Read Dark Before Dawn for Free Online Page B

with jumping jacks.
    She had left Ken a note on his locker, explaining she was staying after for extra help in chemistry and would catch the late bus. Dawn wanted to feel him out about the rumors, but not enough to miss this meeting.
    Candace climbed the steps and a chill licked the hairs on the back of Dawn's neck. Dawn did something she seldom permitted herself to do: she stretched out with her mind, trying to discover what Candace would reveal, but all she picked up was uneasiness.
    Dawn straightened. She wasn’t the only one who was nervous.
    Candace sat in the row in front of Dawn and extended her legs onto the next bench. Egg-shaped holes severed the knees of her jeans, cut with precision. A black titanium ring glinted on her nose and a smooth green bead shone on her eyebrow.
    "Like my piercings?" Candace asked.
    Dawn knotted her hands in her lap. At least Renee wasn’t around to see her with Candace. "They’re interesting."
    "I’ll bet you're wondering why I picked this spot. I wanted to make sure no one overheard. They wouldn't get it."
    "Get what?"
    "The sixth sense."
    Dawn had never discussed her ability with anyone besides her mother, and had never given it a name. Her mouth dropped open.
    "Don't be afraid," Candace said. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I used to think I was the world's biggest loser. Until I met Serina."
    "Serina?"
    Candace steepled her stubby fingers. "She's my mentor, and she can be yours too. She's an intuitive consultant I've been studying with since she moved to town last spring."
    "Intuitive consultant?"
    "You know – psychic. Every day after school, Serina works with me and another girl. Her name’s Jamie. She’s a sophomore."
    Dawn shook her head to clear it as Vicky’s warning flooded back. There are people who shouldn’t find out. "There's someone else in school who can do this?"
    "It's not as unusual as you think. Serina says everyone can develop their psychic senses, but most people deny it in themselves. The ones who can't, well ... they're treated like us."
    Dawn digested that explanation, but something else had been bothering her since their talk in the girls' room. "If you knew Scott was going to die, why didn't you warn him?"
    "He wouldn't have listened, and the others would have given me a hard time. Like they did to you. You really ought to meet Serina."
    Dawn kicked a patch of dirt on the metal step, spreading it with her shoe. She'd felt alone for so long. But did she really want psychic friends? If Dawn hung around with Candace, her reputation would slide even further down the gutter.
    "I called Serina on my cell," Candace said. "She wants me to bring you by this afternoon. Don't worry, she's just like anyone else."
    "It's not that. It's–"
    "You feel like an ugly duckling and you’re not sure you want to be seen with other ugly ducklings. Right?"
    Dawn blushed and couldn’t look Candace in the eye. Boy, did she sound shallow when Candace put it like that. "Not exactly. It’s just that I usually try to hide being psychic. It makes people uncomfortable. It’ll be harder to hide if I’m out there exploring it with other psychics."
    "You need to find people you can connect with and who will respect your vibes. If your family is anything like mine, they don’t want to hear about your feelings. Right?" Candace asked.
    "Well, yeah."
    "When you get a feeling, you’re probably always trying to talk yourself out of it because that’s what your parents want you to do. You doubt yourself. Your mind gets muddled because your intuition says to act on your premonition, and your common sense tells you something else."
    Dawn’s pulse fluttered in her wrist. Candace had expressed her own feelings, exactly. What would it be like to get help? Real help? To be herself with no pretending. No lies.
    "Serina can make you a swan," Candace said.
    Dawn drummed her fingers against the bleacher seat. Candace observed her with a knowing smile. She thinks I’ll say yes. Even though the