will be hil-arious!
I pushed open the doors to the school and walked down the hallway toward my locker. I thought that after a week of everyone knowing about the eBay thing people would start to talk about something else. But everywhere I looked, I could see kids staring and whispering to each other.
“I
so
can’t deal with this crap anymore,” I said in a low voice as we walked past a group of three girls who were all chatting in hushed tones and glancing our way. I may not have had any proof that they were talking about me, but somehow I knew it was true. McCartney took a look at me and then followed my gaze over to the gossip girls.
“I’ll take care of this,” she said forcefully and walked right up to the group. “Hi, girls! Whatcha talking about?”
The blondest in the group gave McCartney a blank look and then put a fake smile on her face. “Nothing important,” the girl stammered. “I mean, nothing at all, really.”
“Well, I’d
really
like to hear what’s got you guys buzzin’ this morning,” McCartney said putting on a sweet, southern accent to mimic the other girl.
The blond looked at her friends and then down at her shoes. Then she muttered something that I could barely make out. I found myself leaning forward, straining to hear what she was saying. Not that I was eager to confirm my suspicions or anything.
“I’m sorry, could you say that a little louder?” McCartney asked, her smile fading. “I couldn’t quite hear you.”
It was like she had ESP and could read my mind.
“We were just talking about how wrong it was that Dan’s going around bragging to everyone that he was arielle’s first kiss,” the girl answered quietly. Then, she looked sheepishly at me obviously nervous to be put on the spot. “Nobody likes someone who kisses and tells, right?”
The girl held up her arms and shrugged. I just turned away and stared at the wall, both shocked and embarrassed by the news.
“That’s right,” McCartney said, inching closer to the girl. “And I’d be careful about spreading rumors, especially when they’re not even true.”
“Oh, of course not, McCartney,” the girl said trying to back away from us. “We weren’t going to say anything to anyone else.”
“I didn’t think so,” McCartney said, threateningly
We watched as the group of girls scuttled away, whispering again and glancing back over their shoulders at us before disappearing out of sight. I swear, as girls, we were our own worst enemies sometimes.
“So, Dan’s telling everyone you two kissed,” McCartney said.
“I heard. But he can’t…we didn’t,” I said, at a loss for words. Then I confided in a whisper, “We only held hands.”
“
We
know that, but as far as anyone else knows, that kiss we’ve been advertising is already gone,” Phin said.
“We’ll work this out,” McCartney said. “Just meet me out here at lunch. I promise, we’ll have your rep intact by the end of the day.”
“Wouldn’t it just be easier to let the rumor go?” I asked, my shoulders slumping a little. “Maybe even let the whole thing go?”
“No way! then, he’d get all the glory when he didn’t even earn it. And you’d still never have experienced your first kiss,” McCartney said. “Besides, this guy’s a creep. It’s about time everyone else knew it too.”
“I guess you’re right,” I said, still not feeling any better. In fact, the sinking feeling in my stomach took another dive.
“Hang in there, hon,” McCartney said. “Trust me on this?”
I forced a smile and then rushed off to class as the warning bell rang.
Three and a half hours, and two soul-sucking classes later, I was standing next to my locker in the hallway waiting for McCartney so we could eat lunch together. Phin had already come and gone, explaining that his stomach was “practically eating itself,” and that he promised to save us seats in the cafeteria.
Looking from one side of the hallway to the other, I willed
I pushed open the doors to the school and walked down the hallway toward my locker. I thought that after a week of everyone knowing about the eBay thing people would start to talk about something else. But everywhere I looked, I could see kids staring and whispering to each other.
“I
so
can’t deal with this crap anymore,” I said in a low voice as we walked past a group of three girls who were all chatting in hushed tones and glancing our way. I may not have had any proof that they were talking about me, but somehow I knew it was true. McCartney took a look at me and then followed my gaze over to the gossip girls.
“I’ll take care of this,” she said forcefully and walked right up to the group. “Hi, girls! Whatcha talking about?”
The blondest in the group gave McCartney a blank look and then put a fake smile on her face. “Nothing important,” the girl stammered. “I mean, nothing at all, really.”
“Well, I’d
really
like to hear what’s got you guys buzzin’ this morning,” McCartney said putting on a sweet, southern accent to mimic the other girl.
The blond looked at her friends and then down at her shoes. Then she muttered something that I could barely make out. I found myself leaning forward, straining to hear what she was saying. Not that I was eager to confirm my suspicions or anything.
“I’m sorry, could you say that a little louder?” McCartney asked, her smile fading. “I couldn’t quite hear you.”
It was like she had ESP and could read my mind.
“We were just talking about how wrong it was that Dan’s going around bragging to everyone that he was arielle’s first kiss,” the girl answered quietly. Then, she looked sheepishly at me obviously nervous to be put on the spot. “Nobody likes someone who kisses and tells, right?”
The girl held up her arms and shrugged. I just turned away and stared at the wall, both shocked and embarrassed by the news.
“That’s right,” McCartney said, inching closer to the girl. “And I’d be careful about spreading rumors, especially when they’re not even true.”
“Oh, of course not, McCartney,” the girl said trying to back away from us. “We weren’t going to say anything to anyone else.”
“I didn’t think so,” McCartney said, threateningly
We watched as the group of girls scuttled away, whispering again and glancing back over their shoulders at us before disappearing out of sight. I swear, as girls, we were our own worst enemies sometimes.
“So, Dan’s telling everyone you two kissed,” McCartney said.
“I heard. But he can’t…we didn’t,” I said, at a loss for words. Then I confided in a whisper, “We only held hands.”
“
We
know that, but as far as anyone else knows, that kiss we’ve been advertising is already gone,” Phin said.
“We’ll work this out,” McCartney said. “Just meet me out here at lunch. I promise, we’ll have your rep intact by the end of the day.”
“Wouldn’t it just be easier to let the rumor go?” I asked, my shoulders slumping a little. “Maybe even let the whole thing go?”
“No way! then, he’d get all the glory when he didn’t even earn it. And you’d still never have experienced your first kiss,” McCartney said. “Besides, this guy’s a creep. It’s about time everyone else knew it too.”
“I guess you’re right,” I said, still not feeling any better. In fact, the sinking feeling in my stomach took another dive.
“Hang in there, hon,” McCartney said. “Trust me on this?”
I forced a smile and then rushed off to class as the warning bell rang.
Three and a half hours, and two soul-sucking classes later, I was standing next to my locker in the hallway waiting for McCartney so we could eat lunch together. Phin had already come and gone, explaining that his stomach was “practically eating itself,” and that he promised to save us seats in the cafeteria.
Looking from one side of the hallway to the other, I willed
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