name.
“Blake was right about you. You are a sweetheart,” I said hoping she wouldn’t change her mind.
Her cheek color deepened. Steph spied the area around her one more time and quickly wrote down a number. “A-are you, um, nervous about, um, your first match?”
Yes. Terrified. “Nah. It’s all good. Are you coming to watch us?”
She lifted a shoulder and handed me the pink note. “Maybe.”
“You should.” I scanned the numbers and stuffed the paper in my pocket. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
She watched me with a dazzled stare. “S-sure Cody. Just don’t tell anyone.”
“You got it.” I left the office a victor, but felt like I needed a shower. Manipulating her was way too easy, and definitely another situation Matt wouldn’t approve of. I reminded myself I wouldn’t be this person forever. That one day I’d be free from the memories that still drifted through these halls.
SKYLAR
B y the end of second period so many people had talked to me I couldn’t remember all their names. Amber, Kara, Erin, and someone with blue hair streaks and a nose ring. I desperately wanted to bond with other girls, but all they seemed to care about was Blake inviting me into the group during first period.
What did he say? What did he do? Were you totally shocked?
I leaned my head against my locker and closed my eyes. At least Cody hadn’t blown my secret. Maybe I’d misread him after all.
“Careful. It’s dangerous to sleep standing up.”
My eyes popped open as my locker neighbor shoved a notebook into her locker. Her face was covered by the open door, but she peeked around it. “I’m Zoe. You must be the new girl.”
“That obvious?”
She grinned. “Um, yeah. Don’t worry; I’m totally harmless. Not like the rest of these chicas.”
Wow, a whole sentence without Blake. I returned her smile. “Skylar. And I’m really glad.” Really, really glad.
Zoe shut her locker door, and I was able to see her in full length. Long dark hair hung to her waist; so black it appeared to have a blueish tint. Her oval-shaped eyes were dark as well. “I just moved here last year, so I totally get why this school has you freaked out.” She smiled and her eyes tilted up. “Where you headed to now?”
“AP English.”
Zoe brushed a long strand of hair off her shoulder. She was really pretty, but not in a conventional way. She looked ethnic, maybe Polynesian, but her style and makeup were Cosmo Teen all the way. “Ugh. I’m not taking any AP classes. Too much work. Everyone here is obsessed with dual credit and getting college hours, but I don’t see the rush, ya know? Why not spend five years in college? It’s supposed to be the best time of our lives, right?”
With each question, she looked up, waited for my nod and then continued. It fascinated me, the number of words she could string together in one sentence. The boys I knew never talked this much. I’d get a grunt and a nod if I was lucky.
“I don’t know what I want to do yet, anyway. My dad says I need to focus on math and science, but please, do I look like a math girl? My mom is a health nut, so she wants me to be a nutritionist, but again, do I look like I don’t eat cheeseburgers?”
“I think you look great.” The words tumbled out after I’d caught up with her speech, but I meant them. I was built like my mother, tall and rail thin, where as Zoe’s hips and chest curved like a 1950s pin-up model.
“What about you? Do you know what you want to major in?” She paused and waited. It was like the battery died in her vocal chords. The silence was strangely unnerving.
“Fashion design.”
A big smile cut across her face. “Sweet. Well, Ms. Skylar, runway extraordinaire, I’m gone. Look for me at lunch, okay?” She took off down the hall and talked to several more people she passed.
I pressed my hand to my cheeks and resisted jumping up and squealing. A girl. A friend. A teenager. Why did I wait so long to do this? Public school was
“Blake was right about you. You are a sweetheart,” I said hoping she wouldn’t change her mind.
Her cheek color deepened. Steph spied the area around her one more time and quickly wrote down a number. “A-are you, um, nervous about, um, your first match?”
Yes. Terrified. “Nah. It’s all good. Are you coming to watch us?”
She lifted a shoulder and handed me the pink note. “Maybe.”
“You should.” I scanned the numbers and stuffed the paper in my pocket. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
She watched me with a dazzled stare. “S-sure Cody. Just don’t tell anyone.”
“You got it.” I left the office a victor, but felt like I needed a shower. Manipulating her was way too easy, and definitely another situation Matt wouldn’t approve of. I reminded myself I wouldn’t be this person forever. That one day I’d be free from the memories that still drifted through these halls.
SKYLAR
B y the end of second period so many people had talked to me I couldn’t remember all their names. Amber, Kara, Erin, and someone with blue hair streaks and a nose ring. I desperately wanted to bond with other girls, but all they seemed to care about was Blake inviting me into the group during first period.
What did he say? What did he do? Were you totally shocked?
I leaned my head against my locker and closed my eyes. At least Cody hadn’t blown my secret. Maybe I’d misread him after all.
“Careful. It’s dangerous to sleep standing up.”
My eyes popped open as my locker neighbor shoved a notebook into her locker. Her face was covered by the open door, but she peeked around it. “I’m Zoe. You must be the new girl.”
“That obvious?”
She grinned. “Um, yeah. Don’t worry; I’m totally harmless. Not like the rest of these chicas.”
Wow, a whole sentence without Blake. I returned her smile. “Skylar. And I’m really glad.” Really, really glad.
Zoe shut her locker door, and I was able to see her in full length. Long dark hair hung to her waist; so black it appeared to have a blueish tint. Her oval-shaped eyes were dark as well. “I just moved here last year, so I totally get why this school has you freaked out.” She smiled and her eyes tilted up. “Where you headed to now?”
“AP English.”
Zoe brushed a long strand of hair off her shoulder. She was really pretty, but not in a conventional way. She looked ethnic, maybe Polynesian, but her style and makeup were Cosmo Teen all the way. “Ugh. I’m not taking any AP classes. Too much work. Everyone here is obsessed with dual credit and getting college hours, but I don’t see the rush, ya know? Why not spend five years in college? It’s supposed to be the best time of our lives, right?”
With each question, she looked up, waited for my nod and then continued. It fascinated me, the number of words she could string together in one sentence. The boys I knew never talked this much. I’d get a grunt and a nod if I was lucky.
“I don’t know what I want to do yet, anyway. My dad says I need to focus on math and science, but please, do I look like a math girl? My mom is a health nut, so she wants me to be a nutritionist, but again, do I look like I don’t eat cheeseburgers?”
“I think you look great.” The words tumbled out after I’d caught up with her speech, but I meant them. I was built like my mother, tall and rail thin, where as Zoe’s hips and chest curved like a 1950s pin-up model.
“What about you? Do you know what you want to major in?” She paused and waited. It was like the battery died in her vocal chords. The silence was strangely unnerving.
“Fashion design.”
A big smile cut across her face. “Sweet. Well, Ms. Skylar, runway extraordinaire, I’m gone. Look for me at lunch, okay?” She took off down the hall and talked to several more people she passed.
I pressed my hand to my cheeks and resisted jumping up and squealing. A girl. A friend. A teenager. Why did I wait so long to do this? Public school was
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