Read Awaking (The Naturals, #1) for Free Online Page A

made an exasperated noise. “She’s a fake. Why do I need to pay someone to tell me what I want to hear? I’ve got you for that.”
    “Lee, you’re so wrong. Morgan’s right, like, all the time! I live by her horoscopes during the school year!”
    Morgan stopped at the foot of the stairs and cleared her throat. Lia and Alecia both jumped, but Alecia recovered quickly, rushing to Morgan’s side and hooking her arm through Morgan’s.
    “Look! It’s fate!”
    Morgan glanced at her out the corner of her eye. “Or I’m just headed to my car.”
    Alecia laughed, pulling Morgan toward Lia. “Morgan, we’re in desperate need of your talents. Lia needs a reading so you can put her mind at ease about her future.” She leaned in toward Morgan conspiratorially. “I think it’s college. Her parents are all over her about applications and visits… It’s all she talks about.”
    Lia waved her hand in Alecia’s direction. “Hello? I’m standing right here.”
    “She needs a reading,” Alecia insisted, “she’s just being stubborn.”
    Lia planted a hand on her hip. “I do not need a reading,” she said firmly. “No one does.”
    Morgan snorted. “Tell me how you really feel.”
    “I’m sorry,” Lia said, her hand moving from her hip to the cross resting in hollow of her neck, “but I just don’t believe in this psychic stuff.”
    “Fine.” Morgan disentangled her arm from Alecia’s and started toward the stairwell door.
    “No, wait!” Alecia ran ahead of Morgan and blocked her path.
    Morgan crossed her arms over her chest. “Look, even if she did want a reading, why would I help her? She’s insulted my abilities, and she was a jerk to me at the meeting. So, if you’ll let me pass...”
    Alecia cast an exasperated look over Morgan’s shoulder. “Lee, will you just do it?”
    Morgan turned just in time to see Lia’s face soften. She sighed. “Fine.”
    Alecia clapped excitedly, but Morgan shook her head, still looking at Lia. “My question stands. Why should I help you?”
    “I’ll pay you double,” Alecia said quickly.
    Morgan turned to survey her but didn’t respond.
    Alecia looked panicked. “Triple!”
    At this, Morgan smiled. “Okay. Where do you wanna do it? I’d rather not be out here in the stairwell.”
    “There’s a teacher’s lounge right over here…”
    Alecia led the way through the hall and pushed open a door to reveal a dingy lounge with a dozen dilapidated chairs arranged around a long table and a few sad-looking couches lining the walls.
    Before Morgan could take in much more, Lia brushed past her and planted herself firmly on the closest couch.
    “Let’s get this over with,” she said, arms crossed over her chest.
    “Wow, tell me how you really feel,” Morgan muttered, sitting beside Lia on the bench. Without waiting for a retort, she held out her hand, palm up, toward Lia. “Gimme your hand.”
    After the slightest moment of hesitation, Lia obliged. She placed her hand in Morgan’s, palm up, but her fingers were curled over as if she were contemplating making a fist. With her free hand, Morgan unfurled Lia’s digits. She felt the tension in Lia’s hand, felt her start slightly when Morgan brushed her thumbs lightly over the flesh of her palm. As Morgan looked at the different lines—heart, head, life—she tried to block out the thoughts swirling in her mind. Alecia said Lia’s worry centered around college. It wasn’t surprising. Lia was, as far as Morgan could tell, an overachiever at everything. That her parents were behind it in some way was understandable. As Morgan thumbed Lia’s life line, she relaxed herself. Exhaled. Her skin started to tingle, but she figured it was due to the fact they were in a room students weren’t allowed to be in. Or because she was itching to go out to her car and check her cell phone. To focus, she closed her eyes.
    “College isn’t going to be an issue for you,” Morgan said after a moment, eyes still closed. The