get hit?”
“No. Why?”
“’Cause you’re talkin’ like a crazy person.”
I shoved her shoulder and chuckled.
Melanie’s head popped up from behind the workstation and we jumped. She glanced between us and waved a book. “It’s mine. He stole it this morning.”
She dashed away.
“Man, she’s so weird,” Geri whispered.
I scowled, but didn’t say anything. “Let’s do this experiment and forget all this stuff.”
A few moments later, I noticed movement by the window. I glanced up to see James motioning to Melanie. I looked over at her as she shook her head. It seemed surprising people didn’t know they were siblings. They looked remarkably similar with the same chestnut brown hair and gray-blue eyes. They could almost pull off being twins.
They also looked just as shabby and dirty as one another. I wondered if their house had the water cut off. James always wore a stupid black beanie with his long scruffy hair sticking out under it, and it seemed they shared their school uniforms.
His gaze shot to me and I glanced away. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him stand by the window before I dared to look over again. He stared at me with a ridiculous smirk, then waved and blew me a kiss. I rolled my eyes and tried to focus on my work. After a few moments he walked away, but Melanie appeared in front of us.
Geri reacted first. “Um . . . do you need something?”
She stared at me. “My brother wants you to thank him.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What for?”
“For chasing those morons off you.”
Geri chuckled. “Wow, they must be morons if she says they are.”
Melanie scowled, but returned her attention to me. “He’s been bugging me about you, all last night and this morning. He told me I need to make friends with you.”
Geri laughed loudly. “Yeah, not going to happen.”
“Geri,” I whispered. “Don’t be mean.”
Melanie snorted. “Whatever. You guys are stupid anyway.”
“Hey!” Geri moved to stand as Melanie rushed away, but I caught her arm.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like her opinion matters to anyone.”
“Hmm.” Geri sunk back onto her stool. “Let’s just forget about all of it and get this done.”
I tried to keep a low profile for the next few weeks. It seemed to work, too, and soon all the vicious rumors died out. I kept myself going by staring at Austin and Melody’s picture every night, just thinking about them. He wasn’t into sports like me, but instead preferred gaming, reading, and when his stepdad took him to Rottness Island―just off the coast from Perth―he went diving and snorkeling in his spare time. He didn’t change when we married, either. I found comfort in his consistency and stability.
The winter holidays drew near, and things seemed to quiet down for me. I loved that I had managed to remove most of the drama from my life. Ninth grade suddenly seemed fun, whereas before, it had been one drama after another.
We were wrapping up our history classes so we could change to geography the next semester. My notebook lay open in front of me, but the teacher rambled all kinds of incoherent nonsense. I was glad it really wasn’t just me being lazy the first time.
Brian sat next to me and nudged me. I glanced at him, and he handed me a note under the table. I opened it and read, I’m so bored.
I smiled, watching the teacher as I rested it over my notebook to write, Ditto. I have no idea what she’s saying.
He smirked and slipped the note into his pocket. He leaned closer to whisper, “Whatcha doin’ for the holidays?”
I shrugged. “Not much. Eating, sleeping, watching TV late into the night.”
“So, I’m thinking of going ice-skating sometime. Do you wanna join?”
I loved ice-skating. I had gone many times with large groups of my friends, and I definitely didn’t want to miss out on that. “Sure. When?”
He pulled the note back out and wrote down the details. “Do you need a ride?”
“No, my mum
“No. Why?”
“’Cause you’re talkin’ like a crazy person.”
I shoved her shoulder and chuckled.
Melanie’s head popped up from behind the workstation and we jumped. She glanced between us and waved a book. “It’s mine. He stole it this morning.”
She dashed away.
“Man, she’s so weird,” Geri whispered.
I scowled, but didn’t say anything. “Let’s do this experiment and forget all this stuff.”
A few moments later, I noticed movement by the window. I glanced up to see James motioning to Melanie. I looked over at her as she shook her head. It seemed surprising people didn’t know they were siblings. They looked remarkably similar with the same chestnut brown hair and gray-blue eyes. They could almost pull off being twins.
They also looked just as shabby and dirty as one another. I wondered if their house had the water cut off. James always wore a stupid black beanie with his long scruffy hair sticking out under it, and it seemed they shared their school uniforms.
His gaze shot to me and I glanced away. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him stand by the window before I dared to look over again. He stared at me with a ridiculous smirk, then waved and blew me a kiss. I rolled my eyes and tried to focus on my work. After a few moments he walked away, but Melanie appeared in front of us.
Geri reacted first. “Um . . . do you need something?”
She stared at me. “My brother wants you to thank him.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What for?”
“For chasing those morons off you.”
Geri chuckled. “Wow, they must be morons if she says they are.”
Melanie scowled, but returned her attention to me. “He’s been bugging me about you, all last night and this morning. He told me I need to make friends with you.”
Geri laughed loudly. “Yeah, not going to happen.”
“Geri,” I whispered. “Don’t be mean.”
Melanie snorted. “Whatever. You guys are stupid anyway.”
“Hey!” Geri moved to stand as Melanie rushed away, but I caught her arm.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like her opinion matters to anyone.”
“Hmm.” Geri sunk back onto her stool. “Let’s just forget about all of it and get this done.”
I tried to keep a low profile for the next few weeks. It seemed to work, too, and soon all the vicious rumors died out. I kept myself going by staring at Austin and Melody’s picture every night, just thinking about them. He wasn’t into sports like me, but instead preferred gaming, reading, and when his stepdad took him to Rottness Island―just off the coast from Perth―he went diving and snorkeling in his spare time. He didn’t change when we married, either. I found comfort in his consistency and stability.
The winter holidays drew near, and things seemed to quiet down for me. I loved that I had managed to remove most of the drama from my life. Ninth grade suddenly seemed fun, whereas before, it had been one drama after another.
We were wrapping up our history classes so we could change to geography the next semester. My notebook lay open in front of me, but the teacher rambled all kinds of incoherent nonsense. I was glad it really wasn’t just me being lazy the first time.
Brian sat next to me and nudged me. I glanced at him, and he handed me a note under the table. I opened it and read, I’m so bored.
I smiled, watching the teacher as I rested it over my notebook to write, Ditto. I have no idea what she’s saying.
He smirked and slipped the note into his pocket. He leaned closer to whisper, “Whatcha doin’ for the holidays?”
I shrugged. “Not much. Eating, sleeping, watching TV late into the night.”
“So, I’m thinking of going ice-skating sometime. Do you wanna join?”
I loved ice-skating. I had gone many times with large groups of my friends, and I definitely didn’t want to miss out on that. “Sure. When?”
He pulled the note back out and wrote down the details. “Do you need a ride?”
“No, my mum
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