Because I Love You Read Online Free Page A

But let’s look a little deeper.”
    The room went back to silence. I racked my brain, searching for a better response, unwilling to admit that I hadn’t uncovered the larger theme. I loved books, and after the science classes, English was my favorite subject.
    “All the characters, at one point in time, not only suffered from loneliness but isolation.”
    I turned in my seat at the sound of Neil’s voice. He leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed and his hands behind his head. Typical.
    He continued, “And because of that isolation, they sought out those who also suffered and demoralized them as a way to attempt to make themselves feel better. Therefore, one can assume that oppression is not only caused by the strong and powerful but also by those who are oppressed. And so, the vicious cycle of loneliness and isolation continues to turn.”
    Mr. Bingham raised an eyebrow. “Well, look at that. Mr. Donaghue did his homework.”
    “Nah, I just read Spark Notes.” He opened his eyes long enough to give me a wink then resumed his I-don’t-give-a-crap position.
    I fought the urge to chuck my pen at his head. I’d broken up with him two years ago after only a month of dating, and he still only responded in class when I got the answers wrong. Jerk.
    “Of course you did,” Mr. Bingham said. “Well, Spark Notes is correct. Oppression is one of the major themes in Of Mice and Men . So, here’s tonight’s homework: What are some of the ways we, today, persecute those around us? And how might we reverse it? Take the last twenty minutes of class to start working. I expect ten pages, typed, double-spaced.”
    After writing all those pages, the rest of the morning was uneventful. Only lunch and afternoon classes remained between Planned Parenthood and me, and one of them was Advanced Chemistry, my favorite subject and a double period that would keep my thoughts preoccupied for over an hour. I’d take possibly-explosive experiments over thinking about pregnancy any day. For the hundredth time, I shouted a silent prayer that I just had an ovarian problem.
    Heather joined me minutes later at our usual lunch table in the quad outside—in true, late fashion—and the majority of our cheerleading squad followed. Only Beth Donaghue, Neil’s sister and my archenemy, and her mini-me, Gwen, were missing.
    “So, pep rally on Friday,” Monica White, my co-captain, began. She was one of those girls who was so nice that you could curse her out and she’d apologize to you. Never would I have pegged her to lead a cheerleading squad, but she was not only a great dancer and gymnast, she looked the part. All the guys at River Springs Prep had her at the top of their wish lists.
    She continued, “I was thinking it’d be really cool to do this, like, double pyramid, basket toss thing. And then Andie could flip forward while Beth goes backward. It’d be so fun. What do you think?”
    “We haven’t practiced that yet,” April, one of the other cheerleaders, said. Where Beth and I were the two main flyers, April was a base. At five foot eleven, she was a girl with a pretty face who could take down a linebacker. She was a fierce and powerful gymnast, but if any of us tried to hold her in the air, she’d come crashing down.
    “So? Beth’s already on board. Really, it’s up to you, Andie. I promise we won’t drop you. And we’ll practice it on Wednesday, so it won’t be, like, totally foreign.”
    I shrugged, unwrapping my turkey sandwich. Could I still cheer while I was pregnant? The doctor would probably say no. But I’d never had a problem with last minute changes before, so a negative response was out of the question. They’d know something was up, and I didn’t feel like creating a cover story. “I’m in.”
    Monica clapped her hands together. “Oh, I’m so excited! I think it’s going to be amazing.”
    I bit into my sandwich, my stomach growling. But instead of my taste buds jumping up and down, my stomach