On the Meldon Plain (The Fourline Trilogy Book 2) Read Free Page A

caught up with her, they could work through their lab notes before class. Her phone vibrated as she jumped over a pile of slushy snow. She pulled the phone from her back pocket and checked the number.
    “Hey, Mom.” She grimaced from the sharp ache in her shoulder and shifted the phone to her left hand.
    “Nat.” Her mom sounded surprised. “I wasn’t expecting you to answer.”
    “It’s your lucky morning,” she said through the pain.
    “Really? Doesn’t sound like it. What’s going on?”
    “Nothing, just a busy week, that’s all.”
    “Hmm. You’ve been pretty busy since January, as far as I can tell. Which brings me to the point of my call. I am officially giving you three weeks’ notice so you can free up some time.”
    “For what?” Nat passed the library and skipped onto the path leading to the Science Center.
    “Cal’s decided. She’ll be attending school with you next year.” Her mom’s voice rang with pleasure. “She has an appointment with the dance department the third week of April to meet with more faculty.”
    “What? Cal’s not coming here.” A flock of pigeons scattered at the sound of Nat’s voice. “You can’t afford the tuition to send her here.” She regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth.
    “Your new scholarships freed us up to help her, and the dance department gave her the Shiffer Scholarship. She would be a fool to turn it down,” her mother said stiffly.
    “I didn’t go through everything I did to get those scholarships so Cal could leech off you.” Nat’s voice seethed with anger. The money for her tuition wasn’t from a scholarship. Estos had originally agreed to cover her tuition in exchange for her traveling to Fourline to help him. The fact that she no longer had to worry about her tuition only served as a reminder that she’d ruined Soris’ life.
    “Leeching off us!” her mom yelled through the phone. “I can’t believe you said that. Natalie, I stayed silent when you chose not to come home during your breaks, I even bit my tongue when I saw that absurd tattoo on your arm over Christmas, but I won’t keep quiet while you insult your sister. Cal is not perfect, but neither are you. She is as deserving of the chances and opportunities you’ve been given. If you opened your eyes and saw how talented she is instead of cutting her down, you’d know what I’m talking about. I thought with time you two would grow close again like when you were younger. But after that comment . . .” Her mom’s voice broke off. Nat’s ears rang with the echo of her anger. She listened as her mom took several deep breaths. “Your sister will be there in three weeks, and you will treat her with respect, do you understand me?”
    “Yes, Mom,” Nat said, feeling lower than a worm. Her mom disconnected the call. Nat shoved her phone into her pocket and dropped her chin. She stormed down the path to the Science Center and brushed against someone in her haste.
    “Natalie!”
    Nat looked up to see Sister Barba tripping off the path. She reached for the Sister’s elbow to steady her.
    “You’re in a rush,” Barba said as she stepped back onto the path. Nat dropped her hand. The breeze lifted Barba’s red hair in every direction.
    “I’m sorry, Sister,” Nat mumbled as she shifted from one foot to another.
    “Not a problem. I was hoping to run into you. Maybe not so literally, but I did want to see you. How are you, Natalie?”
    “Fine, I’m fine, Sister. Just a little distracted today.”
    “Hmm. I suppose you are wondering about Soris?” Nat’s head shot up when Barba said his name. The lines around Barba’s eyes deepened. “Ethet took him back to Fourline shortly after you returned. He is in good hands, Natalie,” she said reassuringly. But Nat felt anything but reassured. She wanted to run as far from the Sister as she could.
    “I need to get to class.” A knot formed in Nat’s throat. “It’s . . . it’s good to see you,”