* * *
We made it to our seats right before Mrs. Hong entered the room. I caught Ashley shooting glances at me from over her shoulder. I unzipped my backpack, pretending like I hadn’t noticed and pulled my biology book out.
“I have to go to the office to take care of some things,” Mrs. Hong told us after marking off everybody in her book. “I trust you will behave. If you don’t, there will be detention with me for as long as I see fit.” She stood like a miniature general in front of the class. She pointed her finger at us, jerking it back and forth, like reprimanding a child. “Believe me. You do not want to have detention with me, because I’ll put you to work.” Her voice took on a stern and intimidating tone.
Some of the students shrank back in their seats, while others wouldn’t even look at her, as if they were afraid she’d turn them to stone if they did. Unfazed, I opened my notebook and doodled in it, hoping Ashley wouldn’t use this opportunity to belittle me.
Satisfied with the reaction she received, Mrs. Hong left.
Ashley twisted in her seat, zeroing in on my face, but I continued to act busy until she spoke.
“So, Paige, I heard that a fight broke out at The Loser’s Den because of you. Jack (she refused to call him Tree) and some hot guy that I heard is your boyfriend.”–she rolled her eyes, like that was impossible for me to have a hot boyfriend–“defended you against Matt. Is that true?”
“Yes, it’s true,” Carrie said.
Ashley glared at her. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
Carrie glared back. “Ask me if I care.”
“Shut up you guys, or we’re going to get into trouble,” Jordan said, throwing anxious glances at the door.
Ignoring Jordan, I looked at Ashley. “It’s true.”
Ashley puckered her lips like she just sucked a lemon. “Poor little Paige, whose father is dead and whose mother is never around, seeking attention from the opposite sex to get the love she has never received from her parents.”
That was a low blow, right to my gut. I glanced away to hide the hurt on my face.
“That’s not true,” Max told her. “I was there, and Paige wasn’t nearby when the fight happened.”
“Yeah,” Carrie chimed in. “And what you said was uncalled for.”
I turned to Ashley. She had a scowl on her Barbie face. “I don’t know why you have it in for me. I’ve never done anything to you, yet you spout these hurtful things at me.” I’d never confronted Ashley before and it felt good.
“She’s jealous of you,” Samantha–who used to hang out with Ashley–said.
“Yeah, right,” Ashley scoffed. “Why would I be jealous of her? She’s pathetic.”
“You’re jealous because she has true friends, and she’s prettier than you.” Samantha smiled at me. Her white teeth stood out against her olive skin, revealing their perfection.
Ashley gave her a dirty look. “Whatever.”
I didn’t think I was prettier than Ashley, but appreciated Samantha’s comment and returned her smile.
“Whatever!” Max said in a snotty, raised voice, imitating Ashley.
Ashley faced him. “Shut Up!”
“No. You shut up, pee pee, pants!” I shouted at her, fed up with her bullcrap.
Carrie squealed with laughter, and so did the other kids who remembered Ashley wetting herself in the third grade.
“That’s right.” Max leaned across his desk, laughing hysterically. “You pissed in your jeans and didn’t say anything until the teacher noticed it.” He waved his hand under his nose, scrunching his face. “You still smell like urine, Ashley.”
“That’s because she can’t control her bladder, and she has to wear Depends,” Carrie said.
Everybody was laughing now, and Ashley’s face turned blood red. She grabbed her stuff and marched out the room. I felt bad doing that to her, but she’d gone too far this time.
“That was a good one, Paige,” Samantha said. “I’m so tired of her prima donna attitude and how she treats you.”
At that moment Mrs. Hong came in. We immediately turned to our work, pretending to be studying. She glanced around the room, scrutinizing everyone, and then her gaze fell on Ashley’s empty seat.
“Where’s Ashley?” she demanded in a sharp voice.
Heads popped up to look at her.
“She had to go to the restroom and was afraid if she didn’t, she’d have an accident in her pants,” Carrie said.
The class erupted into laughter.
“Are you being smart with me?” Mrs. Hong jerked a finger at Carrie.
“No, Mrs. Hong, she’s not,” I said. “Ashley really had to go. I heard she has a weak bladder.”
With her hands on her hips, Mrs. Hong glowered at us as the laughter turned to snickers, but she didn’t say anything and went to her desk to do some paperwork.
After class, I thanked Samantha and Max for sticking up for me. Max grinned and said Ashley needed a kick in the ass. He lifted his hand and made a fist, bumping knuckles with us before we headed to our next class.
When I entered English class, Tree had his foot on the seat, saving it for me. I told him what happened with Ashley, which pissed him off at first, but when I told him the rest of it, he busted out laughing.
“Man, if I was there I would have put the smack down on her ass.” He slammed the palm of his hand on the desk.
“I hope she leaves me alone now.” I thought about what she said and felt like crying. I mean, what she said about my parents was true. I couldn’t deny that.
“It’s not true what she said,” Tree said. “So don’t you go believing it.”
I looked up to a pair of brown sympathetic eyes and frowned.
The hour went by quickly, and before I left, I handed Mr. Russo my essay and headed to biology class, telling Tree I’d see him at lunch. But after a half hour of trying to listen to Mr. Decker’s monotone voice drone on about homeostasis, I thought for sure lunch would never arrive. My mind began to wander, crippling me into thinking about things I’d been avoiding since that night at The Lion’s Den. The tip of my pencil snapped when I thought about my father being murdered by a dark spirit and the dark spirit in the restroom threatening me. But thankfully, as murderous thoughts entered my mind, the bell rang. I hopped out of my seat, gave Mr. Decker my work, and then rushed through the crowd of people to my locker. I found Nathan waiting for me, and all the tension in my body lifted.
He smiled. “Hey, you.” He was holding two black plastic containers. “I thought I’d surprise you with lunch.” This was a surprise. A welcome and much needed one.
I stood on my tiptoes, feeling all eyes on me again but didn’t care this time and kissed him.
“I’m glad you did.” I smiled back at him.
“Are you okay?” he asked, studying me.
“Yeah, sure.” I turned to my locker and spun the combination.
“Hey, Nathan,” Tree said behind me. “Are you going to eat lunch with us?” He sounded pleased, which touched my heart.
“That’s the plan,” Nathan told him.
“You should do this every day.” Carrie sounded pleased as well. I grinned.
I shoved my history book into my backpack and closed the locker door. I turned, the grin still on my face. “Yeah, he should.”
“Well, that can be arranged,” Nathan said, beaming.
Beyond the Eyes: YA Paranormal Romance Page 34