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

away.
    The St. Bernard stops pulling and starts digging while the lady tugs desperately at the leash.
    “It wasn’t me.”
    Ryan looks at me hard. “It was your journal, you wrote the things down. You were the only person who knew, you’re the only person who could’ve done it.”
    “I know, but I would never do that! Lexi stole my journal when she slept over three days before everything got out. It was missing, then she broke into my house and returned it!”
    “I don’t know Lissa,” he says slowly.
    “I’m telling the truth!”
    “Can you look me in the eye and promise you didn’t do it?”
    “I promise I never copied a single page or hung it in the school or even breathed a word,” my voice is desperate, pleading.
    Ryan continues to hold my gaze and the energy between us intensifies. Finally he breaks away and says, “I believe you. No wonder everyone at school is rude to you.”
    I slump down with obvious relief. “Yeah. No one ever even doubted that I did it. I thought someone would stand up for me—” my voice breaks and I take a few deep breaths.
    “I would’ve stood up for you.”
    A policeman walks over to the lady and starts pointing to the hole. She gives a helpless shrug. The policeman pulls at the dog’s collar.
    “No, you wouldn’t have. You probably would’ve been hit too. But it's over and I know the truth.”
    Ryan doesn’t say anything. A deep bark makes us both look over at the lady and her dog. The St. Bernard has stopped digging, but sees a squirrel race across the grass. The dog bolts after it, dragging the woman into the dirt.
    “I burned the pages.” I look at Ryan. “Every single one. To be honest I haven’t written anything since. It all stays up here.” I tap the side of my forehead.
    Ryan gives me a look I can’t decipher and I look away.
    The policeman marches over to the lady and helps her stand up. She’s covered in dirt and grass from head to toe. The lady begins snapping at the policeman. Then out of nowhere the St. Bernard runs up and crashes into the police officer. The man crumples to the ground in a heap, the dog racing off once his victim is entirely towed over.
    Ryan and I simultaneously burst into laughter. The policeman stands and shakes his fist at the lady, roaring at her. All the while she covers her mouth with her hand. I clearly hear “menacing dog” and “ought to be put down.”
    I can no longer see the dog and am surprised when it lies down at our feet.
    “Hey boy.” Ryan reaches down and strokes the dog’s big head. I grab the dog’s thick leather collar.
    “You’re a trouble maker,” Ryan says.
    “He’s a boy, I’m sure it comes naturally.”
    Ryan snorts. “We usually do it on purpose. To impress girls like you,” Ryan says mischievously.
    “Ah, of course,” I tease.
    Ryan chuckles and I laugh along with him. It feels so good to laugh after the terrible things that seem to be tacking themselves up in my life. The dog’s breathless owner comes to stand in front of us.
    “Thank you. He’s a lot of dog to handle alone sometimes, but he’s a big baby. He’s dug so many holes this year I’m getting blisters from filling them all in,” she says breathlessly.
    “What’s his name?” Ryan asks.
    “Lucas.” She clips on Lucas’s leash, waves at us then drags him back to the hole. The policeman holds out a shovel. I can hear her sigh from here.
     
    Now that I’ve fixed things with Ryan I need to find Darklily. I’ve been avoiding her long enough. I know she’ll be upset that I didn’t keep my promise to talk to her days ago. Besides, I don’t want to get flipped off my bicycle again.
     
    I’ve been calling Darklily for over half an hour. Annoyingly and amazingly she still hasn’t appeared in front of me. I’m about to give up when a shadow flits through the trees. “Dark?” I lean closer to get a better look.
    “ GRRR!”
    I fly backward and yell so loud I’m sure the whole town heard. Darklily rolls on the