The Daughters Read Online Free

reaction. Carina
     looked flabbergasted, and Hudson was blushing.
    “Actually, I gotta go,” he said to Lizzie, oblivious to her friends’ reactions. “I’m meeting my brother at his dorm. But maybe
     you can be my tour guide tomorrow?” he asked, smiling, as he stepped past her.
    Lizzie nodded dumbly. “Sure.”
    “Well, see ya.” He waved to Carina and Hudson, stuck the wires back in his ears, and set off down the street.
    All three of them stared after him in silence.
    “Holy mother of God,” Carina breathed when he was halfway down the block.
    “He’s going to our
school
?” Hudson sputtered.
    “Apparently.”
    “You guys are gonna fall in love,” Hudson blurted.
    “What?”
    “He asked you to be his
tour guide
,” Hudson said meaningfully.
    “Because he doesn’t know anyone else.”
    “Still. There were sparks. C, did you see the sparks?” Hudson asked.
    “I almost caught on fire,” Carina said.
    “This is fate,” Hudson announced.
    “Oh my God,
stop
,” Lizzie groaned.
    “It
is
,” Hudson argued. “Don’t you think, C? Don’t you think this is fate?” Hudson was way into astrology and destiny stuff.
Way
into it.
    “Okay, let’s break it down,” Carina said, turning to face Lizzie. “He was your first kiss, he’s hotter than Christian Bale,
and
he’s going to school with you,” she said, counting out her points on her slender fingers. “Yep. I’d say a higher power could
     be involved.”
    As Lizzie watched Todd turn the corner, she wondered whether Hudson was right. Unlike her best friend, she didn’t breathlessly
     check her horoscope every day, or take quiz after quiz on the Internet to learn the name of her soul mate, but maybe this
     was all happening for a reason. It all seemed too weird. Too… well… destined.
    “When’s his birthday?” Hudson asked.
    “November.”
    “Hmmm,” Hudson said, nodding. “Scorpio. That’s good with Taurus. A little intense, though. You might want to be careful.”
    “You guys, nothing has even happened yet, ” she reminded them.
    “Oh, but it will,” Carina said knowingly as she slipped on a pair of silver Oakleys. “It totally will.” Then she led the way
     down the street.

chapter 2
    “His name’s Todd Piedmont. He starts today. He just transferred from London. He’s tall with brown hair.
Really
blue eyes. ”
    Mr. Barlow leaned back in his swivel chair, studying her, and cradled his white-haired head in his hands. “And what did he
     have for breakfast?” he asked dryly.
    “He asked me to show him around,” Lizzie pointed out, trying not to blush. “I’m just trying to be helpful. Isn’t that the
     Chadwick way?” She knew she was being totally obvious, but she couldn’t even pretend to be casual about this.
    “Is there any chance your interest in Mr. Piedmont is of the less…
altruistic
variety?” Mr. Barlow asked, raising one white eyebrow. Thirty years as the head of the Upper School had made him a little
     skeptical of teenage Good Samaritans. And his five years as a Marine before that made him a little scary.
    “No…,” Lizzie hedged.
    “Then far be it from me to deny your need to help people,” Mr. Barlow said, snapping forward in his chair and reaching for
     the cabinet below his desk. He pulled out two folders and dropped them on his desk. “All right, Miss Summers. Let’s see if
     your schedules match up.”
    As he bent his lanky frame over the files, Lizzie took a moment to glance around his office. Nothing had changed over the
     summer. The mantel above the fireplace was still crammed with old Christmas cards and photos from students who’d graduated,
     and the taupe chenille couch was still worn at the arms. The acid green carpet from the eighties still hadn’t been replaced.
     Chadwick was one of the most expensive schools on the Upper East Side, but clearly none of the tuition was going toward Mr.
     B’s office, she thought.
    “You both have the same homeroom, same English, same