Read Restless (Element Preservers, #4) for Free Online Page B

what.
    "Who do we have here?" a familiar voice said. "You're going to get your skirt dirty."
    "Michael." I roughly wiped away my tears and looked up at him. He looked good as usual, his brown hair messy, his green eyes warm.
    "Did you get tired of playing the president?" He crossed his arms.
    "Of course not." I scowled. "But if you'd like to take my place, go ahead. I'm not sure how you could do it under the current system, so I'm really sorry that I'll have to keep my position of the president so that someone with anti-carrier feelings doesn't substitute me."
    Michael sighed. "I'm sorry. I forget that you don't have such an easy job. It is so easy to hate you."
    "I'm glad to hear you moved on." I rose from the floor and brushed the dust off my skirt. Obviously everyone was too busy with researching to clean up the halls. "Although dating Adrian's crazy ex..."
    "Really, Ria?" He shook his head in disapproval.
    "Yeah, ok. Who am I to judge? You're right about that." I ran a hand through my hair, wondering whether my makeup was smeared. Asking Michael about it was out of the question, though. Even if my hair looked like a bunch of squirrels had had a fight in it, I'd have to wait until I found a mirror to fix it.
    "I'm glad we agree about something." He glanced down the hall and back at me. "Were you visiting someone?"
    "Yeah, April." Judging by a troubled look on Michael's face, he knew who April was, but hadn't expected me to go anywhere near her. "She seems like a nice girl." A girl who should be in school with her friends, who should be able to swim in the sea, who should be riding her bike and worry about grades, boys or whatever she liked.
    "That's cold. Even for you, Ria." He glared at me. "How can you go visit her when you know she'll have to stay here because of you?"
    "I'm not going to take the damn element," I said angrily. "Apparently, everyone wants me to take it, but I can't do it."
    "Would you take it if April was older than you?"
    "I don't know." Was there actually a real reason why I deserved the element before someone else? Maybe there was, but April wasn't an adult.
    "Lily and Paula will fight you on this. You are the only one who can be the president that is pro-carrier. You just told me that yourself a minute ago." His face softened.
    "Not you too." I groaned. "Yes, I understand that we're in a delicate situation, but I think I can hold on a bit longer. If Paula hadn't come up with the idea of donations, we wouldn't even be discussing this."
    "And if you end up in April's place?" His green eyes bored into mine.
    "Then I'll end up in her place."
     
    "Am I interrupting something?" I peered into the room where Paula and Ryan were talking about something in hushed voices.
    Paula turned around, nearly knocking a book off the table. "No, of course not." Ryan only grinned at me.
    "Right." I'd left Michael in the hall because he was waiting for Amaya, and I didn't want to go anywhere near her, but maybe I shouldn't have come to see Paula instead. She looked positively busy with Ryan.
    "Ryan was just telling me how he'd like to help me with my research," Paula said, nudging him in the ribs. "Right?"
    "Yeah, totally," he said, placing his hand over the spot that she'd hit. "I'd gladly offer myself to you in the name of science."
    I burst out laughing. "I don't think you can refuse this kind offer, Paula."
    "Shut up. Both of you." Her mouth twitched. "Ria, how did it go with April?"
    "She was happy to see me. Actually, she was happy that someone other than the doctors visited her." My good humor faded. "I think you can guess what I decided to do. I can't believe you didn't tell me she was so young!"
    "Ria..." Paula lowered her eyes, taking off the white gloves that she had used for some experiment. "It's horrible what's happening to April and I'd do anything to help her, but you need that element too. We can't sacrifice thousands so one can live in peace. We'll find another donor soon. I'm sure of it, so it's better