Naomi Grim by Tiffany Nicole Smith

no one said anything.
    I walked over to the table.
They were having a healthy dinner for once. Salmon, steamed broccoli, and baked
potatoes. Keira must have cooked.
    "Hey, Naomi," she
said, buttering her baked potato. "Grab a plate. Sit."
    I left my backpack on the
kitchen island and grabbed a plate from the cupboard. I sat in the empty chair.
    "You look nice,"
Josh said, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
    "Thanks."
    I helped myself to a piece
of salmon, a small serving of broccoli, and the last baked potato. I watched
everyone else looking down at their plates, eating silently. I sat back in my
seat. "Will somebody please say something? Don't you want to know where
I've been?"
    No one said anything for a
moment and then Bram finally spoke. "There's no point, Nay. Talking to you
is like talking to a brick wall sometimes. I'm tired. Just keep doing what
you're doing, and I'll let Dunningham deal with you. Maybe then you'll
learn."
    I looked at the others as
they continued to eat. I finally dug my fork into my baked potato. Everything
smelled delicious, but nothing tasted right.

Chapter 19
     
     
     
    The next day, I decided that
I hated school. The newness had worn off. I hated the smell. I hated the
crowded hallways. I especially hated the meaningless classes. My American
History teacher had handed back a paper I had spent two hours working on, with
a thick red C- written on the top. I folded the paper and stuffed it in my
backpack. I didn't need to worry about grades, but I was still insulted. That essay
had been the first homework assignment I completed. The only reason I'd done it
was because Ms. G. had threatened to call my parents if I didn't start doing my
work.
    I went to my locker to grab
my book for Algebra, another subject at which I sucked. Somehow Keira had a
knack for it. Maybe if things weren't awkward between us, she'd let me copy her
work.
    "Listen," a voice
said from behind me. "Whatever I did to make you feel like I was
pressuring you into anything, I'm sorry."
    I turned to face Hunter.
"What?"
    "I was being a complete
gentleman—or at least I thought I was. Whatever I did to make you think I
wanted something else, I'm sorry."
    I sighed. Those girls
couldn't hold water.
    I tried not to look into his
hazel eyes, but I couldn't help it. No one in Nowhere had eyes that color.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Hunter."
    "Then will you come to
my game tonight?"
    "Game?"
    "Yeah, the basketball
game. We play our rivals Coral High tonight."
    I'd never been to a high
school sporting event. I kind of wanted to know what they were like. We didn't
have things like that in Nowhere. We didn't have fun, period. I knew I was
supposed to say no, but Hunter's smile and dimples wouldn't let me. "Okay.
Sure."
    He winked at me. "Nice,
it starts at seven." He left just as Keira approached.
    "Want to go to the
basketball game tonight?" I asked.
    She rolled her eyes.
"Why on earth would I want to do that?"
     "Because I want to go."
    She shrugged. "You
better ask Bram if it's okay."
    "I don't need Bram's
permission. If I want to go, I'll go."
    "Whatever, Nay. Come
on, the bell's about to ring."
    Bram actually thought it
would be a good idea for me to go to the game, but only if we all went. I
didn't think kids who were planning on blowing up the school would be at a
basketball game—I think the other Grims genuinely wanted to see what one was
like.
    The gym was packed. We found
seats on the very, very top of the bleachers. I'd tried to dress as un-Grimlike
as possible. I had on blue jeans, a loose pink tank top, with a tighter black tank
top underneath.
    The gym was rowdy and noisy
with a lot going on. The game was in full force on the court; kids yelled and
screamed, cheerleaders were shouting chants from the sidelines, and the school
mascot did silly dances on the side. I was trying to understand the game, which
wasn't too complicated, but watching Hunter proved to be a huge distraction.
    Hunter was killing