All In My Head (First Tracks Book 1) Read Free Page A

I can’t take the
walls anymore.
    “Yeah, we’re waiting to get discharged.” I stopped and
watched the door for a second. “Then we have a short drive back to Ashland. Where
do you live? What year is it for you?”
    You gotta get off the “you’re a ghost” thing. Christ. I’m not
dead. Okay, we’re moving on. You said Ashland? Where’s that?
    “Maybe Ashland is too tiny for you to recognize. How about
Eugene?”
    Ahh, no.
    “Portland?”
    Portland, Maine?
    “What? No. Oregon.”
    We’re in Oregon?
    “Are you from the East Coast or something?”
    I don’t know … that doesn’t feel right. Avery, did anything
weird happen before or after your accident?
    “Besides suddenly hearing someone talking in my head? No. I
was perfectly normal, hoping to get home in time to read a while before bed,
and then I went flying and landed on my head. Maybe I should ask you that
question. Did anything weird happen to you before you woke up in my head?”
    A pause, a long one.
    “Well?”
    I don’t know.
    “You don’t seem to know much of anything besides your name.
How is that going to help us? What’s your last name? Where are you from?
Marcus?”
    Hey, look at that, you finally said my name.
    I heard Kyle’s laugh down the hall. They paused outside the
door, talking for a minute before coming in. The nurse came by to remove my IV
and let me get dressed in my normal clothes. Then, at long last, Dr. Hartley
came through and discharged me. Kyle acted like he was more than ready to head
back. He and Kristina probably made plans for tonight. He went to get the car
while they wheeled me to the front door in a wheelchair, per hospital policy.
    It was almost dark outside. Maybe six something? I pulled in
a deep breath of fresh air, mostly relieved to be out of there. There wasn’t
any reason why I couldn’t come back if this didn’t clear up.
    Kristina sat up front in Kyle’s low rider racing car, as he
called it. It was a suped-up Honda with giant speakers and after-factory
upgrades. It was the same stupid car he had driven me around in, bragging about
all the expensive parts he put into it.
    I sat in the back seat with my head lying back on the rest.
I let them talk up front and pretended to doze off. I did so well at pretending
I think I actually did fall asleep until Marcus started talking again. It
occurred to me that maybe we knew each other somehow, in some vague way that
wasn’t connecting right now. So I stopped him to ask, Who are you? What do
you like to do?
    I know I love to snowboard, skateboard, hike, white water
kayak, and about anything else I can do outdoors. I’m not sure what I was doing
before this … probably shredding some fresh pow. I just know I’m here, wherever here is, where you can hear
me.
    What’s fresh pow?
    Fresh powder? Snow. You know the stuff on the mountains. I also
know I don’t like being stuck somewhere, not able to do anything. It’s like you
plucked me out of my life and wiped my memory.
    Well, lo siente and all, but I didn’t invite you in,
either. It’s not like I went out and kidnapped you. I’m going crazy here, and
you’re complaining about being stuck IN MY HEAD. See where I’m coming from?
Maybe we can figure out what’s going on and get rid of you.
    As they say, make my day.

Chapter Two
 
    “Avery? Do you want help getting to your room?” Kristina’s
hand rubbed my arm through my sweater. I rubbed my eyes, still not liking how I
felt when I woke up. Hopefully that would go away soon. I’d have to read my
discharge instructions.
    For crying out loud …
    “I think I can manage,” I said, sliding out of the car.
“You’re not coming in?” It’d started sprinkling.
    “We’re going to catch a movie … unless you want me to stay
with you?” She glanced in the car, at Kyle. “Or you could come?”
    “No, don’t worry about me.” I reached in for my bag while
she went to the trunk for the rest of my stuff. She gave me a bag from Taco Bell.
    “I