In My Father's Shadow Read Free

a self proclaimed
Monday hater,” Cole said, smiling at her from across the table as
he scooped up a forkful of eggs.
    She stuck her tongue out at him while her heart
performed a series of gymnastic moves. She sent a strong verbal
warning to her heart, telling it to knock off the idiocy – it was
only Cole. “The first day of school doesn’t suck.”
    “Just the second. And the third. And the fourth,” RJ
said. Cole, who was sitting next to him, bumped RJ’s shoulder with
a laugh.
    “I won’t argue that,” Ally said as she nibbled on her
toast.
    “Look at this schedule, Ally,” Alec, Ally’s younger
brother, complained as he slid his tray on the other side of Jamie.
He was a freshman and starting his first year at Woodsedge Academy.
“They have me running all over the place.”
    Ally reached across Jamie and took Alec’s schedule.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “All the buildings are close
together. You have it made.”
    “Are you in any of my classes this year?” Jamie asked
her, digging his schedule out of his backpack.
    “I don’t know but if I am, that doesn’t mean I’m
doing your homework for you,” she said in a haughty tone.
    “Maybe he’s offering to do yours for you,” RJ said
flashing a brilliant smile.
    She threw her crust at him. “Whatever.”
    “Ally,” Jeana called, stopping briefly at their
table, tray in her hands. “You don’t always have to sit with these
guys. Come sit with us.”
    Ally looked over at the table Jeana pointed out and
shook her head. Most of the girls Jeana sat with were huge gossip
mongers and Ally had no desire to listen to it. Besides, a couple
of those girls had only tried to befriend Ally her freshman year
when they found out her father was Jay Jones, lead singer for Tight
Control. “Nah, I’m fine. Besides, these guys are more feminine than
you think.” Cole grunted as the others threw various pieces of food
at her. She laughed, ducking and swatting, then slung her backpack
over her shoulder and grabbed her tray. “I am out of here. See you
guys later.”
    “Ally,” Alec pleaded. “You said you’d show me where
my first class is.”
    “I got your back, cuz,” Jamie said, bumping Alec’s
shoulder. “She tries to play like she’s all tough and stuff but you
know she wants to hang out with other girls and gossip about
boys.”
    Cole chuckled and Ally sent him a glare. “Laugh it up
but those so called girls I gossip with are the ones you three want
to date.” She grinned wickedly and leaned closer. “I can tell them
things.” She wiggled her fingers at them and marched out of the
cafeteria, her long ponytail swinging behind her.
    “She’s evil,” RJ said, watching her. “I pity the guy
who tries to tame her.”
    ***
    Ally slumped in her chair, listening to her History
teacher drone on about classroom rules and what was expected of her
that semester. It was the same old spiel every year and in every
class. Picking up her pencil, she doodled idly on her new notebook,
drawing little hearts and stars in the corners as her mind
drifted.
    Something was definitely off with Cole – she’d sensed
it when she’d met up with him again Friday night at the bonfire.
That carefree, easy friendship that had existed between the two of
them since birth had been strained – almost forced. She was quite
certain she knew the cause but she wasn’t ready to fess up just
yet. She wanted to explore it a little more, see if it had any
merit. And especially see if it was something she wanted to pursue.
As much as she loved Jamie and RJ and cherished their friendship,
Cole had always been the closest to her – even though Jamie was her
cousin. As a matter of fact, Cole was the first person she’d called
when she’d received her acceptance letter into the elite softball
camp she’d attended most of the summer. And she was the one he’d
called through their younger years as his father battled his mother
to gain custody of him.
    She sighed, blowing air at