Between Lies Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Copyright

  Alison's Newsletter

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Letter to the Reader

  About the Author

  Connect with Me

  Between Lies

  Book 2 of The In-Betweens Series

  ~~~

  by Alison L. Perry

  For Lily

  Copyright © 2017 by Alison L. Perry

  All rights reserved.

  License Notes

  All rights reserved. This book or any other portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a review.

  The story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Editor: Nikki Busch Editing

  Cover designed by Vila Design

  eBook ISBN: 978-0-9985168-2-0

  https://www.alisonlperry.com

  Subscribe to My Newsletter for the latest news, contests, and giveaways!

  http://eepurl.com/csWFoj

  I can’t wait to connect with you there!

  Chapter One

  I walked through the front doors of Jefferson High, my first time attending a human high school. The place stunk of cleaning supplies, sweaty bodies, and stale lunches. Disgusting. I wrinkled my nose and tried to ignore it, and headed down the hallway looking for the main office. I was supposed to meet with the vice principal before class and I didn’t want to be late. Didn’t want to miss my chance to snag a back row seat in my first class. Didn’t want to be noticed.

  Kids flowed in through the doors behind me and I was jostled back and forth as we all made our way past glass cases of trophies, ribbons, and pictures of students from previous years. Their chattering created a buzz that hurt my ears. They yelled across the hallway, tossing footballs over everyone’s heads, acting crazier than I’d imagined.

  Several girls glanced my way and whispered to each other. Flashbacks of Jill and her cronies suddenly filled my head and for a split second, I wanted to leave and go home. But before I bolted, I squashed the urge down. My parents’ warning stabbed through my chest like a white hot blade laced with panic. Make this work or be sent far away to try vampire finishing school again. Away from my family, my boyfriend, my best friend. I couldn’t bear the thought. I would stay and see this through. I needed to.

  I ignored them and pushed through the crowd toward a nearby wall. Once out of the throng, I gulped air. I wanted to crumple like a heap of clothes on the floor, but determination became my hanger. I wouldn’t let myself be bullied again. I wouldn’t give in to someone else’s control. I wouldn’t return to a life of shame.

  When I felt steadier, I looked around and noticed a guy watching me. He was slouched against the wall, one foot propped up behind him. His eyes were dark, perfectly matching the black spikes of hair standing up all over his head. Wearing a black leather jacket and ripped jeans, he looked exactly like the bad boys I’d always read about in the teen novels I kept hidden in my room. The way he was looking at me began to creep me out a little bit, but I didn’t want him to know that.

  “Hello,” I said, proud I hadn’t allowed the quiver of nerves jittering inside myself to come through.

  “You new?” His voice was raspy with a hint of danger and a bucket of sexiness. Thoughts of Kade immediately made me feel guilty for thinking it.

  “Yes. New to school, anyway.”

  “But not new to town? How’d you manage that?” He was looking at me with hooded eyes and instinct made me glance anywhere but at him.

  “Homeschool.”

  “Oh, you’re one of those.” He appraised me, giving me a head-to-toe once-over, and I shifted my feet. I knew I wasn’t beautiful by most standards, but the look on his face told me something different. Nervous and unsure what to make of him, I glanced at my watch and gasped.

  “Oh my God! I’m late. Where’s the main office? I have an appointment with Mrs. Shannon.”

  He laughed and it sounded like melted chocolate swirling around me. Dark, but delicious, and a wave of guilt hit me again. “You’re jumpy.” I didn’t comment but merely waited for him to answer my question so I could get to my meeting… and away from him. He must have taken the hint because he finally gave me the information I wanted. “Down the hall and when it dead-ends, turn right. The main office is on the right.” He pushed off from the wall and sauntered down the hallway, tossing me a half wave over his shoulder. “See ya.”

  I’d been so distracted, I hadn’t noticed most of the kids had cleared out. My nerves kicked up a notch. Following Bad Boy’s directions, I turned the corner and saw glass walls and a door with Main Office printed on it. I pushed through it and was greeted by a woman with a friendly smile and about five pounds of makeup. A flowery smell drifted in the air toward me and my eyes began to water.

  “Good morning! It’s a great day at Jefferson High! What can I do for you, dear?”

  Trying not to choke on the cloud of perfume enveloping me, I managed to find my voice. “I’m Sadie Criswel. I have an appointment with Mrs. Shannon. I’m new.”

  “Ah, Sadie! We’ve been waiting for you. It’s not every day we get a new student. We’re very excited you’re here!” Her enthusiasm caught me off guard. It was such a stark contrast to the welcome I’d received at University, the vampire finishing school from which I’d recently been expelled. “Let me do something real quick before I show you where Mrs. Shannon is.” Muttering to herself, she fumbled through a huge amount of papers and sticky notes scattered across her desk. “Aha!” She triumphantly held up a bright pink sticky note and waved it around. She turned and handed the paper to a girl I hadn’t realized was there. “Take this to Kendall Matthews. She’s in Biology I with Mr. Henry right now.” The girl took it and headed toward the door, her eyes sliding to me briefly as she passed by.

