Free Love Struck by Shani Petroff Page B

me. Sure, it wasn’t the ideal solution. But it beat being shadowed. And it would let me find Lance by myself.
    There was no other answer.
    It was time to turn my fans against me.
    I got out from under the table and yelled at the crowd. “You all hate me!”
    â€œNo, we don’t,” someone shouted back. That was followed by, “We adore you,” “You’re awesome,” and “Angel forever.”
    â€œI couldn’t hate you,” Cole said. “I’ll prove it. I’m going to take all of the money I get from my Bar Mitzvah and have the words I Love You written in the sky.”
    A skywriter? Sweet. But no thanks. They needed to stop loving me so much. I closed my eyes and focused. Stop loving me so much. Stop loving me so much. Stop loving me so much. But when I peeked through my lashes, everyone was still grinning at me. That wasn’t hate. It was awe. They were just as crazy about me as ever.
    â€œSeriously people, listen!” I said.
    But they all started chanting. “Angel, Angel, Angel.”
    If they were all so into me, then why didn’t they even pretend to care about what I wanted?
    And why weren’t my powers working? They had gone off in the dressing room. Maybe because it was quieter in there. There were dozens of people in the bookstore and they were all talking. I just needed to focus more. Tune everyone out.
    I jumped on a table and raised my arms as if to engulf everyone around me. I concentrated like my life depended on it. Because it did. If I couldn’t get to Lance, then an evil Lou was set loose on the world with no one to stop him. And everyone was in danger. And it would be all my fault! “You don’t love me,” I said, my voice steady. “You want nothing to do with me.” I felt the words run through my body. I imagined everyone turning on me. I pictured it, I felt it, I hoped for it.
    â€œGet off the table,” Lana said. “No one wants to look at you.”
    â€œYeah, what are you doing?” Courtney asked. “Posing for the cover of a fashion don’t book?”
    They stopped loving me! My powers had worked!
    Maybe too well. Because a book came sailing right at me. People were throwing them in my direction! Even Max who had the biggest crush on me was in on it! I ducked just in time. Three books flew right over my head. But another one followed and got me right in the gut. And it hurt! They couldn’t have used a paperback?
    â€œI should have listened to Gabi,” Cole said. “She was right about Angel. She’s totally gross.”
    â€œYou’re the one who kissed her,” Reid said.
    â€œDon’t remind me,” Cole answered. “Does anyone have one of those hand-sanitizer wipes? I need to disinfect my lips.”
    It was one thing to hear Courtney sling insults my way, but Cole? It hurt more than twenty books with sharp corners whacking me in the gut.
    â€œYou,” the saleswoman said, approaching me, “need to leave now.” Her face had a huge scowl on it. Bigger than the one Courtney was giving me. And that was saying something.
    â€œMe? I wasn’t the one throwing books.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter. You’re not welcome here.” She pointed toward the exit. And the rest of the crowd applauded her.
    The woman hated me. Just like everyone else in the store.
    Which was just as well. Because I had more important things to worry about. Like saving the world from a certain teenager.

chapter 19
    I forged straight ahead, right out of the store, making sure not to glance back at Cole and the others.
    None of it mattered. I just had to get to Lance.
    I continued on to the stage area. As I got closer a familiar sound filled the halls. “Who am I, without you—you, you, who who who?” Lance Gold was singing! Finally, something was going right. He had begun his mall appearance. Now I didn’t have to break in to see him. I could just