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Chapters (67)
  1. Big Boned
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. One Month Later
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. Copyright
  63. About the Publisher
  64. Backad 1
  65. Backad 2
  66. Backad 3
  67. Backad 4

The slow music swirled around us, making it feel like the floor had spun away. Making it feel like gravity no longer existed. We floated like two ghosts above the surface, enclosed in our own magical world. A little bubble formed around us where everything, and everyone, ceased to exist. The hall melted away. The ceiling and the walls fell away, until it was just us. I pulled my head away and looked him in the eyes. Ocean blue. Like the sea this time. Like the waves crashing against the shore; crashing against my heart, rolling in the pit of my stomach. The purple light cast a glow across the side of his face and he was the brightest thing I’d ever seen.

“I can feel your heart beating,” he whispered softly.

“Me too,” I whispered back. I never wanted this moment to end. This was the moment I felt like my whole life had been building up to, without me even knowing it. I wanted to breathe this moment in, drink it down, and live in it forever, only I couldn’t, because the music went off, the lights flicked on, and a voice over the PA called my name. It was the principal.

“Lori Palmer, come to my office, now.”

I pulled away from Jake, and if people hadn’t been staring at me before, they were certainly staring now.

49

“What’s going on?” Jake asked.

And then Thembi, Guy, and Andile were also by my side asking the same question. A feeling sank into the pit of my stomach. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew it was bad when I saw the look on the principal’s face. He made eye contact with me and shook his head. I looked to his left and that was when I saw Xander.

“Follow me.” Mr. Du Preez’s voice was demanding, and I followed him out of the hall. We walked in silence down the corridor. The only noise was my high heels clicking on the concrete, echoing down the corridor, sounding ominous. When we got to his office and walked inside, I couldn’t hide my shock. My mother was there. She was standing against the wall with her arms folded, and then next to her . . . my blood ran cold. A policewoman.

“Sit down, please, Lori,” Principal Du Preez said.

I looked at my mother. I could see she’d been crying. I looked over at Xander; he looked concerned.

“Mom, what’s going on? Is everything okay? Is Zac okay?”

“Sit down please,” the principal said again. His voice was firmer this time and I obeyed him. And then the policewoman walked up to the desk and slid a file across it. I looked down at it, and then back up at her. Her eyes urged me to open it and so I did.