These Lying Eyes Read Online Free

could see Max laugh. His mouth moved, but it was too loud to hear his voice.
    The band pinned them to the wall, and Mina’s eyes met Max’s. An arch of energy seemed to pass between them, a memory of the good friends they’d been, and it reminded her how much she used to love her life. Before she’d become so lonely.
    Even with the clatter of the instruments, there was no sound, but the huff of his breath, just like when she’d pulled him up a tree after her. Goosebumps appeared on her flesh, and she felt something awaken within her as if the memory of her childhood self brought a new energy to life.
    * * *
     
    “Mina!” Before she even registered her name, someone was lifting her and twirling her.
    “Peter,” she gasped as Max stepped back, and Poppy took flight.
    Peter’s thick arms squeezed her. “Finally, you’re back where you belong—with me,” he said. His blue eyes dominated his freckled face, and he squeezed again before dropping her and lifting his guitar.
    “I’m not a toy, you ox,” She punched his shoulder, “don’t do that. Petey, do you remember Max? He was in all our classes in grade school? Max, you remember my giant dope of a cousin, right?”
    Peter squeezed her again, slung his guitar over his shoulder before saying, “Course I do. Dude, you’re not miniscule anymore. Moved back, huh?”
    Before Max could answer or even nod, Peter continued, grinning at whatever was running through his head, “We’ll need to go catch frogs, climb trees, or start fires with Ben and Hailey to bring back the old times.”
    “You look happy,” Mina said to Peter.
    “Well, yeah.” Peter said, “It’s my lucky day, or so I’m hoping. I’ve got jazz band tryouts, and you’re here. You’ll have to be my lucky charm, but don’t worry, Mina-Lina. It’s a lucky day for you. Cause you’re back to where you belong. Going to school again with your favorite person, ever.” He pointed to himself.
    A grin spread over her face, and she wanted to touch her cheeks and experience that smile fully. Her favorite cousin, and Max.
    “Gotta go,” Peter chucked her on the shoulder calling after himself, “wish me luck.”
    He was gone before Mina or Max could reply. They walked down the hall together, and the crowd almost seemed to part before them; maybe there was something magical about Max. Like how he moseyed along without a care in the world even though it was the first day of high school. Mina watched him for a moment before trying to mimic his relaxed persona.
    “The thing about high school is,” Max said suddenly during a lull in the roar of chatter, “that you’re on the downhill side. Only four more years and you’re free.”
    He had just voiced the promise she’d made to herself that summer. The downhill side, you can make it through, she had said. He spoke her thoughts, and he did it with that familiar smile.
    “Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll never get away from here. It gives me nightmares,” Mina confessed as they spied their classroom. “I’m even taking extra classes to get out early. Whatever, I have to do.”
    “I just want to go to college,” Max said. “My grandparents took me to visit a few this summer before camp. They want me to go all Ivy League or whatever, I just want to get a dorm room, bring my X-Box, and have a mini fridge.”
    Mina cocked her head at the picture he painted. It sounded heavenly. But even though, his voice was calm, there seemed to be a flash of frustration?
    Their eyes met as they paused in front of the classroom door, and Mina was amazed to see anxiety in his face. She could feel his dissatisfaction. The twin to her own feeling that something was missing. It was as if there was a truth hovering in front of them, mocking them in its invisibility but letting them feel its weight.
    Mina looked around his shoulder—that phantom awareness hovering between them. In the back corner, she saw her once-best-friend, her cousin Hailey. There were several kids