  “Alrighty then, now I can focus. Follow me, hon. My name is Mrs. Carter. I’m the school secretary. Mrs. Shannon’s office is right through here.” I followed behind her as we walked down a short hall, making note of the cream walls peppered with more award plaques and framed pictures of former staff. She stopped suddenly, causing me to nearly bump into her ample form. I noticed we were facing a wooden door with a name plate affixed to the front. “Here we are! Go right in. I’ll be in the front if you need anything.” Before I could respond, she bustled away, leaving me alone. I hesitated a moment, drawing in a deep breath, before knocking.

  “Come in,” a lilting voice called from inside.

  I gripped the shiny doorknob and turned it. Opening the door, I took a step inside and caught my first glance of Mrs. Shannon. She was sitting at her desk, poring over a thin file folder. At the sound of my entrance, she glanced up and smiled. Her dark brown hair was cut short, framing her face in a way that reminded me of a pixie. Long silver earrings winked at me in the lighting, and even from across the room I could see she had deep blue eyes outlined with fringy black eyelashes most girls would kill to have. Gorgeous was the first word that poppe
d into my mind.

  “Sadie, I presume?” At my nod, she stood and walked around the desk. She was tall and thin, dressed in simple black slacks and a cream sweater. She held her hand out to me. “It’s good to meet you. We’re happy you’re here. Why don’t you sit down and we can get a little bit acquainted with each other?”

  I sank into the chair she pointed to and gripped my bag with both hands. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her or anything, but memories of my first encounters with the staff at University were flashing through my mind. Silently scolding myself, I forced my hands to relax. This was a different place. No need to get paranoid on my first day.

  She smiled at me again. “I can see you’re a bit nervous. It’s normal, but I’m sure you’re going to do great here.”

  I blew out the breath I’d been holding. “Yes, ma’am. I’m excited, but also pretty anxious. My last school wasn’t very easy to deal with.”

  Her eyebrows creased together. “I thought your file says you were homeschooled. Is that not correct?”

  Dammit!

  “Oh, I… I always refer to my homeschooling as just school. It helped me feel more normal when I was with other people. I guess I can see how it could be confusing.” She nodded along as I talked, but I could still see a shadow of doubt cross her face. Mentally kicking myself for the slip up, I changed the subject. “Everyone seemed excited this morning in the halls. I could feel the energy. Is that normal?”

  Her face cleared. “No, we don’t always have that kind of excitement about our education.” She chuckled a bit. “But Homecoming is soon, and it’s always a big deal to the students.”

  “Homecoming? I don’t know what that is.”

  “Of course. I guess there’s no need for it in your situation. Homecoming is a tradition that schools celebrate once a year. It’s in honor of the school’s founding and many former students return and attend various activities. There’s a football game, parade, and it all culminates in the much-anticipated Homecoming dance.”

  “Wow. That sounds… big.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  She laughed. “Yes, it’s big. I’m excited you’ll be able to experience it for the first time. But I’m warning you now. It can get pretty overwhelming.”

  I sort of laughed with her since it seemed like she expected it. To be honest, overwhelming was an understatement.

  She shuffled the papers in the folder on her desk and pulled one out. “Okay, let’s finish up so you can get to your first class. Do you have any questions about your schedule?” I shook my head. I had examined it pretty close when I first received it in the mail, committing everything to memory. Nodding, she wrote something down and then gave me a serious look. “Sadie, I want you to know that I understand how coming to a new school, especially after classes have already begun, can be nerve-wracking. I’m here to help, as is the school counselor, Mr. Todd. If you have any problems—any problems at all—we’re here for you. His office is just a few doors down from mine. Okay?” She waited for me to nod in agreement and continued. “Do you have any questions for me?”

  I couldn’t think of anything at the moment. It always happened to me. I wouldn’t have any questions until I walked out the door, and then a flood of them would hit me. Resigned, I answered. “No, I can’t think of anything at the moment.”

  “Okay, well if you think of something, don’t hesitate to ask.” She closed the folder and stood. “I’ll walk you to your first class so I can officially hand you off to the teacher. You have US History first period with Mrs. Moody, correct?”

  I ran through my schedule in my head. “Yes, that’s right.”

  “All right, let’s go. I’ll need to show you where your locker is first.”

  We left out the same main office door I’d come in and walked side by side down a long hall. The floor was a shiny gray that gleamed in the bright fluorescent lighting. I could hear the faint hum of the bulbs above us and it was beginning to give me a slight headache. Mrs. Shannon consulted a scrap of paper she’d taken from her office and at the end of the hall, we took a left and went up a wide staircase. At the second floor, we kept walking straight about halfway down the hall before finally stopping in front of a red metal locker.

  “This is yours. Number 203. The combination is on here. Keep it with you until you memorize it.” She handed me the slip of paper and I glanced at it, trying to commit it to memory. “And, from here your first class is at the end of this hall on the right.” We took off again until we were standing outside a wooden door with a window. Inside, the teacher paced back and forth in front of rows of desks filled with students scribbling furiously in notebooks. It looked basically the same as some of my classes at University, only… shoddier.

