The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) Read Online Free Page B

would prove me wrong... it always did.
    “Chloe, I’m getting our stuff out of the garage I could use some help and you have visitors.” Dad’s shout snapped me out of my musing.
    I took one last look at the rough surf and hurried out the door and down the stairs.
    I stopped briefly on the front porch, when from the corner of my eye I caught the old swing swaying in the breeze. An image of my parents curled up in it on warm summer nights came unbidden to me. I quickly looked away clearing it from my thoughts.
    “Chloe!”
    It was one of the few times in my life I remembered hating the sound of my own name. Spending so much time here as a kid, I’d gotten to know some of the neighbors over the years, one of them in particular—Valerie Hobson— and OMG if she isn’t annoying.
    “Hi Val,” I said waving while paying more attention to my dad hoisting his duffle bag over his shoulder and wink as he headed into the house.
    “I’ve heard you’ll be staying for the school year. I was so excited,” —her face pinched in a frown— “but then I heard you were going to Paladin Academy instead of my school.”
    “You heard right, Val.”
    “My parents applied for me to go to Paladin but they must have lost my application because we never heard from them,” Val said this as she made a clicking noise with her mouth, as if how dare they not accept her.
    I smiled to myself. Score one for Paladin Academy. “I’m a legacy my parents went there.”
    “Oh, that must be it then. I mean I’m sure you’re a great student and all but I’m top of my class and have been on the National Honor roll two years in a row. I even volunteer at the animal shelter.”
    “Jeez, Val, I just don’t know how they didn’t accept you.”
    “I know, right?”
    I had learned a long time ago that the best way to deal with Val was to humor her; otherwise she’d drone on for hours on end. And I did not feel like spending a good portion of my first day home sitting and talking to Val Hobson about Val Hobson.
    “I better start helping Dad before he gets mad,” I said, trying a subtle hint to get her to leave as I walked toward the garage. But Val followed right beside me, so close in fact I was afraid that if I stopped we’d collide. When I reached the detached garage, I got the dreadful feeling that I might be stuck with her for the rest of the day.
    A jingling sound distracted me. At first, it sounded at a distance but then grew closer. I looked at the box I had picked up thinking I’d mistakenly grabbed a box of Christmas ornaments with bells but it was just a regular box we’d stored before our last trip.
    I must be hearing things or it would be my luck that there was something wrong with my hearing. I shook my head as I turned around and slammed right into someone.
    “Ow!” He yelped as we butted heads.
    I stumbled for a second but was able to keep hold of the box.
    “Sorry about that,” I said and gave the guy a cursory glance. He was slightly shorter than me with a shock of brown hair that stuck out in all directions. A pair of odd looking goggles with numerous attachments was pulled up on his head and was about the only thing attempting to control his hair. He wore well-worn leather gloves with the tips cut off. His clothes were just as strange as the odd objects he wore. Jeans and a t-shirt were the only normal pieces of clothing while a suit jacket and a vest with a pocket watch that dangled from a vest pocket more then stood out. However, it was the numerous keys and tools that hung from his belt jingling, the explanation for the earlier noise I’d heard that really caught my attention.
    “No problem, Chloe,” he said rubbing the bump. “I’m Edgar Magnus. Your dad asked me to stop by since I’ll be showing you around Paladin Academy.”
    “You go to Paladin Academy?” Val asked with a skeptical eye at Edgar.
    “You bet.” Edgar grinned proudly.
    “Why would they let someone like you in?” she asked her face