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The Clearing

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Chapter One

Welcome back to school! I'm Trish with your morning announcements," the secretary said over the loud speaker.

Aleah rolled her eyes. That secretary really annoyed her; Trish seemed a little too happy about being in a school building all day. But Aleah was glad to be back. She had missed joking around with Olivia and Leanne. Of course, she was also looking forward to seeing Zeke again.

Soon, Aleah was working on her geometry. She was good at this, thankfully. Aleah just couldn't concentrate. All she could think about was the end-of-summer party. It had been great. The party had been at Olivia's house while her parents and little brother were on vacation in Florida. All of her closest friends had been there, and lots of hot guys had shown up. One guy, Jacob, hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her the whole night. While Jacob wasn't cute enough to squash her feelings for Zeke, he had certainly kept her entertained. She remembered his curly brown hair and his chocolate-colored eyes watching her from the other side of the room.

Zeke hadn't come to that party; it wasn't his type. Even if Olivia's parents weren't there for her parties, alcohol was prohibited. It wasn't that Olivia would have minded getting a little tipsy. She just hated being responsible for that many drunk people. So, alcohol and drugs stayed away ... and so did Zeke.

The bell jolted Aleah out of her daydream. Biology was her next class. She slowly collected her books and walked to second block. Science wasn't all that bad; Aleah actually kind of enjoyed it. She knew her teacher, Ms. Belles, was an easy teacher. Ms. Belles was probably about sixty years old with steel gray hair and cobalt blue eyes. Her skin was wrinkled with age, and she was always smiling. However, she was a rather forgetful teacher. The students in her classes started a lot of hands-on projects that never got finished. Because of this, she gave easy grades. Pretty much, if you participated, you passed.

Soon, Aleah and Leanne were working on Crazy Creatures. The idea of the project was to flip a coin for the parts of a creature. Tails stood for one characteristic, and heads stood for another. After deciding on the characteristics, the groups were given a large piece of paper to draw the creature on. Aleah and Leanne had become friends again over the summer and now laughed at their petty fights. Leanne flipped a coin and gave their creature purple skin. Aleah flipped the other coin and gave it chicken feet. This would be fun. Their creature was going to be awesome. After they were done drawing, the creature went through a test. The creature was placed in an environment made for certain characteristics. Aleah and Leanne's creature had only one of these characteristics. It eventually died in its environment.

Oh well. Aleah slowly slipped back into hazy daydreams. She just couldn't help herself. The dream was way better than any reality. She could almost feel Zeke holding her hand. She imagined his hand would be very warm. Of course, she thought all of Zeke would be warm. Aleah could imagine him smiling at her. She felt herself melting at the thought.

Again the bell rang. This time, Aleah ran to her locker. Leanne headed off in a different direction to hers. It was time for lunch, and Aleah had been looking forward to it all morning. Hopefully, Zeke would sit at her table this year. That would be the highlight of her day. Aleah had been striving to keep her excitement at a low level all morning. Now, though, she failed. She was so excited after putting her things away in her locker that she almost ran into Olivia when she closed it and turned to make her way toward the lunchroom.

Then, her day was ruined. No, her world was shattered. The sky was falling. This could not be happening to her. There was no way. She had to be seeing things. Maybe it was some sort of hallucination caused by all the excitement. Maybe she was dehydrated or bored to hallucinations. It didn't matter if it was a hallucination; the sight almost brought tears to Aleah's eyes.

"Aleah? Do you see what I see?" Olivia asked.

"I hope not," was Aleah's whispered reply. "If this isn't a hallucination, she's dead to me."

Zeke was walking down the hallway holding hands with Leanne. They were smiling and laughing, completely oblivious to the world. Leanne looked happy; Zeke looked happy. Aleah thought she might vomit.

Aleah and Olivia purposefully walked over to them. Aleah had a plan. It was mean, but she was angry.

"Hey, Zeke," Aleah said lightly, "what are you up to?"

