Read Online Best Friend Next Door by Carolyn Mackler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carolyn Mackler
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something … my cousin …” I pause. My cheeks are burning hot and tears are stinging my eyes. Why am I even trying to explain myself to Gina? “It’s nothing,” I finally say.
Haley pokes Gina’s arm. “Look at this about children with gas.”
“Gross!” Alexa squeals.
“Here’s a helpful hint,” Gina says, leaning down so her face is really close to mine. Her breath smells like warm Doritos. “Grow up.”
As Gina pulls back from me, I’m literally in shock. I can’t believe this is happening.
“We’re not getting to you, are we?” Haley asks. She glances at Ms. Linhart’s desk and smiles sweetly. Ms. Linhart nods back at her like nothing is going on. “You don’t mind, right?”
“Right?” Gina asks. She brushes her fingers over my shoulder. “I mean, we’re just trying to be helpful.”
I nod slowly. It’s all I can do not to cry.
As soon as they walk away, I go over to the water shelf, where we keep our bottles. I face the wall and take a few deep breaths as I sip my water. Part of me doesn’t want to let them win. I might even go back to my table and get the collage out and write The Good Vibes Cousins just like I planned to do before they made fun of it. I bet that’s what Leesa would do—be strong and be herself no matter what.
I return to my table. I won’t even let myself look at Gina or the other girls as I take the collage out of the envelope.
But then I see it.
Someone has written LOSER in bold black letters across the top of the collage.
LOSER.
I look across the classroom. A bunch of kids are huddled around Gina, Alexa, and Haley. They’re all whispering and giggling and covering their mouths with their hands.
I crumple the collage into the envelope and head up to Ms. Linhart’s desk. She’s marking up our math work with a red pen.
“I need to go to the nurse,” I say.
“Again?” she asks, pressing her lipsticked lips together. “You seem to be very fond of the nurse.”
I don’t even answer. I just walk out.
On the way down the hall, I toss the envelope and the collage into a trash bin.
“Emme, are you okay?” Hannah asks as she parts the pea-green curtain around the cot in the back of the nurse’s office.
I’m sitting cross-legged on the cot, tears trickling down my face, a tissue scrunched in my fist, unsure how I’ll ever walk back into Ms. Linhart’s class. Everyone in there thinks I’m a LOSER. The nurse offered to call my moms, but I knew that would start a cross-examination, so I just said I had a headache and needed to rest.
“How did you know I was here?” I ask.
“Marley told me,” Hannah says, sitting next to me. “She was delivering a new EpiPen to the nurse and saw you coming in and said you looked upset. Are you okay?”
I consider telling Hannah that I have a headache (not true) or that I hate Ms. Linhart (true). Instead I bite my bottom lip and then say, “Can I tell you the real truth?”
“For the Og Twins?” Hannah says, squeezing my hand. “Always.”
My hands are sweaty, but Hannah never lets go as I tell her about Gina and Alexa and Haley and how they’re so mean to me and how the rest of the kids ignore me and how Ms. Linhart makes it even worse. I even tell Hannah what someone (I’m guessing Gina) wrote on the collage and how I threw it away.
When I’m done talking, my face is wet and my nose is running, but I feel a little better. I had no idea I was holding so much inside.
“Oh, Emme,” Hannah says, hugging me. “What are we going to do? We need to tell your moms.”
“I’ve thought about that and there’s nothing anyone can do.”
“How do you know?”
“It’ll just make things worse. It’s not like I want Ms. Linhart going around the classroom trying to get someone to confess that they wrote LOSER about me. Everyone will deny it and I’ll look even more like a loser.”
“But what if it’s not just about the collage?” Hannah asks. “What if you say that people have been mean to
Haley pokes Gina’s arm. “Look at this about children with gas.”
“Gross!” Alexa squeals.
“Here’s a helpful hint,” Gina says, leaning down so her face is really close to mine. Her breath smells like warm Doritos. “Grow up.”
As Gina pulls back from me, I’m literally in shock. I can’t believe this is happening.
“We’re not getting to you, are we?” Haley asks. She glances at Ms. Linhart’s desk and smiles sweetly. Ms. Linhart nods back at her like nothing is going on. “You don’t mind, right?”
“Right?” Gina asks. She brushes her fingers over my shoulder. “I mean, we’re just trying to be helpful.”
I nod slowly. It’s all I can do not to cry.
As soon as they walk away, I go over to the water shelf, where we keep our bottles. I face the wall and take a few deep breaths as I sip my water. Part of me doesn’t want to let them win. I might even go back to my table and get the collage out and write The Good Vibes Cousins just like I planned to do before they made fun of it. I bet that’s what Leesa would do—be strong and be herself no matter what.
I return to my table. I won’t even let myself look at Gina or the other girls as I take the collage out of the envelope.
But then I see it.
Someone has written LOSER in bold black letters across the top of the collage.
LOSER.
I look across the classroom. A bunch of kids are huddled around Gina, Alexa, and Haley. They’re all whispering and giggling and covering their mouths with their hands.
I crumple the collage into the envelope and head up to Ms. Linhart’s desk. She’s marking up our math work with a red pen.
“I need to go to the nurse,” I say.
“Again?” she asks, pressing her lipsticked lips together. “You seem to be very fond of the nurse.”
I don’t even answer. I just walk out.
On the way down the hall, I toss the envelope and the collage into a trash bin.
“Emme, are you okay?” Hannah asks as she parts the pea-green curtain around the cot in the back of the nurse’s office.
I’m sitting cross-legged on the cot, tears trickling down my face, a tissue scrunched in my fist, unsure how I’ll ever walk back into Ms. Linhart’s class. Everyone in there thinks I’m a LOSER. The nurse offered to call my moms, but I knew that would start a cross-examination, so I just said I had a headache and needed to rest.
“How did you know I was here?” I ask.
“Marley told me,” Hannah says, sitting next to me. “She was delivering a new EpiPen to the nurse and saw you coming in and said you looked upset. Are you okay?”
I consider telling Hannah that I have a headache (not true) or that I hate Ms. Linhart (true). Instead I bite my bottom lip and then say, “Can I tell you the real truth?”
“For the Og Twins?” Hannah says, squeezing my hand. “Always.”
My hands are sweaty, but Hannah never lets go as I tell her about Gina and Alexa and Haley and how they’re so mean to me and how the rest of the kids ignore me and how Ms. Linhart makes it even worse. I even tell Hannah what someone (I’m guessing Gina) wrote on the collage and how I threw it away.
When I’m done talking, my face is wet and my nose is running, but I feel a little better. I had no idea I was holding so much inside.
“Oh, Emme,” Hannah says, hugging me. “What are we going to do? We need to tell your moms.”
“I’ve thought about that and there’s nothing anyone can do.”
“How do you know?”
“It’ll just make things worse. It’s not like I want Ms. Linhart going around the classroom trying to get someone to confess that they wrote LOSER about me. Everyone will deny it and I’ll look even more like a loser.”
“But what if it’s not just about the collage?” Hannah asks. “What if you say that people have been mean to
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