  Mrs. Shannon turned the doorknob and we entered. Mrs. Moody was in midsentence but petered out when she saw us. She was short and squat with blond hair that barely brushed her shoulders. Big silver hoops flashed from her earlobes, but other than that she was plain. She smiled when she saw us and I was shocked at how it transformed her face. I instantly felt at home and I was unable to keep from smiling back.

  “Mrs. Moody, this is Sadie Criswel, our new student. She joins us from being homeschooled. I hope you will all give her a big welcome.”

  “Sadie! Good to have you with us. You’ve chosen an excellent time to join the class. We were about to get started on a new unit this week, so you won’t have to play any catch-up.” She beamed at me and part of me wondered how anyone could be that excited about History. But despite my doubt, I beamed back.

  Mrs. Shannon patted me on the shoulder before taking her leave. I stood at the front of the room, acutely aware of twenty pairs of eyes staring at me. Self-conscious, I clutched the strap of my bag while I waited for direction on what to do. Luckily, Mrs. Moody didn’t make me wait.

  “Grab an empty seat anywhere you like,” she said. “I have an open policy on seating as long as it doesn’t become disruptive. Oh, and let me get you a textbook.” She opened a door to the cabinets lining one wall and pulled out a thick book. I took it from her and searched the room with my eyes, looking for the safest place to sit. A movement caught my attention, and there was Bad Boy, gesturing to a seat in front of him, a grin on his face. For some reason, seeing him again made my heart stutter. Furious at my reaction, I ignored him, looking for any other possibility. But the only other option was a seat by the window in the first row. Still jittery about my response to sunlight, I took a deep breath and walked to the chair Bad Boy was indicating.

  As I slid into the wooden seat, I heard him whisper, “Well, Homeschool, this is going to be interesting.” I slumped down to where my shoulders were barely touching the back of the chair. I didn’t want it to be interesting; I wanted to quietly blend in. But I didn’t think he was going to let that happen. Already, I could feel curious looks boring into me. Just breathe. They don’t know anything about you.

  Mrs. Moody cleared her throat and waited for everyone to turn their attention back to her. Slowly, the kids’ eyes swiveled from me and toward the front of the room. The only exception was a slight thumping on my chair leg. Bad Boy must have been tapping it with his foot. It was ironic that I’d first noticed Kade when he was doing the same thing in orientation at University. I closed my eyes briefly and pictured the way the moonlight reflected off his sea-green eyes. Flashes of his hypnotic gaze and slow smile shot warmth through my body. Calmer, I focused my attention on Mrs. Moody. Copying everyone else, I pulled a notebook and pen out of my bag and prepared to take notes.

  “Now, as I was telling you, for the next month we are going to be concentrating on the Second World War and its impact on the United States. There will be two tests and a project on the material. You will partner up in groups of two for the project. I expect it to be a team effort, and believe me, I’ll be able to tell.” The class gave a collective groan, but she just smiled brightly.

  “Psst,” a voice whispered behind me. “You’ll be my partner.”

  Fury bubble
d up inside me. Who does he think he is? He doesn’t just get to assign himself to me. My insides were aching to whirl around and tell him off, but I worked to keep myself in check. I could see a faint shadow slithering across the back of my hand and I grimaced. Breathing deeply, I focused on calming down. Instead of answering him, I kept silent. There was no way I was going to agree to be his partner, but I’d have to pick another time and place to get my message across.

  Mrs. Moody handed a stack of papers to the front row students and they began to pass them back. “This is your project instructions. I suggest you and your partner read over it as soon as possible so you can ask your questions before you get too far along down the path.” She glanced up at the clock. “We only have a few minutes left. I’ll let you partner up now.”

  As soon as she sat down at her desk, kids began getting up and and walking around, a soft buzz of conversation overtaking the room. I could hear snatches of all the discussions, and to my dismay, I realized I was quickly running out of time. I saw one girl in the middle row, still sitting quietly at her desk. I started to get up, but someone beat me to it. A boy with glasses so thick his eyes were magnified to the size of half dollars approached her. “D… Do you want to work together on this?” I heard him say. She nodded, dashing my hopes. I looked helplessly around the room, but I could tell everyone had finished finding their teammate.

  “I told you you’ll be my partner.”

  Heat burst through my insides, and I turned around so fast it made me dizzy. “What did you do, tell everyone the new girl was off limits?” I wanted to hit him, punch him in the nose, and I was surprised at how much rage this one boy incited within me.

  He laughed. And kept laughing. I balled up my first, ready to smack him in the face, but he calmed down and stopped. “You think highly of yourself.” I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off before I could get a word out. “No, I didn’t tell anyone anything. I just know that nobody will partner with me, and the class was at an odd number until you arrived. So, logically speaking, we were destined for each other.”