Sophie's Different (James Madison Series Book 3)

by Patrick Hodges

  I nodded. “Oh, like in Stargate!”

  “Yeah, kind of like that. But, really, Soph … I'm happy for you. Drew Seeley …” She stared dreamily into space.

  I looked at Marissa again, and she wasn't smiling anymore. “Just be careful, Soph. You don't want to end up with a knife in your back with Alexis's fingerprints on it.”

  I shuddered. “Ouch, Riss, that's a little graphic.”

  She cocked her eyebrow. “This is Alexis we're talking about. The girl's a total psycho.”

  “Good point.” Desperately wanting to change the subject, I asked Marissa, “So … you gonna try out for the school play again this year?”

  Marissa tried out for both school plays in seventh grade, but only landed bit parts both times. Michelle and I supported her as much as we could, and she'd done all right. She seemed to love acting, but even though she never said anything, I got the sense that she wanted a bigger role than she got.

  “I'm not sure. I really want to, but I haven't decided yet. Do you think I should?”

  “Of course, Riss!” Michelle said. “You were great last year!”

  “Yeah, you were,” I added.

  Her face fell. “I just … don't want to be an extra again. You know?”

  “You're gonna do awesome this year, Riss. I can feel it.” I gave her my most reassuring smile.

  She smiled back. “Hope you're right, Soph.”

  * * *

  Later that night, I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I'd spent the last few hours doing whatever I could think of to take my mind off my hellish day: homework, watching a movie, reading a book, listening to music. None of it worked.

  As I drifted off to sleep, I tried to focus on the one really good thing that happened to me today.

  He touched my hand.

  He said I was pretty.

  Drew Seeley said I was pretty.

  Chapter 6

  ~ Day 12 (Fri.) ~

  AYDEN

  Yesterday, I spent the entire day thinking about how I was going to rejoin the land of the living. I'd resolved to start making actual friends, but it didn't take me long to realize I was pretty rusty at being social. I came close to talking to one of the guys that, as far as I knew, didn't hate me, but I chickened out. I was determined not to do that today.

  Between second and third periods, I breathed a sigh of relief when I entered the locker building and saw Simon. I'd known him since third grade, and he was probably the most likely person to actually respond if I started talking to him. He was a few inches taller than me, with dark hair, thick black-rimmed glasses, braces, and a lot of freckles. It looked like he'd put on some muscle since we last spoke, but his arms were still stick-figure skinny, as if his body hadn't yet made up its mind which way it wanted to go.

  Bracing myself for rejection, I sauntered up to him. “Hey, Simon.”

  He turned to face me, his eyes magnified behind his Coke-bottle glasses. “Hey, Ayden. How ya been?”

  Part of me wanted to blurt out, Well, my dad and sister are still missing, we live in a crappy house with a crappy car, and the only thing between my mom and me and a homeless shelter is a homophobic a-hole who drinks beer and watches porn right in front of me. And on top of that, I have no friends, and everyone thinks I'm a freak, how about yourself? But instead, I simply replied, “Alright. You?”

  He turned away, and a frown crinkled his face. He slammed his locker shut in obvious anger. “Fine,” he said, putting the combination lock back on his locker.

  My heart went out to him. Simon's goofy looks often made him the target of guys like Drew. I could see that was still the case. “What's up?”

  “Nothing.” He met my gaze, saw my concerned look, and exhaled. “It just sucks that I'm stuck in P.E. class with freakin' Zach Cavanaugh, you know?”

  “Why? What's he doing?”

  “He keeps knocking me down when we're running laps, that's what. He freakin' goes out of his way to do it. And he keeps trying to pants me when there are girls around.”

  “Yeah, that guy's a C.O.J., for sure.”

  His brow furrowed. “C.O.J.?”

  I smirked. “Class One Jackass.”

  “Yeah, he definitely is,” he said, chuckling. “But … he's not going to stop, Ayden.”

  “Why don't you tell Principal Marquez, man? You know how she feels about stuff like that. She'd give Zach so much detention, he'd never bug you again.”

