Uncanny Day Read Online Free

were you and Stephanie talking about?”
    I tried to busy myself with all things history, but crazy as it sounds, I’d almost rather be in a chokehold from Trent.
    The late bell rang, and the Pirate closed the classroom door. Just like the scourge of the seven seas, she had her own way of torturing us. Once the classroom door was shut, a person had to knock, wait for her to open it, and then answer a history question aloud in front of the entire class.
    Ack. “Give me liberty or give me death!” Patrick Swayze?
    I had only been late to history class twice. Everybody knew the Pirate’s closed-door policy, and every once in a while somebody would be late, but this had never happened to Stephanie until that day.
    The Pirate hadn’t taken four steps when a small knock sounded on the other side of the door. Then, as if she had already known she’d have a victim today, she wrinkled her mouth into a grin and grabbed a dry erase marker, going to work on the board at the front of the room. Once she finished, she opened the door. In walked Stephanie, hugging her books tightly to her chest. She looked different somehow.
    â€œYour question.” The Pirate revealed it as if this were some kind of game show.
    Where in Europe did the Renaissance originate?
    Stephanie looked at the board as if her obituary had just been posted for all to see. Even though she played second fiddle to Laura, Stephanie was no dummy and pulled her own high marks in class. This should have been cake for her.
    Shrugging her shoulders and slightly shaking her head, Stephanie took her seat. Even the Pirate noticed something off about her but let it go, opening the question up to the rest of the class. “Anyone else?”
    A guy on the other side of the room raised his hand.
    The Pirate called on him.
    â€œFlorence.”
    â€œThank you, Steven,” she said.
    I was going to answer Florida, but was glad I hadn’t.
    â€œAnd that leads right into our chapter today. Please open your texts.” The Pirate went on lecturing. I shot a glance at Stephanie, who seemed to be back to herself, paging through her own book and readying herself to take notes.
    The problem with reading people’s minds is that I know things everyone else is oblivious of. It’s those types of things that weigh on me, sort of like malicious voices that keep you awake at night, or random nosebleeds.
    It was about halfway through history class and I had only a few doodles in my notebook to show for it. Even though I wanted to, I didn’t dare drift off to sleep—you don’t want to know the Pirate’s rule for that. A piece of paper flopped in front of me. I should have ripped it up, but I opened it instead.
    Heard you had a nosebleed today. Dork!
    Want to work that into your interview later?
    â€“ Kate
    I honestly had no idea how she knew that! I’m telling you—she was ruthless, ol’ Muddy Huddy. She and I’d been doing this sort of back-and-forth dance for a while. She would show up in odd places or be waiting for me outside the guys’ locker room while I secretly read the quarterback’s mind. She was sort of like a gnat. Real awkward.
    I was just about to write down a sarcastic reply when I was interrupted by a moaning cry from across the room. It sliced right into the Pirate’s rant on the Black Death.
    It was Stephanie. Distressed wrinkles in her forehead, mascara-stained cheeks, and a quivering lip disfigured her face. She covered her mouth and tried to regain her composure, but it was no use. She already had every head in class turned her way.
    â€œMs. Daniels—Stephanie? Are you all right?” the Pirate asked, rare compassion in her voice.
    All Stephanie could manage was to shake her head as oversized tears dropped from her chin. Picking herself up from her seat, she rushed out. The room fell into ambient silence.
    Another note fell in front of me.
    You’ve got to tell me what you two