Shift (The Pandorma Adventures Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

matter. Dad puts his hand on my back and gently helps me up, steadying me as I stand.
    “I see your mother hasn’t changed,” Mrs. Langley says once we’re upstairs in my room. She leads me to my bed and I lie down. How stupid of me to slip and fall down the stairs in front of Lexi. The whole school will probably know of my accident. Remembering what Mrs. Langley said I matter-of-factly respond, “Unfortunately. But I doubt it’d last long if she did. It’s embedded in her DNA.”
    Mrs. Langley sits at the foot of my bed and is silent for a minute before saying, “People can change. Sometimes it just takes an . . . event for them to wake up and realize certain things, in order for that change to occur.” Her voice obtains a hard edge. “Of course, it's not always for the better.”
    Now that her face is closer I can see sadness still etched there. Mr. Langley left Mrs. Langley about four years ago. He left her for some airhead waitress that had gotten lost and ended up in our town. Being the kind woman that she is Mrs. Langley offered her food and shelter, not knowing how severely punished she’d be for her kind actions. Mr. Langley fell in love with the woman and took off with her. I feel bad for reminding her about Mr. Langley and want to apologize but the moment passes quickly.
    “Thank you. For bringing me up.” I want to thank her for everything else she’s ever done for me, but I don’t know how to put my feelings into words.
    “You’re welcome. I didn’t think you’d want to suffer through a dinner with Lexi.” She sighs sadly. “I know how she can be.” Mrs. Langley pauses before adding, “Don’t forget the girl she once was though. Tragedy can change people, just not always in the best way.”
    “I’ll never forget the old Lexi,” I murmur.
    I listen to Mrs. Langley’s leaving footsteps until I can’t hear them anymore. Then I change into my pajamas and crawl into bed. The taunt voices fading as sleep fills my head.
     
    Sunlight blazes through my window the next morning; forcing me to wake up sooner than I’m ready to. I blink and the foggy cloud in my head sluggishly exits. The clock reads 7:30. Only a small part of my brain registers this as I lay back down. Bells start ringing in my head, reminding me of the ones at school. I lunge out of bed and throw on some clothes. I get a glimpse of my hair as I pass my mirror. My hair is somewhere between curly and straight. If I brush it it’ll become a puffy mass, which would be worse than going to school without brushing it. Right? I throw my hands up. I don't have time for this. I race downstairs. I decide to skip breakfast, grab my backpack and race out the door. I hop on my bike and start madly peddling to school. I can’t be late. Don’t be late, don’t be late, don’t be late, pounds around my head.
     
    When I reach the building I crash my bike into the stand and jump up the three concrete steps. I wrench open the doors and fast walk down the hall. Great, the doors are closed. They only close the front doors when classes have started. I race down the hall to my first class. My teacher’s back is turned and I softly open the door to my English class. Someone snickers, “Did you fall down the stairs again?” as I sneak to an empty desk at the back.
    “Tardy Miss Fleming,” the teacher says in a monotone voice. “And so close to the end of school too. Teenagers. Always get lazier near the end of the year,” he mutters.
    “It wasn’t her fault,” Matthew says. “She was probably lying knocked out at the bottom of the stairs. At least we hope so.” Everyone laughs and Mr. Parson turns away from the blackboard, adjusts his glasses and looks at me closer. I barely flinch. I don’t have total immunity to their jokes, but this has happened often enough for me to ride it out emotionless.
    After the laughter has died down, my gaze skims around the room and locks with the new boy’s. I don’t know if his sympathetic look offends