  Simon glared at me. He'd obviously considered and rejected this possibility. “Sure, Ayden, great idea. On top of being a nerd, I'd also be a nark. And unlike me, Zach has friends. Really big friends, if you know what I mean.”

  I felt bad for him. After years of practice, I was a pro at blending into the background, and because of that, I was never really a target of jerks like Zach and Drew. Simon, with his goofy looks, might as well have a tattoo on his forehead that said “Bully Me.” Blending in wasn't an option for him either.

  Then a brilliant idea suddenly hit me. Leaning in close, I whispered, “You remember last year when someone lit that firecracker in the restroom? The one that started a fire?”

  “How could I forget? Principal Marquez had everyone's lockers searched. Half the school got called into her office. What about it?”

  I gave him a sly wink and a smile.

  His jaw dropped. “That was Zach?!”

  “Oh, yeah,” I said, nodding. “From what I hear, it cost the school a lot of money to replace that broken urinal.”

  Simon thought for a moment and then shook his head vigorously. “Oh, no. Hell no! There's no way in hell I'm narking on him!”

  “Simon …”

  “No freaking way, Ayden! He and his buds would …”

  “No, Simon,” I said, interrupting him. “Just say you know it was him. He'll back off.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because his dad's an even bigger hard-ass than the principal. If Zach gets caught, he'll be suspended. And his dad would kill him.”

  His eyes widened. “I don't even want to know how you know that.”

  “Just trust me. If he messes with you again, tell him you'll go to the principal. It'll freak him out.”

  An evil grin spread over his face. “Yeah … it will. Thanks, dude.”

  “No prob.” Invisiboy to the rescue!

  He picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “Hey, man, you doing anything tomorrow?”

  “No, why?”

  He smiled. “I just got that new Hellfire video game, and …”

  “No way!” I yelled, gawking. “The brand new one with the five circles on the cover?”

  “Yeah, that one. You want to come over and help me break it in?” He held out his fist.

  I was ecstatic. “Dude!” I said happily, returning the fist-bump. See, making friends isn't so hard after all! But wait … that seemed a little TOO easy. “I mean, thanks, but … you know, I mean, I wouldn't be offended or anything if you wanted to play with someone else.”

  He gave me a strange smile. “Ayden, I've known you for five years. Just because we're too old to pretend we're Batman and Robin doesn't mean we're not still friends. Besides, guys aren't exactly lined up around the block to hang out with me.”

  I could feel myself getting choked up, and I definitely didn't want Simon to see that, so I turned away. “Thanks, man, I'll be there. You still live on Orange Blossom Lane?”

  He nodded. “Yup. Be there at noon, and my mom'll order us some pizza.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” I gave Simon a wave, and then went off to my next class.

  On the outside, I remained calm as I climbed the stairs. Inside, though, I was pumping my fist in celebration. Over and over again.

  Chapter 7

  ~ Day 12 (Fri.) ~

  SOPHIE

  “She wears a what?”

  “A padded bra,” Drew said, chuckling. “I always thought it was weird that when she came to school, Alexis always had such big …” he trailed off, h
is face reddening, “… uh, you know …”

  “Boobs?” I said, and then instantly regretted it. Oh my God, did I just say 'boobs' to Drew? What is WRONG with me?

  “Yeah,” he continued. “But I went swimming at her house a few times this summer. She wore a bikini most of those times. Believe me, the size difference wasn't that hard to spot.”

  I gasped. “So you're saying she's …”

  “Flat as a pancake.” Drew grinned as he finished my sentence.

  I had to cover my mouth with both hands to keep from busting out laughing. I caught a glimpse of Rhianna glaring at me, but I wasn't going to let her dictate my mood today. Over the last two days, I did my best to counter the swirl of nasty rumors being spread about me by the popular girls by telling everyone I could that they weren't true. I mean, really – the notion that sweet little ol' me was actually a pot-smoking, liquor-guzzling skank? Absolutely ridiculous. I think I actually managed to convince a few people how absurd it was, and I hoped the nasty rumors would soon fizzle and die. The last thing I wanted was a flame-war with the Coven.

