Free Shift (The Pandorma Adventures Book 1) by Mikaela Nicole

box.
    These shelves haven’t held books in years, but they look sturdy enough, so I step on the third one. It groans. I go up another. It groans louder than the first. One more and I’ll be able to reach the box. It doesn’t make a sound. I hold on with one arm and reach for the box with the other. I clutch the box tightly. Feeling the shelf begin to sink with my weight I jump down. The box has a DF carved on the top. My father’s initials. Did he really leave without me? Tears spring to my eyes. How could he? It wasn’t something he would do.
    I look down at the box. I don’t know if I want to open it. I have no idea what will be in it—if anything—and I’m not sure I’m ready for more surprises. I take the box to my room and shove it in my dresser. I let out the breath I’d been holding, my decision made. I will open it later.
     
    Dread follows me to the principal’s office. I take a deep breath before knocking.
    “Come in,” the principal barks. Mr. Strickland is a very no-nonsense person who seriously needs a vacation. He has thin gray hair and eyes that have a dull quality to them. Mr. Strickland is overweight and has a deep, rough voice. His head is bent over a newspaper, a frown of concentration etched on his face. I stand there shifting restlessly or nervously, I can’t tell which one. Finally he looks up at me.
    “Well, look who decided to show up for school.” Mr. Strickland leans back in his chair and assesses me. I probably look worse than I did when I looked at myself this morning.
    “Since there’s only a day of school left, now is not the time to be skipping Miss Fleming.”
    “I know and I’m sorry but I had a really rough night and morning.”
    “Really?” He motions to a single brown tattered chair in the corner. I sink into it. I don’t know how much longer I can hold in this tsunami of emotions. I think he’s waiting for me to explain, but I keep silent.
    Mr. Strickland releases a heavy sigh. “Don’t expect pity. I treat every student in my school the same, but if you want to get off on minimum punishment I’ll need some kind of explanation.”
    I tell him I took something for my headache and that it must’ve made me oversleep. I leave out the part about waking up home alone. Few people will believe that Mom ran off with another man and left me. Plus, bringing it to light will raise tons of questions and most of them I don’t have the answer to.
    Mr. Strickland strokes his chin. He seems to be trying to decide whether or not I’m telling the truth. “I suppose I believe you.”
    “Thank you,” I say immensely relieved.
    “You’ve had a rough life.”
    I don’t respond.
    “I’ll give you a pass and you can make up anything you missed in the study room.”
    “Thank you.” I go out the door feeling slightly lighter than when I went in.
     
    Except for a lot of stares and a few surprisingly concerned looks, school goes better than I expected.
    When school finishes Fawn pesters me mercilessly to tell her what has me so upset. “You look absolutely terrible,” she says.
    “I know Fawn, but I’m really tired. I’ll tell you tomorrow . . . or something, all right?”
    She studies me. “You’re always so secretive.”
    “I’m not—”
    Fawn laughs. “I’m just trying to get you to smile.”
    I attempt one, but it's weak. Fawn’s eyes suddenly glow. “See you later,” she says abruptly. I whirl around to see what got her so excited, but the street is clear.
    I’m relieved when she walks away. If I could just be alone for a little while and straighten my thoughts out I’d be fine. Out of the corner of my eye I spot Ryan exiting. I feel myself panic. I look like I got run over. Our eyes meet for only a split second before he quickly looks away. I grit my teeth. Lexi. It’s all I need to send me overboard. Tears start pouring down my face as I furiously peddle home.
    I collapse off my bike when I reach the doorstep. My tears dried with the wind whipping