Mark of the Seer Read Free

are ya?”
    “NO! Jeez, Kora. You're a moron!” I laughed, shoving her lightly. That was Kora—never serious, always the joker. Unlike me who, mostly, got right to the point. “Just take it slow. Enjoy being single. Forget about boys and relationships, and just have fun.”
    “OK, ma,” she spoke sarcastically. “I'll be a good little girl tonight.”
    I wasn't too sure of that.
    We got out of my rust bucket of a car, slamming our doors simultaneously. Walking arm-in-arm Kora whispered, “Thanks, Clare.”
    “For what?”
    She leaned her head on my shoulder. “For looking out for me.”
    I snorted. “Somebody's gotta do it.” And I meant it.
    Kora had no one else but me to look after her. Her mama was always home but usually too high from drugs and drinking to bother, and she'd never met her daddy, which was probably the reason she always felt she had to sleep with guys just to keep them. Made me feel guilty for always thinking my life sucked.
    The scene was everything I'd imagined. Clusters of kids with open beer cans in their hands, ready to get their buzzes on. Smoke encircled one group, from cigarette or pot, I wasn't sure. It sure smelled like pot. I had tried the stuff a few years back and it made me so sick I thought I was going to die. So I usually go for the alcohol, which sometimes makes me sick, too. Not as bad as pot, though.
    At parties, in any given situation, there're temptations. You know, the feeling of belonging. The need to follow the crowd, no matter how stupid the situation. I try not to fall into the crowd, even though it's the easiest thing to do. Most called it peer pressure; I called it being a mindless robot.
    We passed some redneck guys leaning on a pickup, decked out in red and white trucker hats. They tossed us each a bottle of beer, which they retrieved out of their red and white cooler. I joked to Kora about how they probably got together before the party, planned ahead, and matched their hats with the cooler. Like how girls sometimes synchronized their outfits. We laughed until tears fell from our eyes. Before we made it to the entrance of the barn we downed the free bottles of beer the trucker-hatters had given us.
    Then a realization hit me when my eyes found Brenton standing in front of the barn, talking to some guys. The realization told me that my time was up—it was time to tell him my true feelings. Anxiety picked at my stomach, unsettling me. I opened my mouth, surprised at the thunderous belch that slipped out.
    Kora turned sharply, bemused. “D aaang . Always a lady, huh, Miller?” She let out a cackle. I was mortified.
    “Do you think anyone heard that?” I whispered, looking around.
    “I bet God in heaven heard that one,” Kora remarked, winking at me. My face was on fire with mortification.
    “It wasn't that bad, Kora.” I rolled my eyes. But I was lying. If I had done that in a burping competition I would've won it hands down. No question—that belch was huge ! Luckily no one could hear because of the rock music blasting from the barn.
    We were almost to the entrance when Kora pulled me to the side, pushing me down to a kneeling position behind a bale of hay. Her nails dug into my arm. I yelped in shock.
    “OW! What the heck, Kora?”
    “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” she told me, sounding like a broken record. She wasn't looking at me; she was looking straight ahead. “I didn't know there was a new guy in town.”
    I raised an eyebrow. “What are ya talkin' about?”
    Without looking at me she said, “I'm talkin' about that bronzed god standing next to Brenton.”
    Carefully and cautiously, I stood up to peer over the hay. It was hard to see through the thick of people. I squinted my eyes, browsed the crowd until I found Brenton. When I found him, I found his friend. Uncontainable laughter bubbled out of me.
    “What?” Kora inquired innocently.
    I halted my laughter, cleared my throat, trying to look serious. “Kora. Are you pulling my leg?”
    Her jaw