Sophie's Different (James Madison Series Book 3)

by Patrick Hodges

  Oh, crap.

  Chapter 4

  ~ Day 10 (Wed.) ~

  AYDEN

  I opened the side-gate, wheeling my bike out before silently closing it behind me. I'd discovered in the past week that it was far easier to leave the house by the patio door instead of through the kitchen. Not once had I run into Ron prior to leaving for school in that time. Of course, exiting the house that way also meant skipping breakfast, but that was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

  Yesterday, I had to listen to another disgusting conversation between Drew and Zach. Zach went on and on about what a great French-kisser his girlfriend Hayley was, and Drew countered by trying to convince Zach that it was only a matter of time before he had Sophie “wanting to suck his face.” Bleargh. I'd hoped Sophie was smart enough to see through Drew's bullcrap, but since she hadn't told him to take a hike yet, I guess she wasn't.

  If Marissa treated me the way Drew's pretending to treat Sophie, would I act any differently? Probably not.

  I climbed on my bike and started for school. As I pedaled, I pictured Marissa in my mind: her dark skin, her amazing eyes, her beautiful smile … and then I had to swerve to avoid colliding with a parked car, sending my bike toppling over onto someone's front lawn, and me with it.

  Rubbing my sore elbow, which had caught the brunt of the fall, I looked around. Only one other person was nearby, some old guy across the street watering his rosebushes. He hadn't seen my embarrassing pratfall, so I quickly stood up and climbed back on my bike. Sheesh. Just thinking about Marissa is making me stupid. I guess now I know how Sophie must feel.

  A couple minutes later, I rounded a corner and saw Sophie at our neighborhood's designated bus stop. She was sitting on the curb, reading a textbook, patiently waiting for the bus to show up. As I watched her, my mind began to race.

  All your life, you've wanted to be a superhero, Ayden. Here's your chance.

  So are you going to just think about it, or are you going to DO SOMETHING?

  Yes, I am.

  I started to pedal toward where Sophie was sitting. She hadn't yet seen me. I then realized I was going too fast and jammed on my brakes, skidding to a halt about five feet away from her, sending a shower of dust and gravel into the air.

  Sophie looked up, clearly angry at my intrusion. “Jeez, Ayden!” she yelled, brushing the pebbles from her clothes. “What's the matter with you?”

  “Sorry,” I said, out of breath. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

  Her look of anger subsided, but not by much. “About what?”

  “It's … important.” I could feel my heroic resolve starting to disintegrate under the weight of her frown.

  “So talk.” She scanned the area down the street, obviously looking for the bus.

  As I climbed off my bike, all the things I practiced saying last night turned to spit in my mouth. After a few seconds, I realized I was just standing there with my mouth hanging open. I must have looked like a complete doofus.

  Seconds ticked by, and still nothing came out. “What is it?” Sophie asked, exasperated.

  “I need to talk to you … about … Drew,” I stammered, my brain finally working again.

  “Drew? You mean Drew Seeley?”

  I nodded, the blood rushing to my face. “Yeah, him. Your lab partner.”

  Behind Sophie, a few blocks down the street, I saw a familiar flash of yellow as the school bus rounded a corner and turned in our direction. “What about him?” she asked, a steely edge creeping into her voice.

  My eyes became transfixed on the bus bearing down on us. I only had a few seconds left, so I turned to face Sophie again. “Don't …” I hesitated again, looking at my shoes. Why is this so difficult? You're doing this for her! She's going to get her heart broken! Are you a superhero or aren't you?

  “Don't what?” she asked, her patience all but gone.

  Say it, you moron!

  I looked her dead in the eyes. “Don't … trust him. He's not who you think he is.”

  The school bus braked noisily to a halt. Sophie stared at me silently for a few moments, as if still processing what I'd told her. But my job was done now, so before she could respond, I climbed back on my bike, turned it the other way and sped off in the direction of the school.

  All day, I thought about my first-ever heroic deed, and if anyone bothered to look at me, they'd probably have seen a stupid little grin on my face.

