Sophie's Different (James Madison Series Book 3)

by Patrick Hodges

  Alexis just laughed as I stopped a few feet from their table. “Look, skank, just turn around and march yourself back to the loser's table, okay? You're one of them, and that's not gonna change no matter how many stupid makeovers you get.”

  “Aww, don't be too hard on poor widdle Sophie,” Rhianna cooed in her most condescending voice. “She's probably just high from smoking pot.” She giggled, using her fingers to mime taking a drag on an invisible joint before blowing out invisible smoke.

  I felt my eye threatening to twitch, but I wasn't going to let them get the upper hand this time. “Really, Rhianna? That's the best you got?”

  Her expression morphed from one of haughty amusement to one of stone-cold seriousness. “Oh, you have no idea what's in store for you. You have two seconds to walk away, or you'll find out just what my 'best' is.”

  I didn't even blink. “I'm not scared of you. And I'm not going to let you push me around anymore.”

  Alexis smiled. “Whoo-hoo! This oughta be good. What'cha gonna do about it, Devereaux, huh? You gonna hum us to death?”

  At that, she broke out laughing, her cruelest laugh, and soon, everyone at the table joined her: Rhianna, Lacey, and a couple of other girls from Alexis's entourage. I shot a glance at Kayla, who was now standing even further back. She looked at me expectantly, probably wondering what my next move was.

  I turned to face the Coven, and I sprang into action. I strode forward, grabbed an unopened soda can off Lacey's lunch-tray, gave it a couple of vigorous shakes, reared back my arm and hurled it at the brick wall right behind Alexis's head. The can exploded in a shower of carbonated foam, drenching the wall, with some drops catching Alexis and Rhianna in the face.

  A bunch of students started to crowd around us, watching our argument. They'd been growing in volume up till now, but as the smashed soda can fell unceremoniously to the floor, they became eerily silent. As did the Coven.

  Alexis used her hands to wipe her face off, staring at me with seething hatred. “You little …”

  “Shut up!” I screamed. Even Alexis was taken aback by the bile in my voice, and she clammed up, visibly stung. Rhianna remained silent, her hazel eyes glaring as if she wanted to bore a hole right through my chest.

  “This ends, today. Right now!” I was practically shaking in fury. “I never did anything to you! Ever! All I did was get picked to be your stupid boyfriend's lab partner. That's all! And you go around telling everyone I'm drinking, having sex, and doing drugs? How could you do that?”

  Alexis didn't answer. Her gaze then shifted from my face to somewhere behind me. Curious, I cast a glance backward and saw Drew, who had pushed through the crowd and was staring at me. He did not look happy. And he shouldn't. He knows the game's up.

  I focused my anger on him before he could speak. “And you! You lying, conniving, sack of …” Catching myself, I stopped talking before I could say something Mom would definitely not approve of. Instead, I shot him a steely glare. “Don't ever speak to me again. Maybe this girl you're chasing after, whoever she is, will put out for you as much as you want. Because I … never … will.” His jaw dropped, and his mouth curled into a snarl.

  I turned back to Alexis, who'd regained some of her composure. “You've just ruined yourself,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  I matched her scowl. “Bring it on, bee-yotch.” Her eyes widened. Wow, did I really just say that? “But before you two harpies start plotting revenge, let me tell you something: a few years ago, a girl just like you tried to mess with my big sister. And guess what? It didn't turn out too well for her. A Devereaux doesn't go down so easily.”

  Without warning, Rhianna clambered to her feet, stepped away from the table, and walked angrily toward me. I took a step back, wondering if she was going to take a swing at me, but she stopped a few feet away. Her face was … scary. Her eyes had practically rolled back inside her head, and she was clenching and unclenching her fists in rage. “I hate you,” she whispered.

  I'd never seen anyone this angry, especially at me. At that moment, words failed me. I just stared at Rhianna's face, waiting for her to say something else.

  “I'm gonna destroy you, you stupid freak,” she continued. “I don't care if it takes me the rest of the year, I'm gonna bury you.”

