Unleashed Read Online Free Page B

Claire. She forced herself to think of something else. The band. Singing. The Fire and Ice concert. Her breathing slowed.
    Not far away she heard her friends laughing . I should be with them , Claire thought, but she couldn’t move.
    Then she heard a familiar voice say, “What are you guys doing?”
    Ethan’s arms dropped and he stepped away. She thought she would fall, but she remained upright. 
    Ethan lowered sunglasses back over his eyes and said, “Claire’s upset.”
    Logan, who must’ve just arrived, moved to her side. “What happened?”
    She shook her head and tried to speak, but only managed to mumble.
    He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here. You can tell me later.”
    Claire leaned her head against his shoulder and walked with him toward Kate and Steph. She loved Logan. They’d been friends since the first grade when she’d peed her pants, and he covered for her by saying he pushed her into a puddle—and he never let her forget it either. Since that day she had tried to repay him, but he always did something else that left her forever in his debt.
    Kate moved away from Corey when she saw them approaching, but Claire noticed the way Corey’s hand lingered on Kate’s arm. She used her hatred of him to strengthen her, to rebuild the emotional wall that had crumbled the moment she saw the dead girl.  
    “I’m taking Claire home,” Logan said to the group.
    “Huh? Why?” Kate asked. Steph stood up from the sidewalk.
    Claire tried to hide her eyes, which were still brimming with tears, but they saw.
    “Oh no! Claire, what’s wrong?” Kate said, rushing over with Steph beside her. As far as Claire knew, this was the first time she’d ever cried in front of them.
    Corey smirked. “Did you get busted stealing towels?”
    “Shut your mouth, Corey,” Logan said.
    Corey stepped forward. “You going to make me?”
    Logan met him halfway.
    “Enough!” Claire said, finding her voice and the rest of her strength. “The police will be here soon.”
    Logan turned to her. “Why?”
    “Because I found a girl in the locker room. Dead.”
    Everyone went silent for a long moment. Finally, Logan said in a hushed tone, “I can’t believe it! That’s horrible. Are you okay?”
    Claire straightened her shoulders. “I’m fine.”
    As long as I don’t close my eyes . She looked away. Not far off, Ethan was leaning against the school, looking in their direction. She couldn’t help but wonder what he must be thinking.
    “Do we know her?” Steph asked, staring at the school.
    She followed her gaze. “I don’t think so.”
    Mrs. Summers came out of the front doors and walked toward them. Claire knew by the frightened look in her eyes that she’d seen the body too.
    “The police will be here any minute,” Mrs. Summers said when she reached them. “They’ll want to talk to each one of you, especially you, Claire. Why don’t you all come wait in the office? It’s going to be a long afternoon.”
    Mrs. Summers was right. The police took forever doing whatever it was they did when someone dies, and afterwards they interviewed each one of them. Claire had to be interviewed twice—once on site and again at the police station. And by the questions they were asking, she got the feeling they thought the girl had been murdered.
    At the suggestion of a police officer, she called her mother, but when Claire told her what had happened her mother asked if she could deal with it on her own. She was at work and they needed the money, she reminded Claire. Yes, definitely more important.
    Fortunately, Logan stayed with her the entire time, one more thing she’d owe him for. Afterwards, he drove her home. It was nighttime, and although the sky was dark, the windows in her home were darker.
    “Is your mother home?” Logan asked when he turned off the car’s engine.
    Claire stared out the window. “It’s a Saturday night. She won’t be back for