Stone Cold Read Free

she l earned that about 2 million people visit Ellis Island each year from all over the world.
    “ He could be from who knows where. Ugh. You’re fifteen Hannah. What’s your problem? Get a grip on yourself.” A few of her friends had started to approach her as she scolded herself out loud for caring so much about someone she knew nothing about. 
    As she engaged in conversation with her friends, her mind wouldn’t rest about Conall. Beating herself up over these thoughts and feelings was obviously not helping. She still couldn’t shake the sensation she’d had when they’d touched.  Never before had she experienced anything like this. It was as if she’d known him forever – like they were destined to be together. She didn’t want to let go – ever – and still didn’t. 
    She’d always been mentally and emotionally mature for her age. Her mother, the colorful Sara Grayson Perry, never missed the opportunity to tell whoever would listen that she was wise beyond her years. 
    “Hannah has such an old soul. It’s like she’s been here before.”
    The truth wa s Sara was right. At the ripe old age of five Hannah distinctly remembered saying to her mother, “I feel like I either lived in the forties or I should have lived in the forties because I love swing music. I feel like I was here before.”
    That pretty much summed up why people thought she was five going on forty.
    Hannah had often been reluctant to play with most girls her age. She just never seemed to be interested in anything they had to say. It wasn’t that she was opposed to being girly or doing things girls liked to do. She just didn’t like the way in which girls interacted with each other. It never seemed to be easy.
    The worst was the unspoken control girls tried to ex ert over one another. Comply and you were in. Disagree and they would secretly ostracize you from the group and get others to turn on you. They were masters at their craft, never letting anyone see their handiwork yet forever holding a grudge. 
    Boys on the othe r hand were a different story. She was comfortable being friends with them. If they were mad at her, she knew it but that’s usually as far as it went.  No other boys got involved. It was just he and her fighting it out and once it was done that was it. They were still friends. No grudges and all were forgotten. No hidden agendas. It was easy. She usually knew exactly where she stood. 
    While trying to be optimistic about her situation with Conall, she remembered some things her grandmother always said.
    “If it’s meant to be it’s meant to be,” and “Honor rather than dismiss your intuition .”
    Somehow she’d never quite understood what she’d meant by these phases until just now. For the time being, she’d have to trust in her wisdom and let nature take its course. 
    The rest of the day went smoothly in com parison to the ferry incident. Hannah was somehow able to put Conall in the back of her mind as they continued from Ellis Island to The Statue of Liberty and back to Manhattan. 
    It was her first time – visiting New York City that is.  After the show, they were allowed to walk around and explore with their parent chaperones in the distance. She could feel the energy all around her. The city seemed alive with a pulse, the people and traffic like blood flowing through its veins. Looking at the vast array of businesses, no one would ever want for anything if they lived there. Even so, she couldn’t help thinking how nice it would be to get back home to familiar surroundings.
    She was so ready to climb into her warm bed and fall asleep thinking about the day’s events. She smiled when she remembered her early morning intuition that something crazy was going to happen that day and maybe not such a good thing. Something crazy did happen but she thought as disastrous as it’d started out to be, it had turned out better than she could’ve imagined. She’d met Conall. Ah sigh…
    The bus ride home