Read I Swear for Free Online

slow, strong kiss that made me gasp out loud like a damn fool. And they sat there kissing for a good long time, at least a minute or two.
    Long enough for me to gather my senses, grab my phone, and take three pictures.
    I wasn’t sure why I took them.
    But all at once, I had a plan.

7. BETH
    When Jenkins started the assembly, it was silent, and that’s saying something. Over one thousand living, breathing anythings are generally noisy. Over one thousand high schoolers can be deafening. I’ve heard it. Last fall when I scored a perfect 10 on the beam in competition, I thought the roof was falling into the gym, the cheering was so loud. Coach Stevens was the only one who was quiet. He stood there looking at me as I walked toward him, his hands on his hips, shaking his head. It wasn’t until I got right up to him that I saw he was crying.
    He waited until I got next to him, then he grabbed me and wrapped me up in the biggest bear hug I’ve ever had and whispered into my neck so softly:
    “Atta girl. You’re going all the way.”
    That made me choke up, and of course, I had to stare up into the lights to keep my eyeliner from running all over theplace, and I just hate watching wimpy girls cry—especially at the Olympics. I mean, I am all for being happy that you win and jumping up and down and everything, but, c’mon. Crying and whispering “Thank you, God” to the ceiling? Because God wanted you to get a perfect 10 on the beam that day? Like he didn’t have anything to look after in Haiti? Quake victims have no clean water, and half the kids on the island are dying of dysentery, but, sure—God stopped by the gym at Westport High in Seattle to make sure that you nailed the dismount.
    Urrrgh. I just hate that.
    And I hate peppermint tea, which is what Katherine brought back when she slipped into the assembly and slid into our bleacher.
    “Sorry,” she whispered. “They were all out of the chamomile. Hope peppermint is okay.”
    Peppermint is not okay. It makes me think of Christmas at Grandma Cratchin’s, which is always awful and long and boring, and Grandpa always makes us take turns reading Luke 2 in the living room before we can open presents, while Grandma is pouring everybody enough peppermint tea to make us float to Bethlehem without boats.
    But I just took the cup and smiled back at her. There’s nothing to do but smile back at Katherine’s smile. It’s a billion watts of perfect teeth that’s been practiced in front of a mirror for enough hours to win tiaras and sashes in seven different pageant systems so far. It’s sort of a weapon of mass destruction,really. Not a lot of black girls winning pageants in Seattle—or seats on the student council at Westport High until last year.
    It’s wild. Macie replaced Jillian on the ticket without even telling her. Just showed up, and blam—Katherine was the VP. It was nuts that first week of school last fall. Jillian was crazed, trying to keep up with what was going on, but not stepping on Macie’s toes. Trying not to let the news that she was high pissed show on her face.
    But make no mistake. She was pissed. Pissed, but silent. The Jillian way.
    Everybody was silent now, as Principal Jenkins ticked off the facts:
1. FACT: Leslie Gatlin was found dead this morning of carbon monoxide poisoning in her mother’s Audi, which had been idling for some seven hours with the garage door closed.
2. FACT: Leslie Gatlin’s mother had called the paramedics, who had rushed to the scene.
3. FACT: After trying to resuscitate Leslie Gatlin, she was pronounced dead on arrival at University of Washington Medical Center.
4. FACT: Students were asked to seek the help of the guidance counselor, Marilynne Hennesy, if they needed to talk with someone about any feelings that Leslie’s death was bringing up for them, or any suicidal thoughts they might be having as a result.
5. FACT: Student council president Macie Merrick had a few words to say before we were