book, trying to ignore them.
It was hard to ignore their whispers, though. After a few minutes, I got the sense that they were talking about Dan. He stared at a photo of a makeshift grave marker consisting of a soldier’s helmet perched on a gun, but his eyes wouldn’t focus. Every time he glanced up, people looked away.
Finally, near the end of the period, Cat emerged from the stacks. A hush descended on the room as she strode to the front desk to check out some books.
There she is,
I whispered.
Go talk to her.
Dan fidgeted and his pulse quickened. He ducked behind the book, watching as Cat leaned over the sign-in sheet. Then her face fell slack, and she dropped the clipboard. The board hit the desk with a smack that echoed through the room.
Someone stifled a laugh.
Cat hurried toward the exit, leaving her books behind.
Say something,
I urged.
This is your chance.
Cat passed Dan, not even looking at him. She was already to the door.
Come on!
“Wait,” Dan sputtered. I think he meant to whisper, only it came out much louder. Several students giggled.
Dan edged between Cat and the door. “I need to talk to you,” he said. “It’s important.”
“Don’t.” Cat bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder. More people seemed to be watching. “Don’t do this now.”
He kept blocking the door. “I just want to talk.”
“Slut!”
coughed Kendra.
Bella and Laney coughed words as well, as if it were a sick competition to see who could say
slut
the most.
Cat’s jaw trembled. I realized their insults were directed at her.
Dan reached for her. “Cat —”
“Leave me alone!” She pushed past him and hurried into the hall.
Dan seemed about to go after her when Mrs. Gilbert’s voice cut across the room. “Dan Franklin!” she called. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
He glanced back, confused.
“You need to return your book to the reshelving cart and sign out,” said Mrs. Gilbert. Then she glared at the center tables, where students were still fake-coughing. “Is something going on here?”
“No, Mrs. Gilbert,” said Bella. She cleared her throat. “It’s just allergies.”
Mrs. Gilbert nodded, satisfied that the students were quieting down. I couldn’t believe it. She
knew
— everyone knew — that Kendra and Bella and the others were taunting Cat, but no one said a word to stop it.
Sweat rolled down Dan’s sides. He put his book away and strode to the main desk to sign out. When he saw the clipboard, he froze.
Someone had changed his last name on the sign-in sheet from
Franklin
to
Frankenstein.
And they’d changed Cat’s name to
Cat-Lip.
Next to this, filling the margins of the sheet, was a crude drawing of the Frankenstein monster, complete with head wound, embracing a girl with an exaggerated scar on her lip.
People had written things around the figures like
Bride of Frankenstein
and
slut whore.
There were worse names scrawled there, but I had trouble reading them. Dan’s eyes blurred, and a nauseating mixture of anger and pain made his chest ache. It looked like everyone who’d signed in had added something cruel to the page.
He tore off the sign-in sheet and crumpled it in his hand. Several people burst out laughing, but the blood rushed so hard through Dan’s head, it was difficult to hear them. He marched to Kendra’s table.
“Frankenstein angry,” quipped Bella.
Kendra looked up, feigning innocence. “Did your girlfriend leave already? I guess she’s only interested in guys who are still on the team.”
The zombie clenched his jaw and glared at her, but what could he say? He was the reason they were taunting Cat, and the more he defended her, the worse he’d make things.
“Are you going to fight me, Frankenstein?” Kendra teased.
“Who took the sign-in sheet?” asked Mrs. Gilbert.
“I think Dan has it,” replied Kendra, the picture of politeness.
“Dan?” Mrs. Gilbert frowned at him.
He gripped the balled-up sheet in his fist and headed for
It was hard to ignore their whispers, though. After a few minutes, I got the sense that they were talking about Dan. He stared at a photo of a makeshift grave marker consisting of a soldier’s helmet perched on a gun, but his eyes wouldn’t focus. Every time he glanced up, people looked away.
Finally, near the end of the period, Cat emerged from the stacks. A hush descended on the room as she strode to the front desk to check out some books.
There she is,
I whispered.
Go talk to her.
Dan fidgeted and his pulse quickened. He ducked behind the book, watching as Cat leaned over the sign-in sheet. Then her face fell slack, and she dropped the clipboard. The board hit the desk with a smack that echoed through the room.
Someone stifled a laugh.
Cat hurried toward the exit, leaving her books behind.
Say something,
I urged.
This is your chance.
Cat passed Dan, not even looking at him. She was already to the door.
Come on!
“Wait,” Dan sputtered. I think he meant to whisper, only it came out much louder. Several students giggled.
Dan edged between Cat and the door. “I need to talk to you,” he said. “It’s important.”
“Don’t.” Cat bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder. More people seemed to be watching. “Don’t do this now.”
He kept blocking the door. “I just want to talk.”
“Slut!”
coughed Kendra.
Bella and Laney coughed words as well, as if it were a sick competition to see who could say
slut
the most.
Cat’s jaw trembled. I realized their insults were directed at her.
Dan reached for her. “Cat —”
“Leave me alone!” She pushed past him and hurried into the hall.
Dan seemed about to go after her when Mrs. Gilbert’s voice cut across the room. “Dan Franklin!” she called. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
He glanced back, confused.
“You need to return your book to the reshelving cart and sign out,” said Mrs. Gilbert. Then she glared at the center tables, where students were still fake-coughing. “Is something going on here?”
“No, Mrs. Gilbert,” said Bella. She cleared her throat. “It’s just allergies.”
Mrs. Gilbert nodded, satisfied that the students were quieting down. I couldn’t believe it. She
knew
— everyone knew — that Kendra and Bella and the others were taunting Cat, but no one said a word to stop it.
Sweat rolled down Dan’s sides. He put his book away and strode to the main desk to sign out. When he saw the clipboard, he froze.
Someone had changed his last name on the sign-in sheet from
Franklin
to
Frankenstein.
And they’d changed Cat’s name to
Cat-Lip.
Next to this, filling the margins of the sheet, was a crude drawing of the Frankenstein monster, complete with head wound, embracing a girl with an exaggerated scar on her lip.
People had written things around the figures like
Bride of Frankenstein
and
slut whore.
There were worse names scrawled there, but I had trouble reading them. Dan’s eyes blurred, and a nauseating mixture of anger and pain made his chest ache. It looked like everyone who’d signed in had added something cruel to the page.
He tore off the sign-in sheet and crumpled it in his hand. Several people burst out laughing, but the blood rushed so hard through Dan’s head, it was difficult to hear them. He marched to Kendra’s table.
“Frankenstein angry,” quipped Bella.
Kendra looked up, feigning innocence. “Did your girlfriend leave already? I guess she’s only interested in guys who are still on the team.”
The zombie clenched his jaw and glared at her, but what could he say? He was the reason they were taunting Cat, and the more he defended her, the worse he’d make things.
“Are you going to fight me, Frankenstein?” Kendra teased.
“Who took the sign-in sheet?” asked Mrs. Gilbert.
“I think Dan has it,” replied Kendra, the picture of politeness.
“Dan?” Mrs. Gilbert frowned at him.
He gripped the balled-up sheet in his fist and headed for
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