Written in the Stars
Page 8
“Not yet. Up until Alice stole the money I’d made...”
“Alice stole the money?”
“Yes. And when we went to get it back Mrs. Johnson caught us arguing with Alice about it.”
“Let me get this straight. Alice stole your money and you’re the one getting in trouble. That’s not right. I’m going to see the principal. I won’t have you victimized like this.”
“No. You can’t. You know how the teachers all stick together. He’ll only be on Mrs. J.’s side and that will make things worse.”
“Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll pay Tara’s parents, and you can work for us in the office over the next vacation to pay back the rest.”
Relief washes over me. Closely followed by guilt. Guilt for not going to Mom and Dad first. Guilt for risking getting kicked out of school. And even guilt for deceiving Alice.
“Thank you so much. I promise to work really hard and do everything you ask, and I won’t moan about it.”
Chapter Nineteen
“AND SHE DIDN’T TEAR YOU OFF A STRIP? TARA ASKS, SOUNDING surprised.
“For once she thinks we’re in the right. And I’m not complaining.”
“Shame about having to work most of the vacation though, because you won’t be able to come and stay. How long will it take for your to earn the money?”
“I’m not sure.” The initial excitement about solving my problem is beginning to wear off.
“You could always do some more readings on the side.”
“Very funny. I think my career as a psychic has definitely come to an end.”
“It’s a pity, though. Especially as I have a long list of people waiting for an appointment.”
“I can’t, Tara. If I get caught, it would be suspension at the very least, maybe even expulsion.” I don’t even want to think about the hell Alice had in store for me for the rest of our high school career.
“Unless we do it in the vacation.” She’s nothing if not persistent.
“Well, we know that won’t happen because I’ll be working during the week. Plus, how can we if everyone lives all over the state?”
“Good point. There must be a way. We just haven’t thought of it.” She gets a faraway look in her eyes. “I’ve got it. You can do it online. Skype. And if you combine it with working for your parents you’ll have enough money in a couple of weeks to pay the deductable. Then we can have some fun.”
It’s tempting.
But I don’t know.
Then again...
“Okay. I’ll do it.” We high-five, except suddenly a thought hits me and I leave my arm hanging in the air. “It won’t work,” I say.
“Why not?”
“How am I going to get the money?” I thump the bed in frustration.
“They could send you the money first and once you’ve received it you can get in touch with them. Or they could transfer it into your bank account. That makes it quicker.”
“I don’t know.”
“Hey, Megan.” Hearing my name makes me start, and we both turn our heads.
Standing at the door is Kate and behind her at least four or five others, if not more. It’s difficult to tell from this angle.
I jump up from the bed and walk toward her. “Hi, Kate. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s cool. We’ve just come to tell you we think Mrs. J. was wrong making you refund all the money.” My jaw drops.
“After what I did to Alice, I don’t blame her.”
“She had it coming to her,” Lori says, who’s standing next to Kate. “I couldn’t stop laughing for ages.” The other girls agree. “And it’s not like you did it to anyone else. You can’t have done, your readings were so spot on.”
“Thanks, guys. I can’t tell you what that means to me.” Warmth washes over me.
“Yes,” Kate says. “Which is why we’ve come to give you back our money.” She holds out her hand which has fifteen dollars resting in it. “Here,” she says, while I just stare at it.
“I don’t know what to say.” My voice is all choked.
“Don’t say anything,” Lori says. “Except that you won’t stop because I need to see you again, urgently.” I frown. “Have you seen the hot dude who’s just arrived in Braunston House?” I shake my head. “Well, when you do you’ll understand my need for a reading.”
Everyone starts laughing, including me. Although I think my laughter is so full of emotion it could turn into tears at any moment.
“Thanks, so much guys,” I say, after we’ve finally stopped laughing and they go to leave. That is, all of them except Kate, who hangs back until everyone’s gone.
“Can I have a quiet word?” Kate asks. I glance across at Tara who’s standing by my desk.
“Don’t mind me, I need the bathroom,” Tara says, as she walks past us and through the door.
I close the door behind Tara. “What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Nothing. The opposite, in fact. I wanted to tell you that my mom’s boyfriend has gone.”
“You must be so relieved.”
“You bet. And it’s all down to you. I can’t thank you enough.” I feel myself blush.
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s more than nothing. You saved my life. Without your reading I wouldn’t have had the courage to tell Mom.” Kate gives me a huge hug. “Anything you want me to do for you, just say.”
“You mean, like telling Dan Ross my powers are real and not made up?”
“He believes in you, I know he does.”
“He doesn’t. He thinks all psychics are fake. He told me. The Alice incident just reinforced it.”
