As Autumn Leaves by Kate Sands

her new Ice Queen?”
    The guys around him laughed and a couple girls giggled. Althea took a step away from Kayla, and she felt the loss of their easy conversation with the way she threw up her guard. Kayla didn’t like to get into it with that group of kids—it would only make matters worse—but suddenly angry, she was ready to fire back at Jason.
    She didn’t have to. Mr. March appeared at the right moment.
    “Excuse me, Jason,” Mr. March said harshly from behind the group. Jason turned around in surprise at being caught. “You know the school policy on such language.”
    “I didn’t say anything,” Jason said. He pulled an innocent face.
    Mr. March wasn’t buying it. “I heard exactly what you said, and this school has a zero-tolerance policy. Detention after school.”
    “I have practice—”
    “I’ll inform your coach as to why you will be late,” Mr. March said. He made his way around the students and to the classroom door to open it.
    With Mr. March’s back turned, Jason made a face. He muttered softly, but not softly enough, as he said, “Damn fag.”
    There were gasps in the crowd, and Kayla’s eyes went wide. She wondered if Mr. March would ignore this, like he did when Jason muttered in his classroom, but he pulled up straight and turned around. Kayla had never seen him look so angry.
    “Office. Now.”
    “But—”
    “Now!”
    Jason finally seemed to realize the severity of the situation, his face paling considerably. He grimaced nervously, but turned down the hallway as Mr. March went into the classroom and used the intercom to let the head office know of Jason’s arrival.
    “Come on,” Kayla said, grabbing Althea by the elbow and pulling her to the classroom. Althea seemed stunned that Kayla touched her, but quickly followed.
    “I’m sorry,” Althea said as they went through the door.
    “You didn’t do anything,” Kayla said. As she spoke, Mr. March glanced at them. Kayla didn’t want him to draw any more attention to her and Althea, but she smiled as they walked by him. He didn’t respond, and she was grateful he didn’t, but she swore he gave a small wink. It strengthened Kayla’s resolve that there was nothing wrong with being Althea’s friend, and she wasn’t going to let Althea think it either.
    Chantelle and Hannah arrived a few minutes late to class, handing a note to Mr. March. “Sorry. This is from our music teacher,” Hannah said. “Got caught up talking to her about our project.”
    “Take a seat, ladies,” Mr. March said. “Speaking of projects, we’re going to go through the latest set of questions for Frankenstein , then you’ll have a few minutes at the end of class to get together with your groups to catch up on progress.”
    Kayla grinned as Chantelle and Hannah slipped into their seats and Althea whispered, “We have the best idea to tell you!”
    She could swear Mr. March smiled as he turned back to the whiteboard.
     
     
    “HONEY, ARE you here?”
    “In my room, Mom,” Kayla called. She pulled a sweater on over the unitard and tights she wore for dance class, and shoved her green flowing skirt into her backpack. She’d have to remember to ask her classmates if they had a black one she could borrow. It would go better with the film project than the brightly colored ones she owned. If not, then a trip to the secondhand store would have to be made. There wouldn’t be a problem finding some sort of black, flowing skirt there.
    After dumping her belongings near the door, she went into the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat before leaving. She put some soup to heat in the microwave, and her mother came into the kitchen.
    “Hey, not staying for dinner,” Kayla said. “I want to get to class early. Miss Desharnais said she’d be happy to take a few minutes and help me with a routine for the project. Or at least give me a few ideas.”
    “You have the music ready?”
    “Yes, Chantelle and Hannah recorded it the other night, with help from