  My repressed laughter was trying to escape through my eyeballs in tear form, so I removed my glasses and wiped them away with my hand before they could materialize. Still giggling, I heard Drew speak again.

  “Look at me,” he said softly.

  I'd gotten a lot more comfortable talking to him this week, and I felt a lot less nervous with his eyes on me now. Meeting his gaze, I smiled, with one or two butterflies still fluttering around in my stomach.

  He smiled that beautiful smile. “I'm telling you, Sophie, you really should switch to contacts. Your face looks so much better without glasses.”

  “Really?” I asked, positive I was blushing.

  “Yeah, really. You look good. You should, you know, think about it.”

  “I will,” I said, replacing my glasses on my face.

  His smile flattened into a straight line. “Um, Sophie …”

  “What is it?”

  “I'm trying my best to get all this science junk straight in my head.” He almost looked embarrassed. “But it's really hard. I was hoping maybe … you could give me some help?”

  “What kind of help?” I could feel my heart starting to pound.

  “I dunno,” he said sheepishly. “Maybe … we could meet in the library today?”

  “T-today? Like, right after lunch?” Please tell me you're kidding. No, on second thought, DON'T tell me that.

  “Yeah. I just need you to explain some stuff, that's all.”

  I gulped. “I'd love to.” I said it! I actually said it! Hold on, though … “But … aren't you and Alexis still going together? Wouldn't she have a problem with that?”

  He reached out and took my hand, and my brain melted into a puddle. “I'm breaking up with her.”

  My eyebrows shot straight up. “R-really?”

  He nodded. “Last night on the phone she accused me of having a 'thing' for you. I told her we were just lab partners, but she won't listen. Plus, I heard about all that stuff she told everyone about you.”

  My breath caught in my throat. “It's all lies …”

  “I know,” he interrupted. “So, the next chance I get, I'm going to end it with her.”

  He … defended me. To Alexis. He took my side over hers. He's going to break up with her. Which means …

  Mr. Tolliver swept into the room, striding to his desk like he was trying to knock down an invisible wall with his forehead. “Okay, guys, time for our chapter review. Cellphones off, eyes forward, and volume down to zero.”

  As Drew released my hand, I whispered, “Meet you in the library at 12:30?”

  “You got it.”

  For the rest of class, I could practically feel the hormones crashing into each other inside my brain. I hoped I'd be coherent enough to actually talk science later.

  * * *

  “Wow,” said Michelle, grinning at me.

  “That's it? Just 'wow'?”

  “What do you want me to say? It's Drew Seeley!”

  Rolling my eyes, I turned to Marissa, who was wearing her favorite black-with-white-dots dress today. “Riss, please, help me out here. I don't know what to do!”

  Sighing, she put down her hamburger. “Well, it's simple, isn't it? Either you help Drew out, or you don't. If you do, you could have the hottest guy in school on your side …”

  “And have the Coven gunning for you the rest of the year,” Michelle said, pointing her thumb in the direction of their table.

  “Or,” Marissa continued, “You turn him down, and maybe Alexis won't come after you with a chainsaw.”

  “Thanks for that image, Riss,” I said, grimacing. “Alexis is nasty, not homicidal. Besides, if Drew breaks up with her, that's hardly my fault.”

  Marissa quirked her eyebrow. “Oh yeah, I'm sure she'll see it that way.”

  “Come on, Riss!” I begged. “What if there's a chance he really … likes me?”

  “You really think he does?”

  I averted my gaze, staring out the window. “He said I was pretty. Why would he say that if he didn't mean it?”

  “Um, I don't know, Soph … maybe because he needs your help in Science class?”

  If anyone but Marissa had made this observation, I probably would've gotten really angry. But she'd always been the voice of reason for me, and she'd stopped me from getting carried away with myself more times than I could count. This time, however, I was at a loss.

  Ayden said not to trust Drew, but he didn't say anything about not helping him out in class. What harm could that possibly do? If there was even the smallest chance Drew's interest in me was genuine, and he truly needed my help, I couldn't turn my back on him just because of who he was … and who his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend was.

  “You may be right, but I think that until he gives me a reason not to trust him, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.”