“Megan,” she rests her arm on mine. “Take it from me, Dan knows exactly how good you are. We were talking about it this afternoon.”
My breath catches in the back of my throat. “You were? When? Why? What did he say?” My mind’s a mass of incoherent thoughts. Surely she can’t be telling the truth. He’s never shown any signs of believing me before. So why would he start now. He was just saying that he did to Kate.
“During English, we were talking about Alice and I told him how good you’d been with me. Not the actual problem, obviously. Just that you were really good.”
“And now he believes me. It’s...”
“Wait,” Kate says, holding her hand up. “He didn’t suddenly believe in you because of me. When I told him he said “I know, she’s awesome”. You see, he doesn’t need convincing.”
“But. I thought...”
“Megan. He’s a guy.” She laughs. “He probably felt mean for not believing you right away so decided not to say anything at all.”
“The warped male logic.” I shake my head. But inside I’m feeling decidedly warm and fuzzy.
Chapter Twenty
I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW EVERYTHING HAS TURNED OUT. I’VE GOT MOST OF my money back, thanks to Kate telling everyone what she did, and Dan knows I’m not a fake.
“For once in my life things are on the up,” I say to Tara as we’re skipping along the path near the football fields. “I mean, can they get any better? I’ll have enough money to pay back my parents by the end of the first week of the holidays. There should still be some money left for spending. And my powers aren’t in question.”
“So there’s nothing else you want?” Tara smirks in a knowing way.
“Like what?”
“Like a chat with Dan, maybe. You might want to stop clowning around as he’s walking up behind you.”
My stomach suddenly goes into a total mass of butterflies.
“Hey, Dan,” I squeak, as I turn around to see him.
“Megan. Tara.” He flashes one of his drop dead smiles, that after all this time still send me crazy.
“I’ve got to go and speak to Mr. Timms about my photography portfolio,” Tara says. “See you back at the house, Megan. Bye Dan.”
I swear she just winked at him.
“But,” I say, then stop as Tara runs away faster than I’ve ever seen her run before.<
br />
If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s been up to one of her tricks. If she has then she better watch out.
“Megan.” Dan’s voice interrupts my vengeful thoughts.
“Yes.” My heart is racing big time and beads of sweat form on my forehead.
“Are you free to talk for a moment?”
“Sure.” Hardly an eloquent response but it’s a major achievement when you consider the state of my insides.
“My Dad’s coming back early. Which means you can’t use my house for readings.”
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.” For a moment I thought he just wanted to chat. Now I know the truth.
“I’m really sorry. I hope that’s not going to ruin everything for you.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be doing it any more.”
“You must carry on.” Dan nods.
“Excuse me?” I say, not sure I heard correctly. “What did you say?”
“You must carry on.”
“Because?”
“You have a gift,” Dan says sheepishly. He looks down at his feet.
“So you don’t think I’m a phoney like you said before.” I know I shouldn’t be mean, but I can’t resist a little teasing.
“I never said you were a phoney. Just the ones you see on TV. And I’m still not sure about them.”
“What made you change your mind about me? Not the Alice incident, that’s for sure.” I know Kate said he believed me, but hearing it from his lips makes it seem real. It makes me like him even more. If that’s possible.
“Actually, it was the Alice incident and your reaction to it. I just knew you were telling the truth about it being a one off.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“What for?”
“Believing in me. Being honest and admitting you were wrong before.”
He shrugs. “Any time.”
“I guess I better go,” I say, looking at my watch. “I’ve got to get ready for drama rehearsal. I’ll see you there, if you’re going.”
“I am. But before you go, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Yes.”
“Remember you owe me for letting you use my house, and for the torture I went through with Alice?”
“Yes.” My heart thumps so loudly in my rib cage that he can probably hear it.
“It’s payback time.” He grins.
“Okay.” I frown.
“I’d like you come to the Prom with me?”
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.
Afterword
I hope you enjoyed reading about Megan as much as I did writing about her. Not counting the psychic ability, Megan is very much like I was at school, often getting into trouble for harmless pranks.
* * *
Reviews are very important for me, when it comes to getting attention for my books. If you enjoyed this book, I would be very grateful if you could spend just five minutes leaving a review (it can be as short as you like).
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Thank you very much.
Also By Sara Hantz
‘LITTLE WHITE LIES’ SERIES
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THE SECOND VIRGINITY OF SUZY GREEN
A virginity club. A little white lie. What could possibly go wrong?
Suzy Green was the wildest party girl in school. Before her perfect sister Rosie died.
When her family moves state, she creates a new identity for herself. Top grades. No detentions. She even ditches her tongue piercing. It’s like she’s undergone a whole personality transplant.
