Read Briar Rose for Free Online Page B

daydreams . . . again.
    Reena pulled her phone out of her pocket. ‘I’m going to call Gran to see what’s going on.’ She stepped away, turning her back to muffle the party noise.
    Briar kept watch on Pat as he made his way towards her, stopping along the way to talk to other kids. His dark hair was softly tousled, just short of collar length, and he had a rich tan from
his job as a lifeguard at the local pool. He wore faded jeans, a black T-shirt that moulded to his chest, and a runway model smile.
    When Reena turned back towards her, her eyes were wide and her shoulders stiff as she ended the call.
    ‘Hey, you OK? Something wrong with your gran?’ Briar asked.
    ‘No . . . she’s . . .’ Reena’s eyes met hers. ‘She didn’t pick up. Gran Lily always picks up.’
    ‘She’s probably just having a nap or something’.
    Reena shook her head. ‘Something’s wrong here. I’m scared that the curse is for real, Briar.’
    ‘Oh, come on. That’s total crap. I know all the stuff your gran is teaching you is kind of spooky, but seriously – a curse? That’s kids’ book stuff.’
    Her friend didn’t respond, but the way she stared at her made Briar take a step back. ‘OK, if you think this curse thing is righteous, what if tonight’s all I’ve got
left? What should I do to make it perfect?’ she said. ‘Here’s a clue: no one wants to go to their grave a virgin.’
    Reena’s deep frown told her she’d struck a nerve. ‘Don’t be stupid. Don’t trust that loser. Pat’s not like you think.’
    ‘Whatever,’ Briar murmured. ‘Go be a bummer somewhere else, OK? I’ve got a guy to charm and you’re not helping.’
    ‘When you’re ready to go home, find me. I’m going to try calling Gran again,’ Reena said, then cut off towards the water.
    Now Briar felt like a jerk. She didn’t like arguing with her best friend. Besides, if tonight was her last night, she wanted it to be special. Memorable.
    Feeling her cheeks warm at what that might entail, Briar returned her attention to Bliss’s star athlete and full-time chick magnet. He’d already dated a few girls, but word was that
he was on his own at the moment and she knew that wouldn’t last long. To Briar’s amazement, he’d been paying more attention to her ever since she’d broken up with Mike.
    He tracked right for her like she was the only girl at the party.
    ‘Hey, birthday girl,’ he said. Then, to her surprise, Pat leaned close and dropped a kiss on her cheek. The scent of musky aftershave tickled her nose.
    ‘Thanks!’ Suddenly self-conscious, she felt lots of eyes on them. In particular, she noted the stern frown on Joshua’s face.
    Like he had any reason to be upset.
    ‘Briar?’ Pat nudged.
    ‘Huh? Oh, sorry. What did you say?’
    ‘I said I was hungry. Let’s go stoke up on some food.’
    They wandered through the party, chatting with other kids. She couldn’t help but notice the jealous expressions of some of the other girls, including her cousin.
    Finally they reached the twin picnic tables, which were laden with munchies. It was the usual summer fare – lots of meat for the guys and vegetables and carbs for the girls. Pat threaded
three hot dogs on a skewer and took them over to the fire. Briar wasn’t hungry, not with her stomach churning around, so she grabbed a paper plate and loaded it up with buns and chips for
Pat.
    When she was finished, Briar placed the plate on an empty picnic table. Pat was joking with one of the other guys, taking his time doing the grilling thing. It was then that she had the unusual
feeling of being watched far too closely.
    She turned to find Joshua standing behind her, the Border collie at his feet. He looked nervous, twisting something in his one hand.
    ‘What is it with you?’ she said, trying to keep her voice low. ‘You want to get us grounded?’
    ‘No. But . . .’
    Pat called out to her that the hot dogs were about done.
    ‘OK,’ she called back. ‘What’s up,