pushed Matt hard enough to make him stumble and let go of Lew’s shirt but not hard enough to send him flying down the hall.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Matt,” I said as I moved between him and Lew, “but I believe you’re the one who opened your big mouth about me yesterday just because I don’t want to join your fan club. Learn to deal with rejection and there won’t be a problem.”
He straightened up and took a step toward me. “Yeah, but I know where I made my mistake now. I didn’t give you a price.” He looked at Lew then back at me. “If you’re smart you’ll forget about Junior here and go after his daddy or his grandpa. They’re the ones with the big bucks.”
I stood on my tiptoes so my face was right in front of his. “And if you’re smart—which we both know you’re not—you’ll stay away from both of us unless you want to end up on the disabled list for the rest of football season.”
“Ooh, I’m shaking in my shoes.” He laughed and wiggled his fingers next to his face.
Mr. Forrester arrived and pulled Matt away then directed him down the hall. “Okay, let’s move along. I’m sure you all have homework to get started on.”
Matt sneered at us over his shoulder but kept walking. When I turned around to speak to Lew, he was already headed in the other direction.
“Hey, wait up!” I hurried to catch up with him. “I know that guy’s a douchebag in general, but what was all that stuff between you and him? Sounded like some major history there.”
“Ancient history,” he said without looking at me. “Forget about it. And for the record, I don’t need you making threats on my behalf. I handle my problems without resorting to barbarian tactics.”
“Sorry.” I cringed inside at the bitterness that had returned to his voice. “I’m still working on getting rid of my street survival skills. Trash talking is the first one I mastered.”
He glanced sideways at me, and his expression lost some of its hardness. “I guess I can see how you’d need to excel at that. Actually, you remind me a lot of my aunt. She’s good at it too because of stuff that happened to her growing up.”
I added that to my list of things to get more details about. “Great. I’d love to meet her.”
He stopped and looked at me with a little smile. “Maybe you can the next time she and my uncle are in town. They try to make it to at least one of my chess tournaments. I’ll let you know when they’re coming.”
I did my best to look pumped at the idea of attending a thrill-a-minute chess tournament. “Okay, I’ll bring my foster brother Nathan. You’re like his chess idol.” I realized too late that I’d just told him I’d been talking about him at home.
He narrowed his eyes. “Oh, so that’s why you keep hitting on me. Is the kid paying you or blackmailing you with something?” He waited until my face was flaming and I started to stammer, then he laughed. “Hey, lighten up. That was a joke.”
I elbowed him. “Yeah, you’re a real comedian.”
He smiled again. “I need to go talk to my chess coach about something. See you tomorrow.”
I watched him walk away and could almost feel myself floating several inches off the floor. Considering all my new zombie powers, I had to check my feet to make sure I wasn’t levitating for real. I managed to make it to the bus without drifting off to Lovestruck Land on a freaking cloud. Annalee was in a seat near the back.
“Hey, that bird book you talked me into isn’t bad,” I said as I sat beside her. “I got a chance to read some after I finished my chemistry test.”
A smile lit up her face. “I knew you’d like it. It’s my favorite book.”
Dougie got on the bus and made an obscene crotch gesture in our direction before he sat down a few rows ahead of us.
“Looks like Tree Boy’s still pissed at me,” I said. “Can you hear my heart breaking in my chest?”
Annalee giggled. “Yeah, I can see how bummed you are about
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Matt,” I said as I moved between him and Lew, “but I believe you’re the one who opened your big mouth about me yesterday just because I don’t want to join your fan club. Learn to deal with rejection and there won’t be a problem.”
He straightened up and took a step toward me. “Yeah, but I know where I made my mistake now. I didn’t give you a price.” He looked at Lew then back at me. “If you’re smart you’ll forget about Junior here and go after his daddy or his grandpa. They’re the ones with the big bucks.”
I stood on my tiptoes so my face was right in front of his. “And if you’re smart—which we both know you’re not—you’ll stay away from both of us unless you want to end up on the disabled list for the rest of football season.”
“Ooh, I’m shaking in my shoes.” He laughed and wiggled his fingers next to his face.
Mr. Forrester arrived and pulled Matt away then directed him down the hall. “Okay, let’s move along. I’m sure you all have homework to get started on.”
Matt sneered at us over his shoulder but kept walking. When I turned around to speak to Lew, he was already headed in the other direction.
“Hey, wait up!” I hurried to catch up with him. “I know that guy’s a douchebag in general, but what was all that stuff between you and him? Sounded like some major history there.”
“Ancient history,” he said without looking at me. “Forget about it. And for the record, I don’t need you making threats on my behalf. I handle my problems without resorting to barbarian tactics.”
“Sorry.” I cringed inside at the bitterness that had returned to his voice. “I’m still working on getting rid of my street survival skills. Trash talking is the first one I mastered.”
He glanced sideways at me, and his expression lost some of its hardness. “I guess I can see how you’d need to excel at that. Actually, you remind me a lot of my aunt. She’s good at it too because of stuff that happened to her growing up.”
I added that to my list of things to get more details about. “Great. I’d love to meet her.”
He stopped and looked at me with a little smile. “Maybe you can the next time she and my uncle are in town. They try to make it to at least one of my chess tournaments. I’ll let you know when they’re coming.”
I did my best to look pumped at the idea of attending a thrill-a-minute chess tournament. “Okay, I’ll bring my foster brother Nathan. You’re like his chess idol.” I realized too late that I’d just told him I’d been talking about him at home.
He narrowed his eyes. “Oh, so that’s why you keep hitting on me. Is the kid paying you or blackmailing you with something?” He waited until my face was flaming and I started to stammer, then he laughed. “Hey, lighten up. That was a joke.”
I elbowed him. “Yeah, you’re a real comedian.”
He smiled again. “I need to go talk to my chess coach about something. See you tomorrow.”
I watched him walk away and could almost feel myself floating several inches off the floor. Considering all my new zombie powers, I had to check my feet to make sure I wasn’t levitating for real. I managed to make it to the bus without drifting off to Lovestruck Land on a freaking cloud. Annalee was in a seat near the back.
“Hey, that bird book you talked me into isn’t bad,” I said as I sat beside her. “I got a chance to read some after I finished my chemistry test.”
A smile lit up her face. “I knew you’d like it. It’s my favorite book.”
Dougie got on the bus and made an obscene crotch gesture in our direction before he sat down a few rows ahead of us.
“Looks like Tree Boy’s still pissed at me,” I said. “Can you hear my heart breaking in my chest?”
Annalee giggled. “Yeah, I can see how bummed you are about
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