There’s just one little problem…
All of Suzy’s new friends belong to a virginity club. Despite the tiny technicality, that she’s no longer a virgin, Suzy joins too. It’s okay, because nobody in school knows the truth. Until Ryan, her ex, shows up.
As the past and present collide, Suzy struggles to find her own place in a world without her sister.
If you love coming of age novels, with both humor and pathos, then this Sara Hantz book is for you.
Buy here
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WILL THE REAL ABI SAUNDERS PLEASE STAND UP
Abi Saunders might be a kickboxing champion, but when it comes to being the center of attention, she’d rather take a roundhouse kick to the solar plexus any day. So when her trainer convinces her to audition to be the stunt double for hot teen starlet Tilly Watson, Abi is shocked—and a little freaked out—when she gets the job.
Being a stunt double is overwhelming, but once the wig and makeup are on, Abi feels like a different person. Tilly Watson, to be exact. And when Tilly’s gorgeous boyfriend, Jon, mistakes Abi for the real star, Abi's completely smitten. In fact, she’s so in love with her new life, it isn’t long before she doesn’t have time for her old one.
But when the cameras are turned off, will she discover running with the Hollywood A-list isn’t quite the glamorous existence she thought it was?
Buy here
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‘MURDER IN MIND’ SERIES
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IN THE BLOOD
His dad’s a serial killer. What if he’s one, too?
For seventeen years Jed Franklin’s life is normal. Until his dad is charged with the murder of four young boys.
Then, normal becomes a nightmare.
His mom’s checked out, he’s lost most of his friends, and the press camps out on his lawn. If it wasn’t for the alcohol he keeps stashed in his room, he’d go insane.
But after he wakes up from a total blackout to discover a local kid has gone missing—a kid he was last seen talking to—he’s forced to face his greatest fear: that he could somehow be responsible.
In a life that’s spiralling out of control, Jed must decide if he chooses his own destiny, or if the violent urges that plagued his father are truly in the blood.
In The Blood is the first in a series of standalone novels. If you like your young adult books dark, gritty and real, then you’ll love Sara Hantz’ engrossing ripped-from-the-headlines story.
Buy here
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RUNNING OUT OF TIME (novella)
All Nicole Drummond wants is to leave her abusive drug-running step father, and take her mom with. Like that’ll happen anytime soon. He totally controls their lives.
But when Nicole's step father threatens to stop paying for her mom’s life-saving meds if Nicole doesn’t run drugs for him, she knows time has run out. And her options are few.
Buy here
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OTHER YOUNG ADULT BOOKS BY SARA HANTZ:
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FALLING FOR THE WRONG GUY
She had no right to want him. And no way to resist...
Ruby Davis has a crush on her brother's best friend. At least, he was his bestie until the big betrayal. Now Drew is off limits to everyone, especially Ruby. She can't stand the way people treat him, or the way he feels about himself. It isn't right. And those deep green eyes are calling to her.
Drew is scarred and damaged, and he has no business even looking at Ruby. But he can't help himself. She's beautiful, but he does his best to stay away. When they are assigned a school project, they become reluctant friends - even though they want so much more.
She's torn between her feelings for Drew and loyalty to her brother. There's no way they can ever be together...but love just might find a way
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THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT NIK
Nik Gustafsson has a secret: He’s not really Nik Gustafsson.
He’s not a spy. He’s not crazy.
He’s just the son and heir to one of the most important families in Europe—one where duty always comes first. And his posh, too-public life is suffocating him. So when he gets the chance to attend boarding school in America, pretending to be an average exchange student is too big of a temptation to pass up.
Then he literally runs into Amber on campus. And she hates him at first sight.
It’s kind of exhilarating to
be hated for who he is, not for his family name or his wealth. Maybe if he turns up the charm and turns down the aloof mask he habitually wears, he can win her over. Even though a bad past experience has made her swear off dating this year.
But the more he gets to know her, the more uncomfortable he is keeping things from her. Because Nik Gustafsson has a secret. And it’s a big one.
Buy here
Acknowledgments
Thanks, as usual, to my fabulous critique partners Amanda Ashby and Christina Phillips. Thanks, also, to my wonderful editor, Shannon Godwin, for your support and advice in getting this book together. Finally, a mention for my family. Thanks for all your support.
About the Author
Sara Hantz writes contemporary young adult fiction, and her debut book ‘The Second Virginity of Suzy Green’ made the prestigious list 'New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age'. She’s been a prolific reader all her life, but it wasn't until she was an adult that she got the writing bug. She currently lives in New Zealand and lectured for many years before deciding to devote more time to her writing. If you’d like to know when Sara’s next book is coming out, please visit her website where you can sign up to receive her newsletter.
Sara also writes adult crime fiction under S.M.Rigby, and you can find out more about her adult novels here