nothing to me,” I said, my shock at the question not enough to stop the inevitable nonsense. How could she even ask that? I’d never even kissed a boy. But my nonanswer only served to ratchet up the look of distaste on Shelley’s face.
“Totally preggers,” chimed in a girl behind me: Lucy, the last person I’d have thought would say something in this class, since she deigned to sit near me sometimes. “I saw her throw up in gym today.”
Shelley leaned toward me, her eyes narrowed. She looked me up and down as I tried to think of something, anything, to defend myself. “Who’d sleep with
that
?” she finally said and then laughed, a few other girls joining in.
“Someone,” I whispered, prepared enough this time, at least, to not speak loudly. But it only served to make my answer all the more plaintive and pitiful. A dull flush spread across my face. I forced my hand away from my stomach, even though it roiled even more under their scrutiny. I burned to say something back and spill her dirty secrets. How she had lost her virginity at thirteen to a high school boy. That her current boyfriend had slept with twoother girls. That scare she’d had sophomore year when a condom had broken and she’d cried every day in the girls’ bathroom until her period.
But I said nothing. Anything I said would only lead to questions, more questions, and nothing good ever came of that. And who would believe me anyway?
“Leave her alone.” I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, moving me to the side. Alex stepped in front of me, solid as a wall.
“Oh, I see,” said Shelley with a smirk. “And here’s the answer to the big question.
You
must be the dad. Congrats, Alex!” The other girls laughed with her, a crueler edge to it. She leaned to the right past Alex so she could look me right in the eye. “Better be careful. Don’t want to wind up like his last date.”
I couldn’t see his face, standing behind him, but I saw his fist clench. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand and pulled him away.
“Don’t,” I said. I kept pulling until we were through the door and out in the hall. Mrs. Rogers didn’t bother stopping us. I dropped his hand as the door shut behind us, blocking their laughter. He looked at me a long moment, his dark eyes hard. Did he expect me to say thank you?
“You shouldn’t let them talk to you that way,” he said.
“
You
shouldn’t, either,” I said, perhaps more sharply than I needed to. What was I supposed to do anyway? Threaten them? But I knew not to ask. Questions inevitably led to more questions, never answers.
Alex looked me up and down like he was measuring me. “
I
can take care of myself,” he said.
I swallowed.
He opened his mouth as if to say something more, then turned, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
No one was home when I got back after school, and I let myself relax in some music and the chance to collect my thoughts. I had hung out in the girls’ bathroom until after school ended, going back into the art room to grab my backpack only once I was sure everyone had gone. Alex’s things had been spread out on the desk, untouched. I had hung around for a few minutes, unsure what I should do. In the end, I simply put his art supplies back in his drawer and left his backpack sitting on top of the desk.
He had made a lot of progress on his self-portrait, more than I had made on mine. The strong, bold shape of a phoenix was taking shape, practically leaping off of the canvas. At least I hadn’t dissuaded him from using that symbolic bird to represent himself.
This day had been too crazy. This
week
had been too crazy. I’d had more real conversations, if you could call them that, with people at school than I’d had since I hadstarted prophesying. A boy had stood up for me, though I still wasn’t sure why. Another boy had sat with me at lunch. On purpose. Delilah and I had even shared some moments.
It gave me hope.
When this curse was finally gone, maybe life
“Totally preggers,” chimed in a girl behind me: Lucy, the last person I’d have thought would say something in this class, since she deigned to sit near me sometimes. “I saw her throw up in gym today.”
Shelley leaned toward me, her eyes narrowed. She looked me up and down as I tried to think of something, anything, to defend myself. “Who’d sleep with
that
?” she finally said and then laughed, a few other girls joining in.
“Someone,” I whispered, prepared enough this time, at least, to not speak loudly. But it only served to make my answer all the more plaintive and pitiful. A dull flush spread across my face. I forced my hand away from my stomach, even though it roiled even more under their scrutiny. I burned to say something back and spill her dirty secrets. How she had lost her virginity at thirteen to a high school boy. That her current boyfriend had slept with twoother girls. That scare she’d had sophomore year when a condom had broken and she’d cried every day in the girls’ bathroom until her period.
But I said nothing. Anything I said would only lead to questions, more questions, and nothing good ever came of that. And who would believe me anyway?
“Leave her alone.” I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, moving me to the side. Alex stepped in front of me, solid as a wall.
“Oh, I see,” said Shelley with a smirk. “And here’s the answer to the big question.
You
must be the dad. Congrats, Alex!” The other girls laughed with her, a crueler edge to it. She leaned to the right past Alex so she could look me right in the eye. “Better be careful. Don’t want to wind up like his last date.”
I couldn’t see his face, standing behind him, but I saw his fist clench. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand and pulled him away.
“Don’t,” I said. I kept pulling until we were through the door and out in the hall. Mrs. Rogers didn’t bother stopping us. I dropped his hand as the door shut behind us, blocking their laughter. He looked at me a long moment, his dark eyes hard. Did he expect me to say thank you?
“You shouldn’t let them talk to you that way,” he said.
“
You
shouldn’t, either,” I said, perhaps more sharply than I needed to. What was I supposed to do anyway? Threaten them? But I knew not to ask. Questions inevitably led to more questions, never answers.
Alex looked me up and down like he was measuring me. “
I
can take care of myself,” he said.
I swallowed.
He opened his mouth as if to say something more, then turned, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
No one was home when I got back after school, and I let myself relax in some music and the chance to collect my thoughts. I had hung out in the girls’ bathroom until after school ended, going back into the art room to grab my backpack only once I was sure everyone had gone. Alex’s things had been spread out on the desk, untouched. I had hung around for a few minutes, unsure what I should do. In the end, I simply put his art supplies back in his drawer and left his backpack sitting on top of the desk.
He had made a lot of progress on his self-portrait, more than I had made on mine. The strong, bold shape of a phoenix was taking shape, practically leaping off of the canvas. At least I hadn’t dissuaded him from using that symbolic bird to represent himself.
This day had been too crazy. This
week
had been too crazy. I’d had more real conversations, if you could call them that, with people at school than I’d had since I hadstarted prophesying. A boy had stood up for me, though I still wasn’t sure why. Another boy had sat with me at lunch. On purpose. Delilah and I had even shared some moments.
It gave me hope.
When this curse was finally gone, maybe life
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