Read Playing with Fire for Free Online

Pumas—the ones her mom hated—so she could run away if she had to. All she needed now was a small army of supporters to get her through the school day. She needed to find her best friend, pronto.
    After Grandmother Diamond’s party, Alison had gone home feeling strange and confused.Tamara’s offer, Chad’s distance—and what was with Kelly wearing her skirt?—none of it added up. Unable to handle one more prodding comment or pitying look, Alison had slipped some money out of her grandmother’s dresser drawer, called a cab, and left early. She’d thought she needed support. Turned out she’d just needed to be alone.
    She was home when she saw the magazine on the table in the kitchen. It was one of the rags Elise liked to read that specialized in humiliating celebrities by showing pics of them looking fat or not wearing makeup. It was the kind of trash Helen hated, and normally it wasn’t Alison’s thing, either. But she was looking for distraction. She’d take what she could get. She’d picked it up to see what lame-o celeb they were embarrassing this week and choked on her bottled water.
    The lame-o was her . There she was with her mom, in a full-color two-page spread. Not just once, three times. The caption below a picture of her and her mom in embarrassing matching outfits read: LIKE MOTHER , LIKE DAUGHTER ? Alison suddenly felt dizzy.
    Alison pushed the horrible night and thehorrible magazine from her mind and quickened her pace toward her locker, where she hoped her friends would be waiting. The only way she was going to make it out of this black hole was with the help of Chad and Kelly and the rest of their group. She needed to set things straight with Chad, get to the bottom of the weird vibe she had been feeling at the party, and tell Kelly that if she had really wanted the skirt she should have just said something at the store. It was no big deal.
    Spotting the back of Chad’s curly head, Alison felt her mouth start to curve up in a smile. He was so cute. And so sweet. Easily the nicest guy at Stafford. As she focused on his curls, she saw something winding its way through them—a hand—playing with the locks, twisting his curls around perfectly manicured fingers with Frostbite-colored nails. She didn’t have to see any more to know who the fingers belonged to. Alison had seen those fingers getting into things they didn’t belong in all her life. Kelly was playing with her boyfriend’s hair!
    â€œWhat do you think you’re doing?” Alison could hear the quiver in her voice over hermusic. She did not bother to pull out her earbuds. She only wished they could drown out everything that was going on. Kelly’s arm was draped over Chad’s shoulder, and she didn’t look remotely apologetic.
    â€œHere we go,” Kelly said to Chad, ignoring Alison. She rolled her eyes and assumed an expression of absolute boredom.
    Chad whipped around. He looked surprised and caught. “Alison. Hey,” he mumbled. “I didn’t think you were coming back to school yet.”
    â€œObviously,” Alison choked out. She looked Kelly straight in the face and begged with her eyes for this not to be happening. Not this. Not now.
    Kelly flashed a cruel, cold smile. “Welcome back, Al,” she cooed. She ran her nails down the back of Chad’s neck. “Chad, tell her.”
    â€œI’ve been thinking,” Chad said to his shoes.
    â€œIt looks like you’ve been doing more than thinking.” Alison found her tongue. It was that thing in her mouth that suddenly seemed as big as a jumbo hot dog.
    â€œWell, um, we were pretty much broken up,anyway,” Chad said with a shrug. He looked at Kelly, as if for confirmation, and to continue avoiding Alison’s gaze.
    Broken up? Broken up? “We weren’t broken up at all!” Alison said loudly. This had to be a joke. Alison looked from Kelly to Chad