  I glanced around at my gawking classmates, my face reddening as my blood pressure gradually returned to normal. With one final defiant look at Rhianna, who hadn't moved, I whispered, “Kiss my ass, Rhianna.”

  Just then, the sound of a shrill whistle pierced the air. The crowd immediately started to disperse, and I took the opportunity to slip away with the rest of them. Within moments, I was back at my table. Michelle and Marissa were standing, their mouths agape. “See you guys later,” I told them, grabbing my backpack and heading for the exit.

  I'd almost made it when someone caught me by the arm, and I heard a voice say, “Where do you think you're going, young lady?”

  I turned around to see Mrs. Rice, a tall, stern-looking lady who worked in the school's front office, glaring down at me. “I'm getting away from them,” I said, still fuming.

  “No, you most certainly are not,” she countered, not relinquishing her hold on me. “You are going to be explaining your actions to Principal Marquez.”

  Oh crap-load of crap. I guess standing up for yourself, no matter what your reasons are, is bound to have consequences.

  Chapter 11

  ~ Day 19 (Fri.) ~

  AYDEN

  I nearly sprayed chocolate milk all over the lunch-table as Simon told me what happened during P.E. class. Instead, the milk shot up my nose, causing me to choke slightly. Blowing my nose into a paper napkin, I faced Simon again, a huge smile on my face. “Holy crap, dude! I wish I could've been there!”

  “I know,” Simon said, flashing a metallic grin. “I mean, who knew Michelle Jameson was such a badass?”

  “Not me, that's for sure.”

  He put his fork down, leaning across the table. Keeping his voice low, he confessed, “It's weird … I think I kinda like her now.”

  “Well, why not?” I joked. “Guys love those martial arts chicks.”

  His face turned red as a raspberry, but his smile remained. “Whatever. I know this much … during P.E. class, I'm sticking close to her from now on.”

  “Smart move. We still on for tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, man,” he replied. “Dad's attending a company function or something, and Mom's taking my brother Dom to his friend's house for a birthday party, so I'm free all day.”

  “Sweet!” I fist-bumped him. “Maybe we can reach the third circle on Hellfire this time.”

  “Hell, yeah,” he said, and I could only roll my eyes at his lame joke.

  Our conversation was interrupted by a commotion on the other side of the cafeteria. I looked up to see a thick crowd of students surrounding what I figured was the popular girls' table, based on the location. There was a murmur of anticipation, which was growing louder by the moment. Then, I heard what sounded like an aluminum can being thrown against the wall, and everyone went silent. I stood up, hoping to get a better look, but the crowd of kids blocking my view was too thick.

  I scanned the cafeteria for teachers, but the only grown-up I saw was a lady from the front office whose name I couldn't remember, watching the growing crowd from a distance. I saw her dig a phone out of her pocket and call someone. Hanging up the phone, she made her way toward the mob, grasping a silver whistle that hung around her neck.

  Simon, too, was standing. “What's going on, d'ya think?”

  “No idea.”

  Straining to hear, I was able to make out a girl's voice. Someone was yelling, but it was too far away for me to understand any words. This was followed by more silence, and it was all I could do not to run over and see what was going on.

  And then something totally awesome happened.

  I heard the sound of the lady's whistle, and everyone immediately drifted away from the scene of the fracas
and back to their tables, no doubt hoping to avoid being questioned. Then my gaze locked on an extremely pissed-off Drew, who looked like he'd just been kicked in the balls.

  But the show wasn't over yet. Sophie emerged from the crowd, paused briefly to say a few words to Marissa and Michelle, grabbed her backpack, and headed quickly for the exit. She'd almost made it out the door when she got nabbed by the front-office lady, whose expression was not difficult to interpret, even from across the room.

  My mind raced, and in an instant, I put all the pieces together.

  Oh my God. She did it. Sophie actually stood up to them. To Alexis and Rhianna. AND Drew. In front of everybody!

  Then it hit me.

  I did this. Me.

  I sat back down again, realizing that an enormous smile had broken out on my face. This was one of the greatest moments of my life.

