Read Perfect Chemistry 1 for Free Online

I'm paranoid. Sierra is a true friend; she was even
    there when I cried last year about my mom's nervous breakdown but
    never revealed the reason. She let me cry it out, even when I refused
    to give her details.
    I don't want to end up like my mom. That's my biggest fear in life.
    Ms. Small has us get in formation, then plays the custom music
    made for our squad by the music department while I count off. It's a
    mixture of hip-hop and rap music, specially mixed for our routine.
    We've titled our routine ‘Big, Bad Bulldogs’ because our team mascot is
    the bulldog. My body hums to the beat. That's what I love about being
    part of the squad. It's the music that pulls me in and makes me forget
    about my problems at home. Music is my drug, the one thing that makes
    me numb.
    "Ms. Small, can we try starting in the broken T position instead of
    the T position like we previously practiced?" I say. "Then go into the
    low V and high V combos with Morgan, Isabel, and Caitlin moving to the
    front. I think it'll look cleaner."
    Ms. Small smiles, obviously pleased with my suggestion. "Good idea,
    Brittany. Let's try it. We'll start in the broken T position, elbows bent.
    During the transition I want Morgan, Isabel, and Caitlin in the front
    row. Remember to keep your shoulders down. Sierra, please make your
    wrists an extension of your arms instead of bending them."
    "Yes, ma'am," Sierra says from behind me.
    Ms. Small plays the music again. The beat, the lyrics, the
    instruments . . . they all seep into my veins and lift me up no matter
    how low I feel. As I dance in sync with the other girls, I forget about
    Carmen and Alex and my mom and everything else.
    The song is over too quickly. I still want to move to the beat and
    the lyrics when Ms. Small turns off her CD player. The second time
    around is better, but our formation needs work and some of the new
    girls are having a hard time with the steps.
    "Brittany, you teach the basic moves to the new girls and then we'll
    try it as a group again. Darlene, you lead the rest of the squad in
    reviewing the steps," Ms. Small instructs as she hands me the CD
    player.
    Isabel is in my group. She kneels down to take a drink from her
    water bottle. "Don't worry about Carmen," she says. "Most of the time
    her bark is worse than her bite."
    "Thanks," I say. Isabel looks tough, with her red Latino Blood
    bandanna, three eyebrow rings, and hands always folded on her chest
    when she's not doing the routines. But she has kind eyes. And smiles a
    lot. Her smile softens her harsh appearance, although if she put a pink
    bow in her hair instead of a red Latino Blood bandanna I bet she'd
    actually look girly. "You're in my chemistry class, aren't you?" I ask.
    She nods.
    "And you know Alex Fuentes?"
    She nods again.
    "Are the rumors about him true?" I ask carefully, not knowing how
    she's going to react to my prying. If I'm not careful, I'll have a long
    list of people who are out to get me.
    Isabel's long brown hair moves as she talks. "Depends on which
    ones you're referring to."
    As I'm about to rattle off the list of rumors outlining Alex's drug
    use and police arrests, Isabel stands. "Listen, Brittany," she says. "You
    and me, we'll never be friends. But I have to tell you, no matter how
    much of a jerk Alex was to you today, he's not as bad as the rumors.
    He's even not as bad as he'd like to think he is."
    Before I can ask another question, Isabel is back in formation.
    An hour and a half later, when we're all exhausted and crabby and
    even I've had enough, we're dismissed from practice. I make a point of
    walking over to a sweating Isabel and telling her what a good job she
    did today on the routine.
    "Really?" she asks, looking surprised.
    "You're a fast learner," I tell her. It's true. For a girl who never
    tried out for poms the first three years of high school, she's caught
    on to the routine really fast. "That's why we put you on the front line."
    While Isabel's mouth is still open in shock,