Free The Gryphon Project by Carrie Mac

if he didn’t fall in love with me again?” Nadia started bawling, her shoulders heaving the way they always did when she was gripped by a crying fit. “He wouldn’t even remember our first kiss!”
    “But he’s okay, Nadia.” Phoenix patted Nadia’s back, her own thoughts spinning. “He’s okay.”
    “You don’t understand, Phee.” Nadia gulped back a sob. “You’ve never been in love.”
    And you wouldn’t understand either. You’ve never been reconned. Phee thought it, but didn’t speak it. She had to bite her tongue, but she didn’t say it.
    PHOENIX STAYED WITH NADIA until she calmed down enough to go into class. She got late passes for the two of them and then saw Nadia to her room. On her way to her own room, Phoenix passed Clea, tall and lithe and the only girl who could make wearing glasses sexy. She didn’t even need them. They were strictly for show—she’d had laser surgery when she was five. But she thought they made her look especially hot. And she was right.
    “Pass?” Clea held out a manicured hand, her long nails a slick luscious pink.
    Phoenix flicked it at her. It landed on the floor.
    Clea folded her arms over her already supplemented breasts (her daddy was plastic surgeon to the stars) and looked down her carefully crafted nose at Phoenix. “Cute.”
    “You know, Clea.” Phoenix picked up the pass. “If you want Gryph so badly, you should try a little harder with me. He never dates anyone I don’t like.”
    “Aw, Phee, you don’t like me?” Clea offered a practised little pout. “I’m devastated.”
    “It’s true. I don’t particularly like you at all.”
    “Maybe you should tell your brother that.” Clea shrugged.
    “I already have. Many, many, many times.” Phoenix folded her own arms over her size-challenged chest. “Every chance I get, in fact.”
    “Mm. Is that right.” Clea turned on her heel. “Maybe you should ask him why he let me go down on him in his dressing room at the snowboard championships, then?”
    Phee’s face twisted with disgust. “He did not.” Phoenix glared at Clea’s back. “I was there.”
    “So was I.” Clea stopped. “In the other room.”
    “No way.”
    “Very cute, reading to your sister like that. The Velveteen Rabbit was one of my favourites. On pod, mind you. What loser still reads from actual books?”
    Phoenix sucked in her breath. “Well, you’d know all about fake, wouldn’t you?” With her hands, she bounced enormous imaginary breasts in front of her.
    “And you’d know all about being brought to life by the magical nursery fairy, so to speak.” With that, Clea turned once again, giving Phoenix the back of her as if she were giving her the finger.
    PHOENIX FUMED ALL MORNING , searching for Gryph between classes. She could stand a lot of shit from Gryph, but not Clea. Doing Clea, or getting done by Clea, was in direct violation of the sibling code of ethics. Do not hook up with the other’s version of evil incarnate. Simple rule, and Gryph had blatantly broken it.
    He was nowhere to be seen. At lunch, Phoenix found Nadia, and the two of them went outside to the field to watch Saul’s practice, even though Nadia was still sore at him for the morning.
    “Then let’s not go out there,” Phoenix suggested. “If you’re so mad at him.”
    “I still love him,” Nadia said as they pushed out into the daylight. “Like I said, you don’t understand, Phee.”
    ONCE OUTSIDE , Nadia flung her backpack to the ground and glared across the field to where Clea was leaning on Saul while she pulled on one of her cheerleader sneakers. Saul, dressed in his catcher padding, just stood there.
    “What the hell is she doing?”
    “Don’t worry.” Phoenix rescued the backpack before the contents spilled out. “She’s into Gryph.”
    “Then why is she pawing Saul?”
    “She’s not pawing him.” Phee couldn’t believe she was defending Clea. “She’s leaning on him. Trust me, Clea is into Gryph.” Phoenix told