Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

My heart was pounding, but I tried not to show how terrified I was. Bella is a bully, and showing fear would only make her bolder. If I remained calm, maybe she would tire of trying to torment me and go away.But Bella was on a mission.“Look at you. You are such an unbelievable dork,” Bella said with another laugh. “Only you would wear a freaking wetsuit to a pool party. Does it hurt to be this stupid?”“Pluh … please, jus … just lah … leave me alone,” I stammered. “I … I didn’t do … do any … anything to you.” I tried to walk away, but she grabbed my arm and spun me around.“You didn’t do anything to me!” Bella repeated. She positioned herself, nose to nose, in front of me.Smelling a strong drink on her breath, I looked down at the ground. The hate in her eyes was terrifying.“Because of you, you freak, I was transferred to an all-girls school,” Bella said hotly. “Do you know what it’s like? I have to wear a freaking uniform, and the teachers are so strict we get detention just for

“Thanks for your help, Victor, but I can walk into the house on my own,” I said as I made my way to the front entrance of Alex’s mansion.Moving slowly in my bare feet, I held closed the ugly hospital robe I was wearing with one hand. I couldn’t believe the difference a few hours made in my life.Even though I was nervous, I had been looking forward to the pool party. Now I just wanted this day to end and forget it ever happened.After almost drowning, I agreed to go to the hospital and let a doctor check me out, but I refused to stay. I wanted to go home, and I never wanted to see the wetsuit that a nurse had helped me remove ever again.I saw my reflection in the front door glass and cringed. I looked even worse than I felt. Besides the ugly hospital robe I wore, my hair was frizzed out to maximum volume, my complexion was still pasty, and there were dark circles under my eyes.I’ve never looked worse.“At least lean on me, Daisy. Please,” Victor said. “You’re tired, and you’ve been

I groaned when I saw Victor’s Lamborghini outside the gate after school the next day.“Is learning how to dance that terrible?” Amy asked with a chuckle.“Yes,” I replied. “You didn’t see my last dance instructor lying on the floor with a broken arm. The poor man was in pain.”“Well, you say you don’t like Victor,” Amy teased. “So you shouldn’t care as much if he gets hurt.”“I would care if he got hurt because of me,” I said. “But it’s more than that. I’m tired of Victor watching me make a fool of myself.”“Then don’t do it,” Amy advised. “Nobody can make you take dance lessons.”“The ball means too much to Alex,” I said with a sigh. “I need to try my best.”“That’s all anybody can ask of you.” Amy gave me a side hug. “See you tomorrow, Daisy.”“See you,” I said and walked to the Lamborghini.“How was your day?” Victor asked as he helped me into the car and closed the door.“Fine,” I replied and crossed my arms over my chest. Part of me resented being forced to do something I didn’t

After what happened with Victor the previous day, I was in a sour mood the next day at school. But Werewolf History class made my day a nightmare.I had been looking forward to the class all morning. The chance to be in the same room as William raised my spirits a little. But my mood took a turn off a cliff soon after the class started.William smiled when he entered the room and saw me at my usual desk. I smiled back when he sat at the desk to my left.“How are you doing?” William asked me.“I …I’m good,” I said and smiled.Miss Grant, the teacher, stopped any more conversation between us when she demanded everyone’s attention.“Yesterday, I told you to read and study chapter twenty-three in your textbooks,” Miss Grant announced. “Today, I want you to write a short report on the chapter's highlights.”She handed out blank sheets of paper and said, “You have a one-half hour, and then we’ll go over some of them in class. Any questions?” When no one raised their hand, she said, “Begin.”

Two weeks went by with daily dance lessons and speech therapy. Victor told me I was improving in both areas.But the best thing was I saw the improvement myself. So did many others at school.“You seem different lately,” Amy said as we ate lunch.“Different. How?“ I asked“You seem more … confident, I guess,“ Amy replied. “And you’re not stuttering nearly as much.“I couldn’t help grinning. “William hinted at the same thing yesterday in werewolf history class.”“That’s so great,” Amy said with a squeal. “Do you think he’s gonna ask you out sometime?”“I don’t know,“ I replied. “But he talks to me more and more every day.”“How is Victor?“ Amy asked. “ You two must be getting along better. He picks you up at the gate every afternoon.““He’s a great teacher, and the speech specialist he found for me is fantastic.“ I shrugged. “We still fight sometimes. He can be such an arrogant jerk. But I’m grateful for his help.”“Do you think Victor is hot?” Amy ask me“Why do you?” I countered.“No