  I'd finally done it. I'd taken a step to save a good person from being hurt. Okay, it wasn't like saving the planet from an alien invasion, or even rescuing a kitten from a tree, but it was something. All I had to do now was sit back and see if Sophie heeded my warning.

  * * *

  The hardest part about living in our house was having to pass my sister Kim's bedroom every time I walked down the hall. Sometimes when there was no one home I would go in and sit on her bed, staring into space. I'd look at the neatly-made bed and sadly wonder if she'd ever sleep in it again. It'd been over a year since she left, and I missed her like crazy.

  My mood hadn't improved by the time I sat down to dinner.

  “How was school today, sweetie?” Mom asked weakly.

  “It was okay,” I said. “I talked to a girl today.”

  Her eyes widened, and a smile cracked onto her face. “Really? That's great!”

  “Way to go, little man,” Ron interrupted, grinning his wolf's grin. “I was beginning to think you were a queer or something.”

  I shot a look of pure hatred at him. “You would think that.”

  “Ron!” Mom said, shocked. “How could you say that to him?”

  He turned to face her. “Well, damn, Colleen, the kid don't have friends, he don't like football, and he leaves the room whenever I watch the Playboy Channel. I was beginnin' to think he was into guys.”

  Mom's jaw dropped, and it looked like she was about to say something scathing in return when she locked eyes with Ron. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and her willpower withered and died. Her focus returned to her plate, and she lifted a forkful of spaghetti to her mouth. “My son is not gay,” she muttered.

  “Let's hope not.” Ron took another swig of beer. “I ain't livin' in a house with no fags.”

  And there goes my appetite. “Mom,” I said, my breath becoming rapid, “can I be excused?”

  She looked at me with concern. “Ayden, you've barely touched your dinner.”

  “I've … got a stomach-ache,” I lied. “Please, Mom?”

  We stared at each other for a few moments, and then she nodded. “Okay, sweetie, I'll bring you some Pepto later. You go lie down.”

  “Why do you baby him so much?” Ron demanded. Before Mom could answer, he continued, “I'll tell you why … it's because he's never had a real man in his life. If he don't man up, he'll end up a loser just like his father.”

  Trying hard not to explode, I stood up, so forcefully I almost toppled my chair over. Without another word, I ran to my room, slamming the door behind me. I sat down on the floor of my walk-in closet, leaning my back against the wall.

  I could feel my breath quickening and my heart racing. I thought about Sophie, and what I did for her. It wasn't much, but it was something.

  And then a new sensation crept in. That one act of getting involved had affected me, in a way I couldn't even describe. What's happening to me?

  I'm Invisiboy. The boy no one notices. The fly on the wall.

  I know so many things about so many people. But I don't … KNOW anyone. I hide in the shadows, listening to other people's conversations, never having any of my own. I watch from a distance, pretending I'm better than them. Above them.

  But I'm not.

  I'm not a superhero. I'm just Ayden. Ayden the loser. Ayden the outcast. Ayden the … really, really lonely.

  Cloaked in the darkness of my closet, I felt something inside me crack, then shatter.

  I can't go on like this anymore.

  I want friends.

  I need friend
s.

  Chapter 5

  ~ Day 10 (Wed.) ~

  SOPHIE

  One of the things I liked about running was that I could think while I was doing it. And this morning, I had a lot to think about.

  I'd known Ayden since we were little kids. Unlike most boys, he was always polite to me, even back then. I often thought about that time he helped me by saving Logan's letter from blowing away, and it always made me smile.

  Not long after, though, he changed. He stopped talking to people, walking with his head down and his shoulders slouched, like he was just trying to get through the day. I could see how sad he was, even though he tried to hide it by appearing disconnected, using his earbuds as an excuse to not talk to people.

  I'd heard what happened to his family. Even in a good-sized school like James Madison, it was hard to keep news that big a secret. Most of the other kids treated him like a freak, like his dad and his sister leaving was all his fault. I just couldn't do that. Over the years, I'd occasionally smile at him, even talk to him briefly when no one was around. I could tell he appreciated it, though he often had a hard time showing it. So much like Logan.