"Hey, Aleah. I've had a great summer," Zeke answered. "How was yours?"

"It was good. I went to Colorado with Claire," Aleah replied.

"That's cool. You'll have to show me pictures sometime—ow!" Zeke yelped as Leanne dug her heel into his foot.

"Oh! Leanne, I didn't see you standing there." Aleah smiled sweetly. "Would you like to see pictures, too?"

"Sure, why not? Do you have any with you?" Leanne asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Aleah reached into her purse. "Take a look."

Aleah handed a picture to Zeke. He gasped and let go of Leanne's hand immediately. Aleah smiled. She had given him a picture of Leanne kissing Darwin Lake, a total loser, at the end-of-summer party. She was good at her game.

"Leanne? Ew," Zeke said. "You kissed a loser. I'm done with you. Later, Aleah."

"Aleah! Why did you do that?" Leanne asked as Zeke walked away.

"Cuz I despise traitors and boy stealers," Aleah said.

"I do too," Olivia piped up.

Aleah and Olivia walked to lunch. When they sat down, Claire and Annie joined them. So did Zach and Trevor, and Andy brought a new friend with him.

"Who's the newbie?" Aleah asked.

"This is Josh," Annie said quickly. "He's cool."

"Okay, we'll let him sit here," Aleah answered. "Hi, Josh."

"Hey, everyone! It's nice to meet all of you," Josh said. "Want to see my Michael Jackson impersonation?"

Josh fit right in with them. They joked and talked like old friends. His Michael Jackson impersonations were great.

Aleah thought about Leanne. She had sat by her and worked with her in science class and acted like nothing had happened. That was so not cool. Aleah didn't even want to be friends with Leanne anymore. Leanne creeped her out. What kind of person betrayed their friend for a guy? And how could she just sit there pretending nothing was wrong? It was so not cool!

4:25p.m.

Aleah's Bedroom

Aleah threw another pillow at the wall and lay back down on her bed. Then, she threw her iPod headphones. She needed something bigger. She needed something breakable, but her phone was too precious. So, Aleah threw her NASCAR collection, one car at a time. Then, she threw her hats and jewelry.

Suddenly, she sat up. She had to vent to someone. She needed to call someone. Aleah had to talk to her friends.

She called Olivia. No answer. She called Claire. No answer. Aleah called all her friends but didn't get an answer. That left Leanne. Maybe Leanne would apologize or explain. Or maybe she would hang up. Or worse, she wouldn't answer at all.

So, Aleah called Leanne. It rang twice. Aleah was worried. What if Leanne didn't answer? Should she leave a message?

"Hello?" Leanne answered.

"Why did you do that to me?" Aleah asked. "Why did you go out with the guy I like?"

"Well, I didn't know you still liked him. You and Claire were hanging out with Troy and Jacob. It looked like you really liked Jake. You were totally flirting, and I thought you had gotten over Zeke," Leanne explained breathlessly.

"Oh! Well, I guess that explains it," Aleah said, feeling better about the whole misunderstanding.

"Duh, it explains it. What about you though?" Leanne asked. "The picture of me kissing Darwin? It was a dare! Just like the picture was part of the dare!"

"It was also like three weeks ago, but Zeke didn't ask," Aleah replied hotly. "I just wanted you away from Zeke because I like him so much. Don't worry, I'll tell everyone Zeke is lying."

"Okay, I guess," Leanne said. "So we're friends now? Right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. You're still one of my best friends, Leanne," Aleah said quietly.

"So, what's up?" Leanne asked.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping with me. Now," Aleah said.

"Cool. When do we meet?" Leanne asked.

"Forty-five minutes in front of Aeropostale," Aleah stated.

"Okay, see you then."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Aleah hung up and smiled. Then she started texting Olivia.

Aleah: Want to go shopping?

Olivia: Sure; do I text the others?

Aleah: Yeah. Leanne knows already. She's good now.

Olivia: Why?

Aleah: We talked it out.

