Free Lane (Made From Stone Book 1) by T Saint John Page B

They know they've been caught.
    "Mr. Stone, I'm sorry. I’ll take it to my car. Just please don’t..."
    "Give me the bag, Mallory.” I cut her off, “What are you girls thinking?"
    "Mr. Stone, please don't tell on us. I was just trying to help," Olivia says.
    "You have drugs on school grounds! I have no choice!"
    "Drugs? You think we have drugs?" Mallory asks, eying me with a look of surprise.
    "What else could be in the bag?" I question harshly, demanding an answer.
    "It's just mace. I was worried for Mallory. Please, just don't tell on us." Olivia babbles and I immediately turn my attention to Mallory.
    "Mallory, why would you possibly need mace?"
    "It's nothing. Olivia is just a worry wart." Mallory says dismissing my question and again it pisses me off.
    "You know mace is considered a weapon, and cause for expulsion. You better convince me, or I'm taking it to Mr. Stephens," I retort. If I have to bully her to find out who I need to beat the shit out of, well, then that's what I'll do. She sighs and then looks at me with a scared gaze and I almost stop breathing in anticipation of her reasoning.
    "A man moved in next door to me. He's been watching me. The other day he...well, he scared me." If Olivia weren’t here with us, I would demand she take me to him. Mallory is such an easy target, she and her sister both are, two young girls living alone. My stomach dips a little just thinking about the danger she constantly faces.
    Fuck! How can I protect her if she can't be mine? All I know is if someone lays one finger on Mallory Carter, I'll kill them myself.

   Chapter 8
Mallory
    “Your speech was amazing!” Olivia squeals as she almost tackles me with a hug. I can’t believe I’m officially done with high school and my much brighter future is just over the horizon. In a way, it's bittersweet. Call me crazy, but I actually liked school for the most part.
    “Thank you! I can’t believe it's over,” I reply excitedly.  
    “Mallory, will you and your sister be joining us for dinner?” Olivia's mom asks with a sweet smile on her endearing face. I’ve grown very fond of that woman. She’s helped fill a void that my mother left by being absent, and I can never thank her enough.
    “Not tonight. I’m sorry, we already made plans. Maybe I can stop by afterwards?”
    “Sounds like a plan!” her mom says as she hugs me with the same pride and nurturing she uses with Olivia and it makes my heart leap in my chest a little bit. I watch as the two of them walk away, arm in arm and I smile to myself.
    I’m happy watching my friend, knowing she has a loving mother at home. They're lucky to have each other. We, on the other hand, still haven’t heard from our mom. I don't expect to at this point. I accepted long ago that she deserted us. Amy and I decided to go visit our father's grave today. I want him to 'see' me in cap and gown. I know he’s just in the ground under my feet, but it makes me feel better. I wanted to let him know I was valedictorian, and that Amy and I are going to be just fine. For the first time in a while, I feel hopeful.
    I rush through the enormous crowd in a hurry, trying to find my sister. This place is a madhouse; it's even more crowded than it was on the first day of school. This is one of the first times that my not having a cell phone has been a real problem. It would be so much easier to just call and ask where she is. Not knowing where to look, I decide it's best to just stand on the staircase and scan the crowd. As I reach the staircase, I feel a large hand on my arm. I don't need to turn around to know who it is; no other touch feels the way his does. I almost don't want to turn around because I can't stop thinking of how embarrassed I was on prom night. I obviously misread his intentions and I was left humiliated and, if I'm being honest, a little heartbroken. Thankfully, he never spoke of it again. I slowly turn to face him and as soon as my eyes meet his I’m completely awe struck