me.
My cheeks warmed and I climbed to my feet, wishing he would just forget my moment of humiliation and leave me alone. I walked around the corner of the building so I could still see the parking lot, but he couldn’t see me.
Dad pulled up not long after that. I trotted over to the car, and once I climbed in, I looked across and saw James staring again. I dropped my gaze as I buckled the seat belt.
“Did you have fun?” Dad asked.
I smiled at him, loving how simple our relationship was before I’d grown up.
“Yeah.” The whole ride home I told him about my night.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Justin is pissed,” Geri said quietly as we moved down the hallway toward our lab. “He was convinced you’d go out with him.”
I bit my tongue, knowing that in another time, I had. “I tried to be nice about it.”
“That’s not what he’s saying . . .” She watched several eighth graders pass us by, then she lowered her voice even further. “He’s saying you said you thought you were too good for him, and you pretty much think you’re the hottest thing alive.”
“What?”
We slipped into the classroom. Justin’s friends’ stares followed me as I walked to my seat.
“Skank,” one said.
Geri glared at them as we took our seats. The class began, and after a few minutes, we collected our supplies for the experiment.
“I’ll go,” Geri whispered. “You set up.”
I nodded and hurried over to our workstation. As soon as I arrived, one of Justin’s friends leaned over. “Think you’re hot stuff, huh?”
I bit my lip. This hadn’t happened before. How should I deal with it? I felt like I was losing my adult reasonability and my mind grew hazy.
“Can’t say anything?”
Two more boys joined in and leaned over on either side of him.
“Leave me alone,” I whispered.
They “ ooed ” at me, and the first one grabbed my wrist. “You’re not as hot as you think. Justin could do much better than you anyway.”
I tried to pull away, but he yanked me back. I yelped, making the other boys laugh.
Geri appeared at my side. “Get lost, losers!”
“Shove it, Geri.”
They pushed her away from me and pulled me closer, stretching me out across the workstation.
Brian broke in. “Hey, leave her alone!”
Again they “ ooed ” and one said, “Do you think you stand a chance or something?”
“No, but you’re being bullies. I doubt she was as mean as Justin says. We all know she’s not like that.”
“Do we?” the one holding me sneered.
Something hit him, hard, and he let go. I looked across to see Robbie Cluff and James Gordon standing by the open window. James raised his arm and threw something at the boys.
Robbie laughed. “Hit him again, Jimmy.”
The boys scampered away as a book flew at them. Geri and Brian grabbed me and tugged me behind the workstation as several more classroom items soared across the room.
“Robbie! James!” our teacher’s voice bellowed across the room.
We peeked over the desk as the teacher rushed to the window. Robbie and James hurried away. Our teacher slammed the window and glanced around. “Did anyone get hurt?”
The whole class shook their heads.
“Good. I’ll be back. I need to find out where those boys are supposed to be.”
He slipped out of the room.
I climbed onto my stool as Geri grabbed my shoulder. “Cay, they were out of line.”
Brian grabbed my forearm. “Did they hurt you?”
“No.” I pulled away. “Just leave me alone.”
“I got it, Bri,” Geri said gently.
Brian went back to his desk. Geri climbed onto the stool beside me and lit the Bunsen. “Wow. That was dramatic.”
I huffed. “It’s not supposed to happen like this. I didn’t date him so I could avoid all this drama. I thought by making better choices, these bad things wouldn’t happen.”
“Huh?” Geri gazed at me with a confused expression on her face.
“Nothing. I’m just thinking out loud.”
She flicked my hair back over my shoulder. “Did you
My cheeks warmed and I climbed to my feet, wishing he would just forget my moment of humiliation and leave me alone. I walked around the corner of the building so I could still see the parking lot, but he couldn’t see me.
Dad pulled up not long after that. I trotted over to the car, and once I climbed in, I looked across and saw James staring again. I dropped my gaze as I buckled the seat belt.
“Did you have fun?” Dad asked.
I smiled at him, loving how simple our relationship was before I’d grown up.
“Yeah.” The whole ride home I told him about my night.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Justin is pissed,” Geri said quietly as we moved down the hallway toward our lab. “He was convinced you’d go out with him.”
I bit my tongue, knowing that in another time, I had. “I tried to be nice about it.”
“That’s not what he’s saying . . .” She watched several eighth graders pass us by, then she lowered her voice even further. “He’s saying you said you thought you were too good for him, and you pretty much think you’re the hottest thing alive.”
“What?”
We slipped into the classroom. Justin’s friends’ stares followed me as I walked to my seat.
“Skank,” one said.
Geri glared at them as we took our seats. The class began, and after a few minutes, we collected our supplies for the experiment.
“I’ll go,” Geri whispered. “You set up.”
I nodded and hurried over to our workstation. As soon as I arrived, one of Justin’s friends leaned over. “Think you’re hot stuff, huh?”
I bit my lip. This hadn’t happened before. How should I deal with it? I felt like I was losing my adult reasonability and my mind grew hazy.
“Can’t say anything?”
Two more boys joined in and leaned over on either side of him.
“Leave me alone,” I whispered.
They “ ooed ” at me, and the first one grabbed my wrist. “You’re not as hot as you think. Justin could do much better than you anyway.”
I tried to pull away, but he yanked me back. I yelped, making the other boys laugh.
Geri appeared at my side. “Get lost, losers!”
“Shove it, Geri.”
They pushed her away from me and pulled me closer, stretching me out across the workstation.
Brian broke in. “Hey, leave her alone!”
Again they “ ooed ” and one said, “Do you think you stand a chance or something?”
“No, but you’re being bullies. I doubt she was as mean as Justin says. We all know she’s not like that.”
“Do we?” the one holding me sneered.
Something hit him, hard, and he let go. I looked across to see Robbie Cluff and James Gordon standing by the open window. James raised his arm and threw something at the boys.
Robbie laughed. “Hit him again, Jimmy.”
The boys scampered away as a book flew at them. Geri and Brian grabbed me and tugged me behind the workstation as several more classroom items soared across the room.
“Robbie! James!” our teacher’s voice bellowed across the room.
We peeked over the desk as the teacher rushed to the window. Robbie and James hurried away. Our teacher slammed the window and glanced around. “Did anyone get hurt?”
The whole class shook their heads.
“Good. I’ll be back. I need to find out where those boys are supposed to be.”
He slipped out of the room.
I climbed onto my stool as Geri grabbed my shoulder. “Cay, they were out of line.”
Brian grabbed my forearm. “Did they hurt you?”
“No.” I pulled away. “Just leave me alone.”
“I got it, Bri,” Geri said gently.
Brian went back to his desk. Geri climbed onto the stool beside me and lit the Bunsen. “Wow. That was dramatic.”
I huffed. “It’s not supposed to happen like this. I didn’t date him so I could avoid all this drama. I thought by making better choices, these bad things wouldn’t happen.”
“Huh?” Geri gazed at me with a confused expression on her face.
“Nothing. I’m just thinking out loud.”
She flicked my hair back over my shoulder. “Did you
Similar Books