Olivia: Okay. Aero? 45 minutes?

Aleah: Yup. See you there.

Aleah put her phone in her pocket, got her purse, and stepped outside into the sun. She got into the car and drove away. She was going to have an amazing time at the mall no matter what.

8:35 p.m.

Dinner

Aleah's house

"So, how was your day?" Aleah's mom, Marilyn, asked.

"It was okay. Zeke and Leanne were dating. Zeke broke up with her, though. He saw the picture I took of Leanne kissing Darwin Lake," Aleah told her.

"When did that happen?" Marilyn said. "And why did you show the picture to Zeke?"

"I like Zeke. He belongs with me. Not her! We're both popular and alphas. We're perfect for each other."

"Are you sure? Zeke doesn't sound like a guy I would want my daughter to date."

"I know, Mom. He's just the guy I like right now. You know I won't like him by January."

"I'm just worried about you. You showed really poor judgment with those actions."

"I apologized. And Zeke isn't as flaky as you think. He's just really popular."

Aleah and her mother talked more about Zeke and Leanne. That night, she prayed that Zeke liked her. She prayed really long. Then she turned over and went to sleep.

Thursday

August 31

4:15 p.m.

Cross-Country Practice

"All right, team. I want a mile warm up. I'll tell you the workout later," Coach Brooks said.

The whole team, excluding William, groaned. This meant they were going to do a hard workout. Aleah prayed for hills. She wasn't very good at running, and her least favorite workouts were mile repeats and 800 (half-mile) repeats.

"Does Will have to be so excited?" Olivia asked as they started their warm-up.

"Don't be so hateful," Aleah scolded. "It's not his fault he's so fast."

William Fern was the fastest runner on the team, and he absolutely loved running. The truth was, if he wasn't on the cross-country team, Aleah wouldn't have met him. She would have never even considered talking to him. Of course, when you're on a team, you meet new people.

"Yes, Mother," Olivia teased. "I know it's not his fault, but he likes running way too much."

"Yuck. I know what you mean." Aleah managed to laugh. "I like running on easy days ... not hard days. Plus, I'm just waiting for swim season."

"Me too," Olivia agreed as they finished the warm-up. "We're much better at swimming."

"Let's stretch!" Coach Brooks announced, "Come on. Hurry up. We have six 800s to do today."

"Ew. This isn't going to be fun," Aleah commented.

"No kidding," Olivia replied.

"Well, let's roll." Aleah tried to be optimistic. "Maybe we'll only do four or five."

"Yeah right." Olivia rolled her eyes.

Friday

September 1

Carr High School

11:37 am

Lunch

"Then, I blocked this guy, and it was awesome!" Andy exclaimed.

He was talking about the homeroom basketball game. Every year, homerooms played one another in a small tournament. Then they had a tournament for the grades to compete against one another.

"Andy, did you even score?" Aleah asked sweetly. "I mean, everyone knows how you play basketball."

"That was mean," Josh whispered.

"He's my cousin. I'm allowed to tease him a little," Aleah said defensively.

"It's okay. She was just kidding, Josh," Andy said. "Besides, you should have seen the shot I got over Zeke!"

Andy went back to talking animatedly about the game. The girls looked at each other and groaned. Basketball was boring. Why couldn't Andy talk about something interesting? Why didn't he just shut up?

"Shut up, Andy!" Trevor roared. "Shut up or I'm going to knock your lights out!"

"Trevor! It's okay—Andy's just really excited. Be happy for him," Aleah said.

"Well, he is boring me to death!" Trevor yelled.

"Well that doesn't mean you have to yell and scream about it. It's immature," Aleah stated calmly.

"Okay. You know I have a bad temper, though. It surprises me sometimes," Trevor said.

"We know, Trev," Olivia quipped.

"Where's Josh?" Leanne asked. "He was here a minute ago."

"I don't know," Aleah said. "It's like he disappeared."

"I think he headed for the bathrooms," Annie said.

