The Islanders by Katherine Applegate Page A

impression.”
    â€œTad Crowley . . .”
    â€œIsn’t that the guy you made out with at that party?” Aisha asked. “You know, back when you and Jake were having a fight or something?”
    â€œI didn’t make out with him,” Zoey said. “I just kissed him once.”
    â€œ. . . Louise Kronenberger.”
    â€œK-burger?” Nina said. “No way. You’ll kick her butt, Zoey.”
    â€œThe only votes she’ll get are from guys she’s slept with.” Aisha smirked.
    â€œSo she’ll be pretty big competition,” Nina said.
    â€œ. . . Jake McRoyan . . .”
    Claire stood up and gave a completely uncharacteristic yell of support, joined by many others.
    â€œNow I can die,” Nina said, staring at her sister. “I’ve seen everything. The things people will do for romance.”
    â€œIn your case, nothing,” Claire shot back.
    Jake was making his way, threading through the crowdedstands to trot out onto the shiny gym floor and shake hands with Tad Crowley.
    â€œ. . . Kay Appleton . . .”
    â€œOh, not her,” Aisha said.
    â€œYou don’t like Kay?” Zoey asked.
    â€œShe’s such a phony. She always comes off like Miss Sweetness and Light. But she can turn instantly into this total barracuda.”
    â€œ. . . Lucas Cabral . . .”
    Zoey stretched up to look. The only movement in the stands was Kay, making her way down to the floor.
    â€œ. . . Lucas Cabral?” the principal repeated. “Is he out today? Well, we’ll skip over him for now. On to our next candidate for queen . . . Zoey Passmore.”
    Zoey rose to her feet, still annoyed at Lucas but trying to force an appropriate smile.
    â€œZoey Passmore?” Aisha said in a disbelieving tone. “Who nominated her?”
    â€œReally, she’s such a witch,” Nina said.

SIX
    NINA LOOKED BLEAKLY ACROSS THE top deck of the ferry. As far as the passengers of her own age were concerned, it was divided up into impenetrable territories. In one zone Zoey and Lucas, arguing in Zoey’s usual discreet, quiet, restrained way. Some distance away, in zone two, Aisha and Christopher were standing close to each other, murmuring and occasionally kissing.
    Then, in zone three, there was Claire. Nina didn’t have to make any special effort to avoid Claire. That was second nature to both of them.
    Claire had begun by standing beside Jake at the forward rail, but Jake had pointedly moved away, taking a seat. Claire had pointedly followed him and now sat several feet from him on the same bench. They weren’t speaking. Claire was reading and Jake was scowling, but it looked like a moral victory for Claire.
    Only Benjamin sat alone. And only Nina stood alone.
    Any other time, Nina would have felt no great hesitationabout taking a seat beside him. They were friends, after all. But somehow the geography of the deck on this day would make it seem like she was being obvious. It was all boyfriends and girlfriends, even if Claire and Jake were in some type of limbo, and even if Zoey and Lucas were fighting.
    Still, it was girls with the guys they liked. That was the arrangement, boyfriends and girlfriends, like it was in so much of life. And if she just went on over and plopped down beside Benjamin, wouldn’t that make it look like she was trying to act like his girlfriend?
    Claire had already teased her once about being in love with Benjamin. It had probably just been teasing. Certainly Claire couldn’t know how true it was.
    So it is true? Nina asked herself. Was it love she felt for Benjamin? Why should she? He obviously would never see her as anything but a friend.
    She liked him, yes. But did she feel that way about him?
    She stole a closer look at him, sitting there with earphones on, probably listening to some music she wouldn’t even recognize, let alone enjoy. His eyes perpetually hidden behind the darkest-possible