You (14 page)
Authors: Charles Benoit
You always knew it would be different with Ashley. And it still could be.
For months, you chose to do nothing. But now you choose to act, and things will be different. You'll tell her the things you always wanted to tell her, the things you know she wants to hear. Because with you, things will be different. And you'll never tell her about what Zack said, and you'll make damn sure he doesn't tell anyone else.
It's going to be different now, you can feel it.
And that's when you notice the blood.
Your arm sliced open from wrist to armpit, that final lunge shoving the pointed shard deep inside, holding you up.
You're surprised at all the blood.
He looks over at you, eyes wide, mouth dropping open, his face almost as white as his shirt.
He's surprised, too.
There's not a lot of broken glass, though, just some tiny slivers around his feet and one big piece, busted into sharp peaks like a spiking line graph, the blood washing down it like rain on a windshield.
He doesn't say anything clever or funny, doesn't quote Shakespeare, he just screams. But no one can hear him, and it would be too late if they could.
You're thinking, this wasn't the way it was supposed to go, this shouldn't be happening. And now things are only going to get worse.
You're just a kid.
It can't be your fault.
But then there's all that blood.
So, maybe it is your fault, but it doesn't make it any better.
And it doesn't matter one way or the other.
Think.
When did it go wrong?
The break-in?
No, before that.
The party?
That was part of it, but that wasn't when it started.
Zack?
Of course, yeah, it would be easy to say it was Zack. But that's not it, is it?
Before Zack.
Before Ryan. Before Max or Derrick or that whole thing with the wallet.
Before Ashley.
Before tenth grade even began.
And you're thinking, this can't be it.
CHARLES BENOIT
is a former high school teacher and the Edgar Awardânominated author of three adult mystery novels. This is his first book for young-adult readers. He lives in Rochester, New York. You can visit him online at www.charlesbenoit.com.
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Jacket art © 2010 by Sean Freeman
Jacket design by Joel Tippie
YOU
. Copyright © 2010 by Charles Benoit. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Benoit, Charles.
You / Charles Benoit.â1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Kyle discovers the shattering ramifications of the decisions he makes, and does not make, about school, the girl he likes, and his future.
ISBN 978-0-06-194704-9
[1. ChoiceâFiction. 2. Conduct of lifeâFiction. 3. High schoolsâFiction. 4. SchoolsâFiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.B4445You  2010       2009043990
[Fic]âdc22 Â Â Â Â Â Â CIP
AC
FIRST EDITION
EPub Edition © July 2010 ISBN: 978-0-06-200801-5
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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