  I did it. I really did it.

  I AM a superhero.

  * * *

  My smile hadn't faded as I made my way along the upper concourse, heading for my sixth-period Literature class. I was just about to turn a corner when the hood of my jacket was grabbed from behind, halting my forward momentum and yanking me backward. Two bigger boys grabbed hold of my arms and shoved me up against a brick wall. Looking up, I found myself facing a very angry-looking Zach and Drew.

  Drew reached out, grabbed the cord of my earbuds and yanked them out of my ears. Putting one of the buds up to his own ear, he nodded. “Yeah, just as I thought. They're not even on.”

  Whoops. Busted.

  Zach shoved his face right up next to mine. “Betcha think you're pretty smart, huh?”

  I was boned, and I knew it, but I played dumb. “I don't know what you're …”

  “Shut up, turd-breath,” Drew snarled. A few other students, seventh-graders mostly, were walking by, trying their best not to look at my captors, or me. “You've been spying on us for months, haven't you?”

  Still on an emotional high from lunch period, I called upon every reserve of courage I had within me. “It's not too hard,” I said, smiling, “You guys never freakin' shut up, ever.”

  “Well, you're done now,” Zach said, flecks of spittle flying out and catching me on the forehead. “I'm going to kick your ass clear into next week, you little worm.”

  Planting my feet, I pushed his hands off me. “No, you're not.”

  “And why's that?”

  I glared directly at him. “Because, Zach, if you ever touch me again, a letter will be sent to the principal about the firecracker stunt you pulled last year. And then your father.”

  As I watched, Zach's face turned white as a ghost. Almost as a reflex, he let go of my shirt, taking a step back. “You're bluffing,” he whispered, clearly terrified at the prospect.

  “You think so?” I dug Ron's phone out of my pocket and waved it in front of them. I tapped a few buttons, and replayed Drew and Zach's conversation from yesterday. After a few seconds of watching their faces go numb, I pressed the Off button.

  “It's amazing how clear these things can record these days, isn't it?” I looked at Drew, who looked aghast. “And I've got a lot more sound files stashed away online. There's enough dirt on you and all your stupid jock friends to have you in detention for the rest of your lives. Assuming, of course, that you don't get kicked out of school.”

  Drew's eyebrows knitted in barely-controlled fury. “What do you want?”

  Got 'em.

  Straightening my clothes, I said, “You leave me alone. You leave Simon alone. He gets so much as a skinned knee, I'm dropping the bomb on you.”

  His jaw tightened. “Is that it?”

  I gave him my meanest look. “No, it isn't. You leave Sophie and her friends alone too. If you can do that, the day we finish eighth grade, all those recordings get deleted.”

  The color had finally returned to Zach's face. “Promise?”

  “Promise.” I extended my hand. With no better options, he shook it. Drew reluctantly did the same.

  “We have a deal then,” Drew said, balling up my earbuds and chucking them over the rail to the ground below. Then he and Zach rounded the corner into Mrs. Abernathy's classroom.

  I thought about going downstairs to retrieve my earbuds, but then decided against it. They'd served their purpose, and they didn't work anyway.

  It was over. My secret identity had been compromised.

  Invisiboy was no more.

  * * *

  Instead of racing home at breakneck speed like I usually did, I took my time and enjoyed the ride. I was still basking in my victory, but I could only wonder what I was going to do next.

  A couple of weeks ago, I vowed to make some real friends. And I've done that. Simon and I are getting tighter every day, and there's no reason I have to stop there. And after what I did for her, maybe Sophie and I can become actual friends instead of just two people who pass each other on the street every now and then. Who knows, maybe I'll even find a way to talk to Marissa …

  No sooner had this thought crossed my mind than Sophie's bus stop came into view. As I approached, I saw Sophie herself sitting on the curb. She had a sheaf of papers in her hands, and it looked like she was reading them.

  I braked to a halt a few yards away, and she looked up at me. Instantly, she smiled. “Hey, Ayden.”

