The Devil and Danna Webster Read Online Free

hard.
    "You have Mrs. Hallen, don't you? She's real hard. They say she flunks about half of her students every year," Phyllis said.
    "That’s comforting."
    "Don't worry. You won't flunk. If the tutor doesn't work out, I'll help you. Math and science are my best subjects." Joyce’s voice was soothing like cough syrup.
    "We'll see. Anyway, I'm not giving up. I'll just have to work harder."
    "That’s right. You can do it. Pit bull determination works every time." Joyce gave me a reassuring smile. “High five.”
    I ignored the gesture. “You should go out for the cheerleading squad,” I said.
    Joyce frowned. I realized I might have sounded a tad sarcastic, and here she was just trying to be supportive.
    â€œSorry, thanks.”
    I looked around the cafeteria and saw Caron Moore sidle over to Gar Hansen. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but he looked as if he wanted to walk away, which really surprised me. Anyway, she wasn't letting him go. Her hand moved to his arm. She kept up with him as he left the cafeteria. They made an attractive, if contrasting, couple, him with his sun-streaked hair and broad, powerful build and her with that dark beauty. Phyllis and Joyce were watching them too.
    "What a pair!" Phyllis said, then crunched down on another potato chip. “They’re both stunning.”
    "They probably deserve each other," Joyce remarked, her tone sharp.
    "Don't you wish you could have a date with him just once?" Phyllis asked, with a wistfully sigh. "Be honest, I know I do."
    Joyce frowned. I knew that Phyllis’s comment bothered her. Joyce had lovely hair, but she wasn't really feminine looking. She wore her hair in a short, severe style. Her figure, narrow-hipped and flat-chested, was almost boyish. Anyway, the popular crowd wasn’t into dating outsiders and Joyce was considered too much of a nerd.
    As for me, I came from Crawfords Beach, the poorest part of town; we were looked down on by everybody, even each other. Every time there was graffiti on the benches at the beach, people would say the kids from Crawfords Beach were responsible. Crawfords Beach kids hung out together. And they were pretty rough around the edges. I was taking college prep courses, unlike most of the kids who come from my area. So I didn't really fit in with them either. The kids from my part of town thought I was trying to put on airs, and the other kids eyed me suspiciously, as if I were an interloper.
    I suppose that was why Phyllis wanted to hang out with Joyce and me, because she recognized other misfits when she saw them. But I was determined that I wasn't always going to be an outsider, that somewhere there was a better life for me if I just worked hard enough at making it happen.
    I met Joyce at her locker at two-thirty, ready to catch the early bus.
    "You taking all that home tonight?" she asked in disbelief eying my load of books.
    "I need good grades," I said grimly.
    "You shouldn't worry. You're an artist. I'm sure there are plenty of scholarships for that."
    "Maybe, but I've got to be good all around to land one."
    Joyce didn't argue. Just the same, I could see she thought I was getting a little paranoid.
    As we walked to where the buses were loading, a car horn began to honk loudly. A shiny red Corvette screeched to a halt at the curb.
    "Hey, you want a ride home?" The voice was deep but smooth. I recognized the guy from the library.
    Joyce tugged at my jacket sleeve, but I just stood there mesmerized, like a deer caught in headlights.
    "Walk on, Danna. He's trying to pick you up."
    The red car followed along beside us.
    "Sorry, I don't take rides from strangers," I said in a prim manner.
    "Too bad, and I was even going to offer you a lollipop." He gave me a wolfish grin.
    I smiled, then caught myself. He had a mischievous look in his eyes that I found appealing. Wow, he was so hot! So why was he bothering with me? A guy like that only had to snap his fingers and girls would come