chair, watching the office secretary watch me, watching her. Renee Johnson, sweet and carrying, but a little flaky. She always had a smile waiting for me when I came in for my special office visits.
    I smiled impatiently. “I’m innocent this time, I swear.”
    “Of course you are, Lucas,” she mocked me, politely. I leaned back as far as I could in the kindergarden sized waiting chair. My mind spun at the thought of the length of detention I was sure to receive this time. My thoughts became scattered and I couldn’t focus on anything. Something began to feel off...feel different. Waves of heat rolled over me. It was completely uncomfortable. As if a giant was standing behind me, breathing its hot, sticky breath on me. The image made my heart race.
    “What’s wrong with me?” I asked no one. This wasn’t the first time I was in trouble, so why was I acting like this. I needed to calm down, get my nerves in check. I pulled from my backpack a shiny touchscreen computer tablet and started flipping through the different applications on its screen. Maybe a quick game of Tetris would clear my head. As the different colored game blocks slid down the screen, I let out a long sigh. Suddenly, the screen flickered as if something was interfering with it. Little digital lines distorted across the screen in faint pulses. I shook the tablet gently in annoyance.
    “That’s weird,” I said, scratching my head. Then the music inside my earbuds began to distort with a matching buzzing noise. More heat rushed over my body again and I felt a little dizzy. It only took me a moment to realize that the pulsating interference was happening at the same time as my heat waves. That wasn’t possible...was it?
    “Lucas, are you feeling all right?” Renee asked. Her eyes were wide with concern from behind the front desk. Apparently, I looked as bad as I was feeling.
    “I’m fine,” I lied.
    “You