  “Hey, Sophie,” I said, puzzled. “What're you doing here?”

  “Waiting for you. You got a minute?”

  She was waiting for ME? How about that. “Sure,” I said, dismounting my bike and setting the kick-stand.

  Sophie rose to her feet. With a contented smile on her face, she stepped forward and put her arms around me, embracing me in a warm, friendly hug. I thought it would only last a second, but she just kept on holding me.

  Whoa. This feels … nice. Hug her back, you moron! Realizing this was a historical moment for me, I wrapped my arms around her. I was overcome by the tenderness of the moment, and part of me wanted it to go on forever.

  If I had any doubts before about whether I'd done the right thing by helping her, they were gone now. THIS is what being a superhero is all about. The warm feeling coursing through my body turned up another few notches when she placed her hands on my cheeks and gently touched her forehead to mine. “Thank you, Ayden,” she said softly.

  My voice seemed to have deactivated itself, so I cleared my throat a few times, turning away so Sophie wouldn't see me blushing. “You're … uh … you're welcome.” I couldn't help but smile.

  “Wanna sit down?” She gestured at the curb.

  “Sure,” I said, and we sat down next to each other. “You had quite a day.”

  She averted her gaze. “I guess I did.”

  “I'm kinda surprised to see you here, though.”

  “Why?”

  “I saw you get caught on your way out of the cafeteria. I figured you'd get detention or something.”

  “Well, that'll probably still happen. Turns out the principal and the vice-principal were both out of the office today. I'll be talking to Principal Marquez first thing Monday.” She shuddered. “Which means I have the weekend to prepare for whatever punishment she cooks up for me … and, oh, I'll have to tell my parents too. That'll be fun.”

  I flashed a toothy grin. “You're totally my hero now, you know.”

  Chuckling, she nudged me with her shoulder. “Actually, I was about to say the same thing about you.”

  My eyes widened, and my mouth suddenly went dry. “Really?”

  “You … helped me, Ayden. You saved me from doing something really, really stupid. And it's not even the first time you've come to my rescue. You remember back in fifth grade?”

  “Um … no,” I stammered, racking my brains but coming up empty.

  “I made friends with this boy named Logan. We used to sit together on the bleachers –”

  “Oh, yeah,” I said, finally remembering. “He wasn't at school for very long, right?”

  Her smile vanished, replaced by one of sadness. “No, he wasn'
t. Only a couple of months. But … he was still my friend. He was a lot like you, actually.”

  “How so?”

  She gave a small shrug. “He was a loner, kinda sad, not much of a talker. But he was really sweet.”

  I grinned. “Sounds like me all right.”

  “And just when we became good friends, he … had to move away again.”

  Whoa. I wondered what happened to that dude. “That sucks. Did he ever write or anything?”

  “Yeah,” she replied. “He wrote me a goodbye letter. He left it in his sketchbook. But it fell out, and it almost blew away. I thought I was going to lose it, but you came along and saved it.”

  Wow. That was three years ago? That was back when I had a dad. And a sister. My God, so much has changed since then.

  She continued, “You didn't tease me about it, or try to play keep-away, or tear it up in front of me or anything. You just … gave it back and left. You really surprised me that day.”

  “Well …” I could feel my face reddening again. “I guess I just never saw the point of being mean to girls. A lot of boys do that when we're kids, like it's something we're supposed to do. But every time I considered being mean to some girl, all I could think about was Kim.”

  “Your sister?”

  I nodded.

  “What was she like?”

  “She was …” I averted my gaze and sighed, collecting my thoughts. “She was awesome.” I turned back to face her again. “You know that girl that can, like, walk into a room and everyone looks at her? That was Kim. She was funny, and cool, and the best big sister a guy could have.”

  Her face became serious. “What happened to her? I mean, if you don't mind my asking.”

  I looked at her, and I saw nothing but friendliness and sincerity in her eyes. You wanted friends, Ayden, and now you have them. You've been holding this inside for too long.

  It's time to let someone in.

  “She ran away,” I replied softly.

  “That sucks.”