Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 151765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 759(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 506(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 759(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 506(@300wpm)
Sucks that they turned on her after my dad died, but not only had my mom taught me to love my body, mind, and spirit but also she taught me to believe in karma. One day those hypocritical, self-righteous bitches would be ousted when their husbands wanted an upgrade that came in the form of a newer and younger version of them.
“Ramsay, are you ready for your first day?” Mom leaned back against the counter.
I had to grin. She was more nervous than I was. I took a bite of my toast and gestured to her. “You can chill, Mom. I’ll be fine.”
She let out a sigh. “A part of me knows you’ll be fine. Your cousins are there, but the other part of me . . .” She gave me a sad smile. “You know I worry, honey.”
Yeah. Because the last year almost took the life out of us.
I got real and lowered the mask a little. “I’ll be fine, Mom. I mean it.”
She eyed me for a moment and then nodded. I could see the relief come over her. Her head lifted, and the worry lines eased. They were replaced by exhausted lines instead, but one small victory at a time. Reassuring my mom so she could get some much-needed sleep? That was a victory I’d carry with me all day. Score one for myself.
She crossed the room. “Okay, sweetie.” Cupping the back of my head, she pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I love you very much. Don’t let Clint get you in trouble today, and I’ll see you after school. Want me to pick you up?”
I shook my head, giving her a hug. “I’ll be good, Mom. I promise. I might bike, give the car a rest.”
She frowned, taking in my coffee and the piece of toast I still had left. “You’re going to bike and carry your coffee?”
“I’m super talented. I can do many things at once.”
She groaned, but chuckled. “I have no doubt. Just . . . be okay, okay?”
Be okay. The other mission I had for this year.
“I will.” The words slipped out on a whisper. I hadn’t meant for that to happen, but she looked even more relieved.
“Safe and smart.” That was my motto.
Biking in Cedra Valley wouldn’t have been safe and smart—too many interstates and bad neighborhoods. But Pine River? Totally safe. I’d visited my cousins so many times and they’d driven me through the town. If there were a bad part of town, it was isolated to one or two blocks. For the most part, this town seemed like the quintessential small town—everyone knew everyone. Everyone looked out for everyone.
Right?
I’d have to wait and see. I only knew my cousins here.
After pouring my coffee into a to-go cup, I finished my last slice of toast in four bites and took it with me. My mom was already upstairs, and she’d be out within a few minutes, or so I hoped. I locked the door behind me, making sure my phone was in my bag.
I grabbed my bike and headed out.
2
RAMSAY
I’d been to my cousins’ high school before, but not the new one. According to my cousins, they tore down the old one and built a brand spanking new one over the spring and summer, and this was the first year for everyone to use it. Riding up to the parking lot, I was surprised. The building was gorgeous. Huge columns extended from over the doors to the roof, up probably three stories. The rest of the front was all glass windows, floor to ceiling, and there was some kind of walkway on the second level. As I went in through the metal detectors on the first level, I spotted the cafeteria. There were tables and booths everywhere.
Looking into the middle of the school, there was an open-air atrium with some serious skylights. It gave the school a very cool feeling—like we were outside, but not. Vitamin D must’ve been an issue in this part of the country.
“You done gawking?” A security guard waited for me to move forward.
I shot him a look, picked up my bag, and headed to the office. There were a few other students inside. I could tell a few were underclassmen because they looked tiny. There was another guy in a chair with a seriously pissed-off look on his face. He had tattoos all over him and his hair in a crew-Mohawk, which was kinda cool. It fit him.
He glanced at me, his eyes sparking in interest, but before he or I could say something, a girl stepped aside and the receptionist held out her hand. “Sweetie, come here.” She wiggled her fingers to me, and I stepped forward.
“You have papers?” She peered over the top of her reading glasses, squinting. “You’re new, right? I don’t recognize you.”