open, as she pulled him helplessly away. He looked back at me, but then disappeared as she dragged him into the throngs of people.
I plopped down at the edge of the fountain and stared blankly into space.
What just happened?
Clarence took a seat beside me and cleared his throat. “Are you OK?”
I glowered at him.
“We’ll talk Monday,” he said, springing back to his feet and trotting away. He looked back at me a couple of times before finally vanishing around a corner.
A moment later, two figures crossed my line of vision. My eyes focused on Marlene and Tamara, the first looking sympathetic, the second exasperated.
“How could you let her run off with him like that?” Tamara scolded, her eyes burrowing into me.
“So you saw everything?”
They nodded. “Most of it, anyway,” Marlene replied.
“It just happened so fast,” I explained, almost to myself. I felt tears emerging, but then I remembered Thad’s sneering face, and they promptly dissolved.
“It was pretty random,” Marlene agreed grimly, taking my hand and pulling me up. “But we told you to watch out for her. Here, come on. Let’s go get some ice cream. My treat.”
I followed after them dazedly, realizing Kimberly was now my rival for Thad’s affections. I glanced at myself in a shop window, my chest seeming awfully small. I easily devoured the ice cream sundae Marlene bought for me a moment later.
“Oh, cheer up,” Tamara said, watching me eat with disinterest. “You’ll have other opportunities with him.”
“What’s really surprising is how that geeky Clarence acted. He must have really wanted your time to stand up to Thad like that,” Marlene mused. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone oppose him before.” She stared at me pointedly. “And it’s interesting you didn’t really take Thad’s side, either.”
I slid my spoon thoughtfully through a droplet of chocolate syrup resting in my dish. “Thad was being a bully,” I heard myself murmur, but it almost felt as though someone else were speaking. Thad would have the chance to make things up to me on Monday, at least. But Clarence, despite being an annoying pest who tried to sabotage my date, had displayed courage I never imagined he had. I couldn’t help but smile.
“What’s with the sudden grin?” Marlene asked suspiciously, her own eyes betraying a twinkling amusement.
“I’m not sure,” I replied truthfully. “I suppose people just surprise me sometimes.” My eyes darted between the two of them. “Want to go catch a movie?”
They both nodded and smiled in agreement.
“But none of that cutesy stuff you like,” Tamara warned as she stood up.
“OK,” I said softly, not really minding. It was good to have friends.
Chapter Eleven
“Y ou want me to do what?” I asked Monday morning as my aunt drove me to school.
“Take a CPR class,” she said matter-of-factly. “It’s something everyone should know. I signed you up for one after school tomorrow at the community center.”
I groaned. “How long is it?”
“About three hours.”
“Oh Auntie,” I whined. “Why didn’t you tell me before now? I don’t want to go.”
“Did you have anything else planned for Tuesday?”
“No…”
“Then you’re going to do it. It’s a skill you may need one day.”
I sighed and kissed her good-bye as she stopped near the school entrance. She smiled at me in that same old, wise way she always did when she wanted me to do something she thought wasimportant. I then slid out the car and headed to class, thinking about Thad as I hurried along. I giggled. Perhaps learning a little CPR might not be so bad after all.
I spotted him immediately as I went to my locker; he was just standing there, staring blankly at his feet. I closed my eyes, steadied myself, and then slowly approached.
“Hi Miyu,” he said, his voice uncertain.
“Hi Thad,” I responded offhandedly. I spun the dial back and forth, and my locker door flew open.
“Look,” he
I plopped down at the edge of the fountain and stared blankly into space.
What just happened?
Clarence took a seat beside me and cleared his throat. “Are you OK?”
I glowered at him.
“We’ll talk Monday,” he said, springing back to his feet and trotting away. He looked back at me a couple of times before finally vanishing around a corner.
A moment later, two figures crossed my line of vision. My eyes focused on Marlene and Tamara, the first looking sympathetic, the second exasperated.
“How could you let her run off with him like that?” Tamara scolded, her eyes burrowing into me.
“So you saw everything?”
They nodded. “Most of it, anyway,” Marlene replied.
“It just happened so fast,” I explained, almost to myself. I felt tears emerging, but then I remembered Thad’s sneering face, and they promptly dissolved.
“It was pretty random,” Marlene agreed grimly, taking my hand and pulling me up. “But we told you to watch out for her. Here, come on. Let’s go get some ice cream. My treat.”
I followed after them dazedly, realizing Kimberly was now my rival for Thad’s affections. I glanced at myself in a shop window, my chest seeming awfully small. I easily devoured the ice cream sundae Marlene bought for me a moment later.
“Oh, cheer up,” Tamara said, watching me eat with disinterest. “You’ll have other opportunities with him.”
“What’s really surprising is how that geeky Clarence acted. He must have really wanted your time to stand up to Thad like that,” Marlene mused. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone oppose him before.” She stared at me pointedly. “And it’s interesting you didn’t really take Thad’s side, either.”
I slid my spoon thoughtfully through a droplet of chocolate syrup resting in my dish. “Thad was being a bully,” I heard myself murmur, but it almost felt as though someone else were speaking. Thad would have the chance to make things up to me on Monday, at least. But Clarence, despite being an annoying pest who tried to sabotage my date, had displayed courage I never imagined he had. I couldn’t help but smile.
“What’s with the sudden grin?” Marlene asked suspiciously, her own eyes betraying a twinkling amusement.
“I’m not sure,” I replied truthfully. “I suppose people just surprise me sometimes.” My eyes darted between the two of them. “Want to go catch a movie?”
They both nodded and smiled in agreement.
“But none of that cutesy stuff you like,” Tamara warned as she stood up.
“OK,” I said softly, not really minding. It was good to have friends.
Chapter Eleven
“Y ou want me to do what?” I asked Monday morning as my aunt drove me to school.
“Take a CPR class,” she said matter-of-factly. “It’s something everyone should know. I signed you up for one after school tomorrow at the community center.”
I groaned. “How long is it?”
“About three hours.”
“Oh Auntie,” I whined. “Why didn’t you tell me before now? I don’t want to go.”
“Did you have anything else planned for Tuesday?”
“No…”
“Then you’re going to do it. It’s a skill you may need one day.”
I sighed and kissed her good-bye as she stopped near the school entrance. She smiled at me in that same old, wise way she always did when she wanted me to do something she thought wasimportant. I then slid out the car and headed to class, thinking about Thad as I hurried along. I giggled. Perhaps learning a little CPR might not be so bad after all.
I spotted him immediately as I went to my locker; he was just standing there, staring blankly at his feet. I closed my eyes, steadied myself, and then slowly approached.
“Hi Miyu,” he said, his voice uncertain.
“Hi Thad,” I responded offhandedly. I spun the dial back and forth, and my locker door flew open.
“Look,” he
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