Dark Before Dawn Read Free

scents of perfume and perspiration clobbered Dawn as she entered the locker room. Gym. Her heart skipped a beat. She was always last to be picked, never demonstrating the athletic skill that resulted in cheers and high fives. How long would it take her new classmates to discover how uncoordinated she was? A day? Two days?
    Girls changed in the aisles, folding their school clothes into lockers. Dawn brought her tee-shirt and sweatpants into the adjoining bathroom in the rear. At least in the bathroom, she wouldn’t risk someone walking in on her.
    A plump girl emerged from a stall and elbowed past Dawn to the sink. Baggy black sweats, black lipstick and thick black eyeliner made her bloodless face even ghastlier. Coarse red hair fell limply around her shoulders.
    "Looking good, Candace," a rude voice called from somewhere in the locker room.
    The girl’s head shot up and she spun from the mirror. Dawn winced at the silver studs that pierced her nose and eyebrow. Yikes, that must have hurt. A bunch of girls giggled.
    Candace stared at them, long and hard. Then she smirked, strode around the corner and disappeared through the gym door.
    Dawn crammed herself into the stall, giving silent thanks that she passed the appearance test. Her hair wasn’t anything special, but she’d had gold highlights added to spice up the brown. She was in decent shape from walking around Boston, and Dawn spent her birthday money on "in clothes" at the Gap.
    She got changed and lagged into the gymnasium behind a blonde in tight red shorts that showed off slender tanned legs. The girl’s crinkly hair bounced with her wiggly walk.
    This was Renee, the object of Ken’s crush. Dawn accepted the knowledge as she'd accepted her other certainties over the years.
    She followed Renee over to a bank of bleachers. Championship sports banners garnished the dreary cinderblock walls. A flush climbed Dawn’s cheeks. Everyone had a friend to sit with, except her. She noticed Renee looking her over.
    Dawn drew in a shaky breath and sat down. "Hi, I’m Dawn."
    "Whatever." Renee slid a few inches away and whispered to her friend. Too late, Dawn recognized Renee’s voice. She was the girl who made fun of Candace in the locker room. Wonderful. Way to use the psychic radar.
    A cute guy with wavy black hair and an athletic build glanced back from the next row of seats. "Lay off, Renee, can’t you see she’s new? I’m Scott." He nodded towards Dawn, revealing his perfect teeth in a lopsided smile that made her tingle to her toes. Gosh, he was cute.
    "Oh, please, Scott, what are you, the Welcome Wagon?" Renee demanded.
    "Uh, hi," Dawn stammered, but she doubted Scott heard. Her throat muscles weren’t working properly, either paralyzed by his gorgeousness or Renee’s snootiness.
    Mrs. Welch, a lady with an auburn ponytail and the height of a professional basketball player, assigned them alphabetically into squads on the floor. Dawn found herself seated on a point of the royal blue star painted across center court. Candace Caldwell, since she had a "C" last name like Dawn, knelt in front of her.
    Mrs. Welch closed her book and folded her arms over her sweat suit. "Since the weather’s rainy, we’ll stay inside and play basketball. Renee, you're captain. You and Scott."
    Dawn suppressed a groan. Surprise, surprise. Another lazy gym teacher who used captains rather than divide the students herself. That meant another humiliating year of being picked last.
    Renee and Scott made their way to the front. Renee placed her hands on her hips. "But Mrs. W., can't Scott and I be on the same team? He is my boyfriend."
    Her boyfriend? No wonder she’d gotten mad when he defended Dawn. Scott knitted his eyebrows as a couple of his friends hooted.
    "Quiet everybody," Mrs. Welch said. "Just pick, Renee."
    Renee chose one of her friends first. Scott surveyed the crowd and pointed at Dawn. "You. The new girl."
    Dawn froze. Uncertain, she got up and shuffled toward him.
    "Welcome