  “Where are you meeting him?” Michelle asked.

  “In the library,” I looked at my watch, “in about twenty minutes.”

  “Well, have fun,” Marissa said. “Say hi to Autumn while you're there. Maybe you two can share a table when you're in exile.”

  Thanks, Riss, you just HAD to bring that up.

  * * *

  The study session with Drew went a lot smoother than I thought. I tried not to think about my nerves, or Ayden, or Alexis, choosing instead to keep my eyes on my textbook instead of on his face, only looking at him when I had to.

  I went over the chapter with him, telling him as best as I could about elements and subatomic particles and simple chemical compositions, and he seemed to take my instruction pretty well. With only a few minutes to go before the fifth-period bell, we closed our books. I saw a look of relief on his face.

  “Thanks, Sophie,” he said as we put our books into our backpacks. “There's still a lot of this stuff I don't understand, but I think with your help, I may just get a passing grade after all.”

  He smiled again. It only lasted for a moment, but it was enough for me to return one of my own. “You're welcome,” was all I could say back to him.

  He zipped up his backpack, and my mind began to race. Say something, Sophie, before he leaves! “Can I … um … can I walk you to your next class?”

  “Sure,” he said, hoisting his backpack onto his shoulder. I did the same, and together we walked out of the library.

  As soon as we hit the upper concourse, though, I heard a familiar voice hiss, “Well, isn't this sweet.”

  I turned to see Alexis glaring at me. Rhianna and Lacey were right behind her. So was Kayla, though she stood well apart from the others. If looks could kill, I'd have been stone cold dead at that moment. Their icy stares felt like a lead weight pressing down on me, and I could feel my willpower shrinking. Well, you made your choice, Sophie. Here comes the pain.

  Drew, however, wasn't the least bit impressed. “Alexis,” he said flatly.

  “Yeah, 'Alexis.' You do remember me, don't you, D
rew?” She turned to Rhianna with a scowl. “It's so funny … here I am, walking out of the cafeteria, expecting to see my boyfriend waiting for me, like he always does. Imagine my surprise when he's nowhere to be found.”

  “No kidding, Alexis,” Rhianna agreed, staring at both of us. “I had no choice but to tell her about all the goo-goo eyes you two have been making at each other in Science class. How big, dumb Drew has taken to slumming with the bottom-feeders of the school.”

  Drew took a quick step forward, forcing the girls to take a step back. “Nobody's talking to you, Rhianna,” he snarled. She locked eyes with him for a moment, and I saw her lips curl into an evil smile. Huh?

  Turning to Alexis, Drew continued, “And Alexis, Sophie is a friend. She helped me study, which is something people in school are supposed to do sometimes. Like you'd know anything about that.”

  I stood back, unable to speak, watching the two best-looking people in my class go at it. It seemed Drew was telling the truth. He'd really had enough of her. It wasn't a lie.

  Alexis crossed her arms defiantly. “This isn't over between us, Mister.”

  “Oh, yes it is,” Drew retorted. “Don't ever call me again.” And just like that, he turned his back on them and walked over to me. “Let's go, Sophie. It's starting to stink around here.” He extended his hand, and without even thinking, I slipped my own hand into it.

  I turned to walk away with him, but Alexis's acid voice came from behind me. “Devereaux!”

  “Don't even look at her, Sophie,” Drew said, and together we strode down the walkway, away from Alexis and her friends.

  But she wasn't done yet. “You're gonna regret this, you little skank! I'm gonna crush you like the bug you are! You hear me?”

  Each word was like a slap in my face. No one had ever directed such hatred toward me. I could feel my guts tightening, and for a second I thought I was going to break into tears. But I just kept walking, and Drew never let go of my hand once. We didn't stop until we were well out of earshot.

  My heart was beating like a jackhammer, making roaring sounds in my eardrums. My palms were sweaty, and my feet felt like they had cement blocks attached to them. I was now officially wading hip-deep in piranha-infested waters. But Drew, amazing Drew, was my lifeline. I couldn't believe what he just did for me. Ayden was wrong about him. So was Marissa.