Strange Magic Read Online Free

about this now.”
     
              “Okay,” Caitlin agreed.  “At lunch then.”
     
              I shook my head.  “I can’t talk about this at school.  Can you come over my house tomorrow?”
     
              “I can stop over after school,” Caitlin said as we got out of her car.
     
              “No,” I said.  “This will take awhile.  You need to get ready for your date.”
     
              Caitlin stopped walking.  “Suzy! Have you been keeping secrets from me?  I demand that you tell me everything.”
     
              “I will.”  I nudged her to get going.  “I promise I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.”
     
              We parted ways when we entered the school. We didn’t have time to stop at our lockers together.  Once I didn’t have her to distract me, my distress returned to a heightened state.  I dreaded seeing Duncan again.  Maybe I would cut English today.  To my dismay, Duncan was waiting for me by my locker.
     
              I stared at him wide-eyed.  Then I dropped my gaze to the floor.  If only it would open up and swallow me.  I was overcome with embarrassment.
     
              “Bravo,” Duncan said.  “You are quite the actress.”
     
              I looked up at him to make sure that he was actually speaking this time.  The friendly demeanor was gone.  He had a cynical smirk on his face.
     
              “Oh, nice touch with the innocent eyes.”
     
              “What are you talking about?”  My voice came out in barely more than a whisper.
     
              Duncan got in my face.  “Do you think I’m a fool?”
     
              “I d-don’t”— I sputtered.
     
              “I’m warning you,” Duncan said.  “Stay away from me.  I’m not in the mood for your games.”  With that he spun around and stormed off.
     
              I stared after him, my embarrassment forgotten.  Hysteria threatened to overwhelm me.  Of all the reactions I had been expecting, anger was not one of them.  What could I possibly have done to provoke him to such hostility?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

                                        Chapter 3
     
     
              In English class, I started to get an inkling of why Mandy had broken up with Brad.  It was obvious that she had set her sights on Duncan. It was also obvious that he was not opposed to her attention.
     
              I sat numbly and watched her toss her blond hair back and smile coyly at him. She asked to borrow a pen from him. Then she pulled at her skirt and drew his eyes to her shapely legs.
     
              Duncan ignored me almost the entire class, which left me free to observe his reaction to Mandy. This helped to distract me from what had happened between us that morning.
     
              “She’s the kind of girl I need,” Duncan said.  “Someone who is normal and uncomplicated.  I don’t need anymore complications in my life.”
     
              It was happening again!  I knew that he wasn’t talking to me.  I knew that it was some kind of auditory hallucination.  Instead of hearing voices, I was hearing only one voice.  I knew it wasn’t real.  I still wanted to clap my hands over my ears, even though I knew it wouldn’t help.  I tried to keep my focus on Mr. Gates, but my eyes were drawn to Duncan.
     
              I turned to see him glaring at me.  “Stay out of my head, Susannah.”
     
              My eyes widened.  He hadn’t spoken aloud.  Yet I had heard him, and he knew it.  “Am I really hearing your thoughts?”  I spoke the words in my mind.
     
              “I told you to drop the innocent act,” Duncan shot back at me.  “I see right through you.”
     
              Anger sparked within me.