Free Flight of Life (Essence Series #1) by E. L. Todd Page B

eating.”
    Breccan smiled as he chewed the chip in
his mouth. They grabbed their bags and moved to the back of the
room. The librarian watched them move away and she glared at them
as they disappeared behind the bookshelves.
    “ I think we should bring
her donuts,” Easton said.
    “ Why?” Breccan
asked.
    “ So it will lighten up her
mood,” she said. “The woman is obviously stressed about something.
Why else would she act that way?”
    Calloway felt guilty for being so
judgmental before. You never knew what a person was experiencing in
their life—the good and the awful—so it was unfair to criticize
her. Calloway understood what it was like to be judged unfairly.
Everyone thought he was a horrible student who didn’t care about
his education, but he simply didn’t have the time or the resources
to be successful. He was given a label that didn’t portray him
accurately whatsoever. “I think that’s a good idea,” he said.
“Besides, it’ll make the environment much better for us. She
probably won’t care if we eat in here.”
    Easton pulled the book from her bag and
placed it on the table. It was still dusty despite its constant
use, and the dirt swirled in the air when she turned the pages. It
seemed like the ancient dust was embedded into the paper
permanently.
    Breccan looked at his cousin. “So, did
Beatrice say anything?”
    “ No.” Calloway sighed.
“She pretended I didn’t exist.”
    “ That’s so cold,” Breccan
said.
    Easton shook her head. “I agree. She
doesn’t have to be your friend but she could at least acknowledge
what you did,” she said. “This is why I hate people.”
    Breccan opened his sandwich and started
to eat. “She cares about her image too much,” he said in between
bites. “She doesn’t want to risk her reputation by talking to a
poor loser.”
    “ Thanks,” Calloway
said.
    Breccan shrugged. “It’s the
truth.”
    “ Have you seen Hawk
today?” Easton asked.
    “ No,” Calloway said. “But
there was a McDonald’s breakfast on my table. I suspect he had
something to do with that.”
    “ Or his social torture has
spread throughout the whole school,” Breccan said.
    “ Great,” Calloway said
sarcastically. “I don’t even care anymore. I don’t care about
anything.” He leaned back in his chair and sighed. Calloway wished
he was home-schooled.
    Easton stared about him. “Yes, you do,”
she said. “You care about the things that matter.” She tapped the
book with her finger. Calloway stared forward and didn’t
acknowledge her words. They meant nothing to him at the moment.
Easton tried to change the subject. “How did it go last night with
your parents?”
    “ It went really well,”
Breccan said as he ate his sandwich. “Our parents weren’t mad—they
didn’t punish us.”
    Calloway shook his head. “It was
horrible,” he said. “I heard my aunt say she has to get a job if
they’re going to pay rent, so I’m applying for a job after school
to help out. They shouldn’t have to pay for Hawk’s
coldness.”
    Breccan stopped eating. “When did this
happen?”
    “ I overheard them when I
went to the bathroom,” Calloway answered.
    “ I’m sorry to hear that,”
Easton said. “My offer still stands.”
    “ No,” Calloway said
quickly. “But thank you.”
    Easton flipped through the pages. “I
didn’t decipher anything new last night—I was too tired, but I
think we should start working in the Grandiose Historian Library.
That’s where Calloway saw the first Hara-Kir—perhaps there are
more.”
    “ So, now we’re looking for
them?” Breccan asked.
    “ No,” she said. “But it’s
a possibility they might be there, even though I find it unlikely.
And the library is deserted so we’ll have plenty of privacy. Also,
there may be more books hidden inside that we could use. We can’t
always use my sister’s basement and we can’t stay at the school
library. I think it’s our best option.”
    The Grandiose Historian