Read Online Bethany Caleb by Kate Spofford - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Spofford
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For a moment she was proud of herself, speaking up like that.
Then Shannon’s shocked face looked up, and Bethany turned cold. It would be Shannon. That was how her life was. It would be Shannon, because Shannon was the one person other than Genn Neveu who Bethany didn’t want to confront, and because Shannon was in another one of Bethany’s classes this afternoon. