Free Unbreakable Rules (Too Many Rules Book 3) by G.L. Snodgrass Page B

Academy, Microsoft. All of his problems solved. But, still he's not satisfied. He waits, he delays. I'm yelling at him to make a decision before they change their friggin’ minds. His mom is scared out of her mind that he'll blow it all.
    Then, out of nowhere a letter shows up. One page. Offering him a full ride at the University of Washington. Books, room, board, classes, everything covered. Not only that, but entry into their entrepreneur Information Management program. He'll come out of there with all the tools and contacts to start his own business. And I'm the one who gets to help him turn it into a billion dollars," Mark said with a smile as he sat back in his chair.
    "You, my boy, are my ticket out of here and don't you forget it,” Mark added.
    "Yeah, well if they don't get the power back on, all those computer programs are going to become pretty useless,” I said. I could feel the tips of my ears burning.  I glanced over at Hailey to see how she was taking all of this.
    I had never seen her look at me this way before. Her eyes had narrowed as she studied me for a moment. She started to shake her head and said, "Ryan, Ryan, what are we going to do with you." But, she said it in such a way that I don't think she was disappointed in me.

Chapter Eight
Hailey
    Snuggling under the blankets on the recliner in Ryan's living room, watching the flames dance in the fireplace, I thought over the day's events. Wow, what a freaky two days. Everything was off the charts unusual.
    Mom and Nana flying to North Carolina. Breaking up with Jarret. My phone swimming in the girl's commode.  The power disappearing into who knows where for who knew how long. All of it couldn't compare to the story I'd heard earlier about Ryan. The boy was playing in a different league than the rest of us. I'd always known he was smart, but this was so far above what I'd expected.
    Most of my friends couldn't tell you how their toys worked. The phones, tablets, and gadgets they used constantly all day. It was all magic to them.
    Here Ryan was, an apprentice magician being admitted into the guild of masters. You've got to admit, it was sort of cool. In a nerd kind of way.
    I smiled when I thought about how the tips of his ears turned red when people talked about him. It drove him crazy to be the center of attention. It was too cute.
    I fell asleep, relaxed, and semi-happy. Sometime in the night, I woke to a blinking 12:06 on the DVD player tucked under the TV. I stared at the blinking red lights for several moments before I realized what it meant. The electricity was back on.
    I squealed as a sense of relief flashed through me. The power was back. I quickly reached over and shook Ryan's chair. "Ryan," I hissed. "Ryan, the power's back on."
    He blinked awake, then shot up in his chair looking at the red lights. A huge smile spread across his face to be replaced by a brief, sad look. I wondered what that was all about.
    "And life returns to normal," he said with a small shake of his head.
     
.o0o.
Ryan
    The big yellow school bus slowed to a stop at the end of the Cul-de-sac. I let the other five high-school kids go first, then ducked my head as I stepped onto the first step. That early morning stink of teen angst, fake leather seats, and diesel exhaust hit me like a fist to the stomach. I couldn't keep doing this. I could feel my face turn red as the freshmen, sophomores, and the occasional loser junior watched the only senior on the bus make his way to the end.
    I plopped into one of the only open seats next to a scared little freshman. Giving him my best scowl I was able to cut off any attempt at conversation. The last thing I needed right then, was people talking to me.
    The power had been back on for two days now, at least for the most part. The occasional drop still made my stomach clench up every time it happened. Rolling blackouts they called it. Two hours out of every twelve, just enough to keep your whole life off balance.
    Mrs. Thompson and