Read Online The Boy Who Knew Everything by Victoria Forester - Free Book Online Page A

back and forth in a feverish excitement. “We can’t waste any more time. Not one second!”
    â€œReally?” Even though this was exactly what Piper wanted to hear, and how she felt, she never thought in a million years that she would hear it coming out of Conrad’s mouth. Piper rationally knew that there was no possible way that Conrad could have changed so radically in the course of a few hours.
    â€œWhat happened to you?” She monitored him closely.
    â€œI can think again,” Conrad said, holding his temples. “I understand and I care. I care like you care. And I know what I have to do.”
    â€œYou do?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause, because it’s the only rational thing to do!”
    â€œBut you said there was no point. You said—”
    â€œYou kept telling me that it was wrong not to use our blessings as a blessing. You said we had to help people in the ways that only we were able. I couldn’t see the point until I could. I see it now.”
    Piper watched Conrad’s frantic, excited pace as he went back and forth across her room. He was himself again, the amazing Conrad she knew and loved.
    Conrad held up a file and dropped it next to Piper. She immediately recognized it as the one J. had given him on his birthday.
    â€œAnd I read this,” Conrad said. “My father has been keeping secrets from me for too long. And those secrets are my business, and I’m going to find out once and for all what they are.”
    Conrad pulled back the curtains and threw open Piper’s window.
    â€œMy father wants me to stop thinking.” He pointed to his head. “When I wouldn’t stop he wanted me dead. But I get to decide what I’m going to do with my thoughts and my life, and he can’t stop me. He thinks he can, but he’s wrong—again. And I’m going to show him exactly how wrong he is.”
    A smile hit the corners of his mouth and then it turned into a laugh. Reeling around, Conrad grabbed Piper’s hands, pulled her out of bed, and started to jump up and down.
    â€œYou’ve lost your mind.”
    â€œNo, I’ve found it.” Conrad couldn’t stop laughing and, despite the fact that it was clear her dear friend had entirely lost his marbles, Piper started to laugh too.
    â€œLet’s do it!” Conrad yelled.
    â€œLet’s do it!” Piper repeated.
    â€œStop that racket, you two!” Betty called up from the kitchen. “Breakfast is on.”
    Conrad stopped dead and looked at Piper as if he were hearing Betty’s voice for the first time.
    â€œWhere’s your father?” Conrad said urgently.
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œI have to see him.” Conrad rushed to the window and threw it open. He craned his neck to look out in the direction of the barn. “He should be on his way back for breakfast by now. I can’t see him. Where is he?”
    â€œUh, I don’t know,” Piper repeated.
    Conrad turned around and bolted from her room. Piper could hear him thunder down the stairs, and she dropped out the window and onto the porch. She opened the screen door and came into the kitchen at the same moment that Conrad came down from the stairs. She was in the perfect spot to see his face upon discovering Joe McCloud sitting quietly, as ever, in his chair and drinking his morning cup of coffee.
    Piper could have sworn that tears came to Conrad’s eyes. He walked with reverence to Joe and put his hand ever so softly on Joe’s sleeve, as though to assure himself that Joe was really there.
    Oblivious to the strangeness of the scene taking place in her kitchen that morning, Betty was consumed with the tasks before her. As was often the case at meal times, Fido was nosing about under her feet, hoping to catch any stray scraps that might fall. To keep him from pestering her further Betty tossed him a generous crust of bread, whereupon he