NOW!
“HOW DARE YOU!” the clerk shrieks, her eyes bugging out.
“I said—”
“ARE YOU THREATENING ME?”
The counter below me shudders, and for one small, irresponsible moment, I contemplate blowing it up just to see what she’d do. But then I remove my hands and curl them into fists at my sides. She’s not your mother, the little voice whispers. She’s just a school clerk. Her opinion of you means nothing. Taking your anger out on her isn’t worth it. So I take a deep breath and say through gritted teeth, “Of course not, Ms. Applebaum. It would be unwise for a student to even think of doing that during their senior year.”
“That’s a poor excuse for an apology if I’ve ever heard one. Who knew what a mouth you have on you? You have everyone so fooled, thinking you are just a delightful girl, but I know better. I’ve always seen you for what you are.” The gnarled finger is pointing at me again. “Don’t think I won’t call your mother!”
There is a stifled laugh from the back of the room. I turn to find, much to my utter dismay and chagrin, the twins sitting on the wooden bench against the wall near the door.
How long have they been in here?
Kellan mock-whispers, “I’ve got my money on you.” Jonah, though, looks beyond shocked. Eyes wide and concerned. Angry, even. For the briefest of moments, I wonder if he’s going to stand up and say something. Defend me. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but he appears just as upset as I am. Our eyes meet, and he actually does stand up, but, appalled at how he and Kellan have just witnessed me melt down and lash out at a clerk, I whip my head back towards Applebaum. My insides are churning, my hands trembling. Why do I let my mother get to me like this?
Much to my utter shock, the clerk is scratching out a tardy slip for me. And all I want to do is run, because Jonah just saw me do that. They both did. Gods. What must they think? That I’m a lunatic with rage issues?
She holds the slip out and I snatch it out of her hand. Unable to help myself, I choke out, “Go ahead and call her. I don’t care. What’s the worst you can do to me? Suspend me? It doesn’t matter. None of this matters.”
And then, because my confidence finally fails me, I flee the room.
Chapter 10
During passing period, I shove my head into my locker, wishing for a way to cram my entire body in. Then I could shut the door behind me, leaving all of the events of the morning to fade into the darkness.
“Tough day?”
I yank my head out and find Kellan standing next to my locker. My breath catches in the back of my throat, because he’s so unbearably sexy. And I’m not alone, because every girl walking by drools unabashedly. I can’t believe he’s here. Next to my locker. Talking to me after watching me yell at the attendance clerk! I blush, ruining any effort at playing it cool. “Sort of.”
He raises a hand and scratches his forehead—there’s a wide black leather cuff on his left wrist in place of a watch. I like it. It seems so him. “That was some show you put on in the office.”
I’m about to say something witty, like, “Ugh, don’t remind me,” but then I decide to tell him the truth. “Everybody has their breaking point. I guess I reached mine today.”
Stupidly, I’d expected (hoped for?) a phone call or a text from my mother expressing her disappointment in my actions, but true to form, nothing appeared. Because to call me would have required that little bit of effort a loving mom would put out for her daughter.
“Yeah?”
I chew on my bottom lip and study him. He seems genuinely interested in my answer. “I don’t like being compared to someone else, you know?”
“No one does, C.”
“I guess you’d know that pretty well, huh?” He gives me a questioning look, so I lamely add, “What with you being a twin and all.”
I can almost read his mind: Ah, let the twin jokes commence.
I try for damage control. “Does that happen to you a
“HOW DARE YOU!” the clerk shrieks, her eyes bugging out.
“I said—”
“ARE YOU THREATENING ME?”
The counter below me shudders, and for one small, irresponsible moment, I contemplate blowing it up just to see what she’d do. But then I remove my hands and curl them into fists at my sides. She’s not your mother, the little voice whispers. She’s just a school clerk. Her opinion of you means nothing. Taking your anger out on her isn’t worth it. So I take a deep breath and say through gritted teeth, “Of course not, Ms. Applebaum. It would be unwise for a student to even think of doing that during their senior year.”
“That’s a poor excuse for an apology if I’ve ever heard one. Who knew what a mouth you have on you? You have everyone so fooled, thinking you are just a delightful girl, but I know better. I’ve always seen you for what you are.” The gnarled finger is pointing at me again. “Don’t think I won’t call your mother!”
There is a stifled laugh from the back of the room. I turn to find, much to my utter dismay and chagrin, the twins sitting on the wooden bench against the wall near the door.
How long have they been in here?
Kellan mock-whispers, “I’ve got my money on you.” Jonah, though, looks beyond shocked. Eyes wide and concerned. Angry, even. For the briefest of moments, I wonder if he’s going to stand up and say something. Defend me. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but he appears just as upset as I am. Our eyes meet, and he actually does stand up, but, appalled at how he and Kellan have just witnessed me melt down and lash out at a clerk, I whip my head back towards Applebaum. My insides are churning, my hands trembling. Why do I let my mother get to me like this?
Much to my utter shock, the clerk is scratching out a tardy slip for me. And all I want to do is run, because Jonah just saw me do that. They both did. Gods. What must they think? That I’m a lunatic with rage issues?
She holds the slip out and I snatch it out of her hand. Unable to help myself, I choke out, “Go ahead and call her. I don’t care. What’s the worst you can do to me? Suspend me? It doesn’t matter. None of this matters.”
And then, because my confidence finally fails me, I flee the room.
Chapter 10
During passing period, I shove my head into my locker, wishing for a way to cram my entire body in. Then I could shut the door behind me, leaving all of the events of the morning to fade into the darkness.
“Tough day?”
I yank my head out and find Kellan standing next to my locker. My breath catches in the back of my throat, because he’s so unbearably sexy. And I’m not alone, because every girl walking by drools unabashedly. I can’t believe he’s here. Next to my locker. Talking to me after watching me yell at the attendance clerk! I blush, ruining any effort at playing it cool. “Sort of.”
He raises a hand and scratches his forehead—there’s a wide black leather cuff on his left wrist in place of a watch. I like it. It seems so him. “That was some show you put on in the office.”
I’m about to say something witty, like, “Ugh, don’t remind me,” but then I decide to tell him the truth. “Everybody has their breaking point. I guess I reached mine today.”
Stupidly, I’d expected (hoped for?) a phone call or a text from my mother expressing her disappointment in my actions, but true to form, nothing appeared. Because to call me would have required that little bit of effort a loving mom would put out for her daughter.
“Yeah?”
I chew on my bottom lip and study him. He seems genuinely interested in my answer. “I don’t like being compared to someone else, you know?”
“No one does, C.”
“I guess you’d know that pretty well, huh?” He gives me a questioning look, so I lamely add, “What with you being a twin and all.”
I can almost read his mind: Ah, let the twin jokes commence.
I try for damage control. “Does that happen to you a
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