Atterbury took it. I figured she'd give it to Oakes."
Bud threw up his arms in surrender. "Great, just great. Obviously, she didn't."
It didn't matter. Everyone realized it was over, and they jostled for the doors and the stairs. I jumped out of the way and fell into Jordan. He hit the stair rail and pulled me into him, steadying us both. Hot fire raced through my body.
"S-s-sorry," I stammered, but I don't think he heard.
Once it was obvious neither of us would fall, he thrust me forward. Our eyes locked, and the annoyance I saw in his face made my heart cold. He jerked around and began up the stairs. I stepped back against the banister as the crowd swarmed up the steps toward their lockers. Some kids laughed, but mostly they complained â loud and furious. I heard snippets of, "Lame," "Stupid," "What a rip-off," "Who started this," and a few other choice words.
Great.
Ahead, Laine was talking. "Don't blame me, Janae. Emili started the whole thing. It's not my fault it blew up in our face."
I stopped and tried to shrivel into nothingness. Laine kept climbing the stairs with her booming voice announcing to anyone listening that the whole mess started "because of Emili". The crowd on the stairs began to thin, so I headed to my locker to grab my backpack. When I was almost to the second floor, Bud met me on his way down.
"Sorry, Emili. What a mess. You okay? Man, I should've double-checked on LaShawna. That was my fault."
"It was a dumb idea."
"No, it wasn't a dumb idea. It was stupid Mr. Saines. Oakes didn't even know." He reached over and took my arm. "You tried. Sorry."
I grimaced and shrugged. "Stuff happens. It's not your fault."
I continued up the stairs but noticed everyone on their way down gawking at me.
"Aren't you Emili?" some guy asked.
I nodded.
"You're the one," another guy said. "Nice job, Emili." It wasn't a compliment.
"It's not her fault," a girl said and slapped his back. "It was Saines and Oakes. They're creeps."
"True, but she started the whole thing," he replied. "Whatever. Another standard Edgemont High fiasco."
I kept my eyes down and made it to my locker. If I didn't start laughing soon, I'd cry. Surely there was something funny in this. I felt tears well up. Priceless. Now I could be the girl who had the stupid idea and a big fat crybaby to boot.
Someone bumped me from behind, and I turned around to see both Sally and Margo standing there with pity in their eyes.
"It wasn't your fault," Margo said and gave me a hug.
I wiped at my eyes and blinked. "Thanks."
"Oh great, we made her cry," Sally said. "Emili, it was old goat Saines, and everyone already hates him, so don't worry."
"Don't forget LaShawna," Margo said. "I wouldn't put her in charge of a lemonade stand. And to think we were so close to having Jordan for a week."
Margo gazed upward with a dreamy look on her face. Then she flinched and looked at me. "Who cares, anyway? It was still fun to see Matthew lay claim to Melinda. Did you see the look on his face when Walter bid on her?"
"Too romantic for words," Sally said. "Wish someone would lay claim to me."
"Someone will, wait and see," Margo reassured her.
"Never gonna happen."
I slung my backpack over my shoulder. "Thanks, guys, for the support. See you tomorrow."
"Don't worry," Margo said. "It'll blow over in a New York minute. Always does."
I nodded and shrugged. " Right. Thanks anyway."
I had to wait for Dad to pick me up since I thought the Servant Sale would last a lot longer. When he did show up, I climbed into the car, and except for him coughing about four hundred times, neither of us said a word the whole way home. I couldn't get to my room fast enough. All I wanted to do was dive under the covers and stay there for â let me see â the rest of my life.
I barely got in my room, though, when Sarah appeared. She stood at my door, staring at my wall like the undead.
"Sarah?" I walked to her and pulled her arm. "Come on, let's sit."
I sat her on
Bud threw up his arms in surrender. "Great, just great. Obviously, she didn't."
It didn't matter. Everyone realized it was over, and they jostled for the doors and the stairs. I jumped out of the way and fell into Jordan. He hit the stair rail and pulled me into him, steadying us both. Hot fire raced through my body.
"S-s-sorry," I stammered, but I don't think he heard.
Once it was obvious neither of us would fall, he thrust me forward. Our eyes locked, and the annoyance I saw in his face made my heart cold. He jerked around and began up the stairs. I stepped back against the banister as the crowd swarmed up the steps toward their lockers. Some kids laughed, but mostly they complained â loud and furious. I heard snippets of, "Lame," "Stupid," "What a rip-off," "Who started this," and a few other choice words.
Great.
Ahead, Laine was talking. "Don't blame me, Janae. Emili started the whole thing. It's not my fault it blew up in our face."
I stopped and tried to shrivel into nothingness. Laine kept climbing the stairs with her booming voice announcing to anyone listening that the whole mess started "because of Emili". The crowd on the stairs began to thin, so I headed to my locker to grab my backpack. When I was almost to the second floor, Bud met me on his way down.
"Sorry, Emili. What a mess. You okay? Man, I should've double-checked on LaShawna. That was my fault."
"It was a dumb idea."
"No, it wasn't a dumb idea. It was stupid Mr. Saines. Oakes didn't even know." He reached over and took my arm. "You tried. Sorry."
I grimaced and shrugged. "Stuff happens. It's not your fault."
I continued up the stairs but noticed everyone on their way down gawking at me.
"Aren't you Emili?" some guy asked.
I nodded.
"You're the one," another guy said. "Nice job, Emili." It wasn't a compliment.
"It's not her fault," a girl said and slapped his back. "It was Saines and Oakes. They're creeps."
"True, but she started the whole thing," he replied. "Whatever. Another standard Edgemont High fiasco."
I kept my eyes down and made it to my locker. If I didn't start laughing soon, I'd cry. Surely there was something funny in this. I felt tears well up. Priceless. Now I could be the girl who had the stupid idea and a big fat crybaby to boot.
Someone bumped me from behind, and I turned around to see both Sally and Margo standing there with pity in their eyes.
"It wasn't your fault," Margo said and gave me a hug.
I wiped at my eyes and blinked. "Thanks."
"Oh great, we made her cry," Sally said. "Emili, it was old goat Saines, and everyone already hates him, so don't worry."
"Don't forget LaShawna," Margo said. "I wouldn't put her in charge of a lemonade stand. And to think we were so close to having Jordan for a week."
Margo gazed upward with a dreamy look on her face. Then she flinched and looked at me. "Who cares, anyway? It was still fun to see Matthew lay claim to Melinda. Did you see the look on his face when Walter bid on her?"
"Too romantic for words," Sally said. "Wish someone would lay claim to me."
"Someone will, wait and see," Margo reassured her.
"Never gonna happen."
I slung my backpack over my shoulder. "Thanks, guys, for the support. See you tomorrow."
"Don't worry," Margo said. "It'll blow over in a New York minute. Always does."
I nodded and shrugged. " Right. Thanks anyway."
I had to wait for Dad to pick me up since I thought the Servant Sale would last a lot longer. When he did show up, I climbed into the car, and except for him coughing about four hundred times, neither of us said a word the whole way home. I couldn't get to my room fast enough. All I wanted to do was dive under the covers and stay there for â let me see â the rest of my life.
I barely got in my room, though, when Sarah appeared. She stood at my door, staring at my wall like the undead.
"Sarah?" I walked to her and pulled her arm. "Come on, let's sit."
I sat her on
Similar Books