  Whatever was going on inside Ayden's head, it obviously took a lot for him to just come up to me and say it. But … “Don't trust Drew?” Seriously?

  How does Ayden even know Drew? And what business is it of his anyway? Drew's a nice guy! Why would I need to trust him at all? We're not even friends! We're just lab partners! And besides, he's freaking Alexis's boyfriend! What could he be talking about? Maybe Ayden's finally gone off the deep end …

  As I made my third lap around the field, I let Drew and Ayden slip from my mind. I concentrated on the rhythmic pounding of my feet on the ground, the adrenaline rush I got from running. Anything but Ayden and Drew.

  * * *

  After a quick shower to rid myself of the morning's sweat, I stopped off to get my science textbook from the open-air building next to the cafeteria that housed the girls' lockers. I'd just closed my locker door when I noticed one of my classmates, Janette Cooper, staring at me. She was my height, with curly red hair and a few unfortunate pimples on her face.

  Enough was enough. I'd had it with being stared at. Stepping purposefully toward her, I said, “What is it, Janette?”

  She faced me with a sheepish look. “What's what?”

  My God, can NO ONE give me a straight answer today? I felt my anger rising. Janette was a nice girl, and I didn't want to yell at her, but this had gone too far. “Everyone's been looking at me funny since school started, and I'm getting sick of it. So tell me what's going on.”

  Her expression was like a deer in headlights. “Nothing!”

  I took another step forward. Our faces were only a few feet apart now. “Janette …”

  Her face fell. “I was just wondering … if it was true.”

  “Yes, Janette, it's true. I had my period in P.E. class. It's been a week, can everyone just freaking drop it already?!”

  Janette's face turned red, and she cast her eyes to the ground. “It's not that …” She trailed off, and then looked me in the eyes again. “I heard … other things.”

  An icy terror gripped my heart. “What are you talking about?”

  “I heard someone saw you … smoking in the girls' room.”

  “What?! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!”

  “I know. I'm sorry, Sophie.” She reddened in embarrassment. “I didn't think it was true.”

  What the hell is going on in this school? “Who told you I was smoking?”

  “I overheard Cammie Goodwiler telling Dana Alexander this morning during second-period Algebra. They said they heard it from Lacey Rathman.”

  My God. Lacey Ratface, one of Alexis's Coven, is telling everyone I'm smoking. And if she's doing it, you can bet they all are. This is getting seriously bad. “Janette, think about what you just told me and realize how ridiculous it sounds. I promise you, I have never smoked a cigarette in my entire life.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “That's … not what I heard you were smoking.”

  I brought my hands up, unable to fight the urge to bury my face in them. “This is not happening …” After a few moments, I looked Janette in the eyes again. “What else have you heard?”

  And then she told me.

  * * *

  I was still in shock as I sat down next to Drew at our work table. I couldn't even look at him. I had plenty of reasons not to look at him before: shyness, fear of Alexis, or just plain embarrassment. But this time I was just too upset to look at him, or anyone else for that matter.

  I lowered my head, taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. When I looked up again, I caught Rhianna staring at me. We locked eyes, and she smiled before turning to face forward again.

  Yeah, she's in on it. They're all in on it.

  I lowered my head again, closing my eyes, rocking back and forth, as if being in motion could fan away the black cloud hanging over me.

  After a few moments, Drew whispered, “Are you okay, Sophie?”

  Something in his voice caught my attention, so I reluctantly turned to look at him. Our eyes met, and the image of his face burned itself into my brain.

  We'd never spoken before this year. Why would we? I'm not popular; he is. I'm not pretty, and he's … well, he's Drew. The guy every girl crushes on. He could probably have any girl he wants. But now he's talking to … me?

  Oh my God. He's talking to ME. Not as a lab partner, but as a person.

