DIFFERENT (Different Series Book 1) Read Online Free

problem was that I couldn’t just stay in my room all the time. I had to leave the house eventually. I had to go to school; I had to live.
    ***
                  I sat on the squeaky blue plastic chair by the wonky-legged table in the lunch hall. I was picking at the plateful of cheesy chips in front of me as Leo took a huge bite into his beef burger and then wiped his mouth onto the back of his black school jumper.
                  ‘Ew,’ I grinned, as I forked a chip and put it into my mouth.
                  ‘What!’ he exclaimed, as he continued to eat.
                  ‘You’re so messy, like an animal or something.’
                  ‘You’re just jealous because you went for boring chips and I have an awesome burger.’
                  ‘Yeah, so jealous.’ I rolled my eyes.
                  When Leo had finished his burger he reached over and grabbed a few chips off my plate.
                  ‘Hey, I thought chips were boring.’
                  ‘They are,’ he said, in between chewing.
                  ‘Go get your own and stop stealing mine.’
                  ‘All right, all right, I will,’ he grinned, as he pushed his chair back. ‘You want anything?’
                  ‘No thanks.’
                  I found myself daydreaming as I picked at my chips. The lunch hall was packed full of students, yet I felt like I was in my own world, as if I were wrapped in bubble wrap.
                  Leo returned a few minutes later with another burger and a bowl full of chocolate cake.
                  ‘I thought you wanted chips?’
                  ‘They’re boring,’ he smiled as he wasted no time into biting into his burger.
                  When I was around Leo, I felt pretty normal. When I was around Leo, things seemed good. I couldn’t keep trying to hide away from the world. I had to face it, and as long as I had Leo by my side, then surely I’d be just fine. Well, I hoped that I would be.
                  ‘Anyway, it’s Megan’s party tonight, and I’m going to meet you there at seven,’ he said.
                  ‘News flash: I haven’t even been invited. And I thought you didn’t like her anymore?’
                  ‘I’m keeping my options open, and you can be my plus one,’ he grinned.
                  ‘I don’t know,’ I sighed.
                  ‘So you’ve been invited to the party of the year, and you’re actually considering staying in all night instead? ‘
                  ‘Well, the Prestons might not let me go.’
                  ‘It’s Friday night, and you’re a teenager. It’s a harmless party. Come on, if they don’t let you go then they are seriously not as cool as you keep telling me they are.’
                  ‘Okay, okay, I’ll go, but you have to meet me outside, okay?’
                  ‘Sure, see ya at half seven,’ he said, before starting on his chocolate cake.
                  I’d been invited to a party. Well, sorta, anyway. So why was I acting weird about going? I never got invited anywhere at my old schools. I was the kid who had to sit in class and listen to Fay Adams go on about how amazing her Disney themed eighth birthday party had been. She’d had a Belle off Beauty and the Beast dress made, and the cake had been a strawberry frosted fairytale castle.
                  I’d missed out on so many parties as a kid. I wasn’t missing out on this one. Besides, it’d be heaving full of people, so if Max turned up or anything it’d be easy to get away from him.
                  It was just a party, right? So what could possibly go wrong?
    ***
    I stood in in my room inspecting myself in the