Read Feudlings for Free Online Page B

was talking to you!” she shrieked as she noticed Ari had gotten up and walked out.
    “Oh, were you talking to me? I didn’t realize. Please, continue,” Ari called over her shoulder as she wound her way down the crowded dorm hall toward the stairs. She allowed herself a wicked grin as she heard the angry slam of the door.
    She was taller than most everybody in both the girls’ dorm buildings, so it was impossible to blend in. But thanks to the excitement of her ladder incident, she could say it was the first school where everyone had heard of her before her height or her vibrant hair drew their attention. The halls were packed and noisy with senior girls preparing for their first day of school, and there was a visible mist of hairspray and perfume clinging to the walls. Ari was expecting stares and whispers, and she got them. With a resigned sigh, she drew herself up to her full height and prepared to ignore it all. It was as ingrained as brushing her teeth, which she did twice a day. Sometimes three times. But she refused to go to the dentist. That was just scary.
    What she wasn’t expecting was a tiny, squealing brunette, and a beautiful black girl to come barreling down the stairs after her. “Ari! They let you out!” Livi bounced next to her. Ari stopped, startled and slightly confused as she looked from one to the other.
    “Oh girl! We were worried they’d make you miss the first day of school. We came to check on you a thousand times but Neemer wouldn’t let us in.” Nevaeh fell into step on Ari’s other side. Ari was surrounded. With a quick grin, Livi grabbed her arm and started dragging her forward, since she still stood in the middle of the staircase, blocking the flow of traffic. It was not what Ari had been prepared for and she wasn’t entirely positive she knew how to handle kindness.
    “Come on. If we hurry just a little we can show you where a few of your classes are before we have to go to ours,” Livi said. Ari, not sure what else to do, followed her.
    Once they were outside Livi let go of her arm and stopped. “Let’s see that schedule.” Nevaeh took the paper out of Ari’s unresponsive hand. The air was crisp and cool and Ari sucked in a head-clearing lungful, tasting it at the back of her throat.
    Livi scurried to Nevaeh’s side and peeked at the schedule. “Oooh! We’ve got Chemistry together! I’ve had Mr. Bell before. He’s great.” Livi was bouncing again as she looked up with an excited grin.
    “Me too! We’re gonna rock that class.” Nevaeh started dancing toward the main building. Ari tried not to smile.
    She glanced over her shoulder, taking in the plain brick dorms behind her that she hadn’t even had a chance to get bored in yet. Just rectangular, two-story buildings, surrounded by bushes that no doubt had a ton of spiders. Ari shook her head. She hated spiders.
    The lawns between the dorms and the main building were beautiful though, with lots of flowers and trees and pathways.
    “And I’ve got… Hey! Whatcha lookin’ at? Ya’ll never seen a supermodel before?” Nev snapped at a bunch of sophomores who had stopped nearby and were staring. Ari hadn’t even noticed them. They broke up with guilty glances and scampered away, whispering. Nevaeh cast Ari an impish smile as Ari threw her an incredulous stare. She was about to point out that they were no doubt staring at the whole side of her face, which was still black and blue and slightly puffy, but Nevaeh spoke first, drawing her arm through the crook of Ari’s elbow. “Come on. I’ve got Calculus with you, too. First period. Who in their right mind schedules math first thing in the morning?” Nevaeh shook her head in disbelief.
    “I’ve got Art. About as far away from your room as you can get.” Livi sighed. Frowning at the ground, she looped her arm through Ari’s other elbow. If Ari didn’t know better, she would think they were making sure she didn’t make a run for it. Not that the thought