  A tiny part of my brain flashed back to this morning, when Ayden mysteriously warned me about Drew. But one look into Drew's deep brown eyes made that image pop like a soap bubble.

  What is he thinking about me? Has he heard all the horrible things Janette just told me about? Oh, crap, he probably thinks they're ALL true! He probably thinks I'm the most horrible person in the whole world! What do I say?

  Fighting back tears, I said, “It's not true.”

  His look of concern turned to one of puzzlement. “What's not true?”

  What people are saying! I don't smoke pot! I don't get drunk! I don't have gonorrhea! Please believe me!

  Suddenly, my brain came back into focus, and I realized I'd answered a different question than the one he actually asked. “Nothing,” I said glumly, looking at the table again.

  I hoped that would be the end of the conversation, but Drew persisted, “Sophie, what's not true?”

  “What they're saying.”

  “What who's saying?”

  “Them.” I gestured in Rhianna's direction.

  In my peripheral vision, I saw him lean in closer to me. “Sophie, I don't know what they said, but whatever it is, I'm sure it's all bull. Girls like Rhianna and Alexis and the rest of them wouldn't know the truth if it bit 'em on the butt.”

  Despite my roiling emotions, I felt a smile crack through. “Yeah. I just … don't know why they're doing this to me.”

  Without warning, he reached over and grasped my hand. If I wasn't already emotionally numb, I'd probably have had a heart attack at his touch, which sent shockwaves through my body. I faced him again, and he was smiling. God, he's got a beautiful smile too.

  He cocked his head. “Take off your glasses.”

  Without even a second thought, I used my free hand to whip my glasses off my face and set them on the work-table. I was pretty nearsighted, but I could still see Drew clearly, as close as we were sitting to each other. I stared at him, hoping like hell that he didn't think I looked even worse without my glasses.

  “Wow,” he said, just loud enough for me to hear.

  “What's wrong?” The needle on my nervousness gauge shot into the red.

  “You have … nice eyes. And you're pretty, uh … well, pretty.” A sheepish smile flashed over his face.

  Mr. Tolliver then entered the classroom, striding quickly to his desk. “Okay, class, chitchat's over. Turn your books to Chapter Two, and we'll begin.”

  Drew released my hand,
and I instantly hated Mr. Tolliver for interrupting such a magical moment. Putting my glasses back on, I turned to face the front of the class. I locked eyes with Kayla, who was looking at me over her shoulder. Our gaze met, and I saw the same expression on her face as the one she had in the cafeteria last week. It wasn't curiosity, or judgment, or contempt. It was concern. Genuine concern. I barely had time to register it when she turned away and Mr. Tolliver began his lecture.

  * * *

  “He … touched you?” Michelle asked, gawking at me.

  The three of us had been eating at a different table in the cafeteria, as far away from the Coven's table as possible, ever since the first day of school. We now sat near the windows on the north end of the room, well out of range of another aerial attack. Thankfully, no more pranks had been pulled on us since the ketchup-bomb incident.

  “Yeah.” I looked over at Marissa, who was also staring at me. “And he said I was … pretty.” God, I hope my stupid brain didn't make that up.

  “That's awesome, Soph!” Marissa said, smiling. “He's into you!”

  My face turned an even deeper shade of red than before. “No, Riss, I'm sure that's not true. I was upset at what Janette told me, and he was just trying to be nice.”

  “Still, that's something!” Michelle said. “I'm sure he'd never say that to me …”

  “Shell, in a perfect world, you'd be the most popular girl in school. You're smart, and funny, and you're one of the strongest people I know.” It was true. In addition to eating only healthy foods, she was also incredibly fit, and could probably have tried out for the track team if she had any interest at all in competitive athletics.

  “Thanks, Soph,” she said with a tinge of sadness. “If you ever find an Einstein-Rosen bridge to this perfect world, you let me know, okay?”

  Marissa took a bite of her sandwich, looking puzzled. “What's an Einstein …”

  “A wormhole. You know, like a gateway to a parallel dimension,” Michelle explained.