"He'll be back soon," Trevor replied.

Josh didn't return to lunch that day. In fact, he was absent all through the next week. Aleah started to get worried about him. It was boring and silent without him.

Chapter Two

Sunday School Room

AN OLD WOMAN entered the room and motioned to the girls. Aleah knew that meant the ceremony was about to begin. She attempted to squash all her nervousness.

"So, today's the day," Aleah said to Olivia and Leanne. "How do you feel about it?"

"I'm really excited, but at the same time, I'm nervous," Olivia answered.

"I'm cool with it," Leanne said.

"Me too," Aleah stated calmly.

On the inside, Aleah's stomach was churning. She was really nervous. What if she tripped and fell? What if she tore her skirt? What if she threw up? That would be disgusting.

"Are you ladies ready for the ceremony?" the older woman asked. "Remember, you each must perform a song."

"I guess we're ready. Right, girls?" Aleah asked.

"Right," the two other girls echoed shyly.

The three girls walked into the open room. It was filled with family, friends, and strangers.

"Now, these three special ladies will sing a song," the preacher stated.

Aleah sang beautifully. Olivia and Leanne sang well, too. It was the best performance they had ever done.

"Will everyone join me outside for the rest of the ceremony?" asked the preacher. "My three sons will be assisting me in this task."

Aleah almost groaned out loud. Those boys were disgusting. It really didn't matter that they had been on vacation in Spain; it didn't matter that she hadn't seen any of them since June. Those boys were bad news. They dropped the last five girls who got baptized. It was embarrassing! How could they be escorting them?

Everyone exited the building and headed to the river. The girls had no choice but to follow. Aleah was even more nervous now. The boys had gotten hot and juicy over the summer. They were no longer lifeless losers. They had gotten nice bodies, dark tans, and white smiles in Spain. These boys had gone from nasty to nice. It was an incredible transformation that impressed even Aleah.

"Austin, escort Leanne Norton to the water."

Austin, a tall, dark brunette, took her to his father in the water. The preacher said some words and dunked her under. Then Austin escorted her out. Elijah took Olivia down, and the process was repeated.

It was her turn now. The hot guys escorting the girls calmed her nerves. After all, Aleah didn't mind being surrounded by hotness. Of course, Austin and Elijah were taken, but Lucas was the hottest.

Lucas was blond, tall, tan, and mysterious. Last year, he had been major loser material; his brothers had been, too. Now, though, they were hotter than any guys in her school. After all, they were homeschooled. They might even be hotter than Zeke. Lucas might be considered sexy.

Of course, this would only be confirmed if their hotness stayed. If it faded with their tan, they would be out like last year's sweater dresses.

"God help me," Aleah whispered for more than one reason. "Help me be strong."

"Are you ready, Aleah?" Lucas asked her.

"Yeah," Aleah said as they made their way to the water.

When Aleah went under the water, she felt lighter. It was like nothing she'd ever felt. When she came back up, Aleah swore she could see and hear angels singing. It only lasted a moment, but she never wanted that moment to end.

Lucas took her hand and helped her out of the river. He looked down and smiled at her; his smile made her feel dizzy.

Suddenly, Aleah slid on a rock. She was going to fall in the river; she was going to embarrass herself in front of everyone. She was—

A warm hand wrapped around her waist. It steadied her; she didn't fall and embarrass herself. No one even noticed her little slip.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked her.

"Yes. I'm fine," Aleah whispered. "Thank you for keeping me from falling in front of everyone."

"You're welcome." He smiled warmly again. "You were great."

"Why don't we all go back to the church for some lunch and cake?" the preacher broke into the moment.

Aleah saw the preacher glare at Lucas. What had Lucas done? Why would the preacher glare at his son like that? All Lucas had done was catch her. Was that a bad thing? As she watched Lucas walk away, she wondered what the preacher thought had happened there.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Clearing by Melanie Jett Copyright © 2012 by Melanie Jett. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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