Nearly Found Read Online Free Page B

cheat sheet for getting started.
    “Thanks,” I said quietly, so Vince wouldn’t hear me.
    Eric shrugged. “Do you have a computer you can use for our assignments?”
    My face felt warm and I looked away. Eric lived in Belle Green. His father had been friends with my dad, but that was a long time ago, and if he didn’t know I lived in Sunny View before Vince’s outburst, then he did now. “I’m doing an internship this year. Maybe I can use one at the lab.”
    “Where’d you land an internship?” He actually sounded interested.
    “The Joseph Bell Regional Forensic Lab.” I felt myself swell with pride. I wasn’t used to being the weak link in a lab partnership. Maybe that’s why I wanted to impress him.
    His eyebrows lifted. They were auburn, like the reddish brown hair that curled over his ears, and the spray of freckles across his cheeks and nose.
    “How about you?” I asked. “Are you interning anywhere?”
    “Nah. I didn’t finish my community service requirements last year. Still catching up.” Eric shook it off. “I’m just tutoring a couple days a week. It’s not so bad.”
    We did that awkward thing when two people with nothing in common are forced to talk—looked at each other and then everywhere else, not knowing what to say.
    He took a deep breath, scratched his head, and gestured to the cheat sheet. “Um . . . okay. Let me know if you get stuck on anything.” I nodded, feeling small again as he turned back to his computer.
    After a few minutes, I looked over at Eric, but his eyes were glued to his own screen. He was already reviewing the assignment for the week. Maybe having Eric for a lab partner wouldn’t be so bad. After a little trial and error, I managed to set up my e-mail account. I used Eric’s cheat sheet to find the group documents and began skimming the first assignment.
    An alert popped up on my screen. Two new e-mails.
    One from Mr. Hurley that said “Welcome and Introduction” in the subject line.
    The second . . .
    A chill raced down my arms. It was from wiles.thomas. TJ. It said “I’m watching you.”
    I looked around the class. Everyone was working. A series of quiet giggles escaped a girl from Vince’s corner of the room. I thought about raising my hand, reporting it to Jeremy. Vince and the girl began cackling, curled in on themselves and gossiping in hushed tones. Jeremy didn’t look up. Someone in the class had a messed-up idea of a joke.
    “Everything okay?” Eric asked.
    I took a deep breath and clicked DELETE . “Everything’s going to be fine.”
    • • •
    I threw open the door of my trailer after school, zipping room to room and calling my mother’s name. She’d worked the late shift last night, and I hadn’t had a chance to tell her about the internship. She wasn’t home and her work shoes were gone, so I ran back up Sunny View Drive and crossed Route 1 to find her. Her shifts had been screwy lately and I hoped I would catch her between sets. I banged on the back door to Gentleman Jim’s, waving at the security camera in the alley behind the strip mall. The bar was usually quiet around this time of day, but I never used the front door. Walking in on your mother when she’s naked is awkward enough, but walking in on your mother and waving a permission slip while she’s dancing on a stage would take discomfort to a whole new level. A moment later, Butch, the bar’s bouncer, threw the door open.
    “Hey, sweetheart,” Butch said, taking in my breathless state. He scratched the back of his shaved head. “Everything okay?”
    “Everything’s great! Is Mom here?” I dug into my backpack for the internship forms, all business. I only had a few minutes before Reece showed up at my trailer to take me to the station.
    A curious smile spread across Butch’s face. “Come on. She’s in Jim’s office.”
    She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Her hair was piled high on her head, and she was wearing her reading glasses. I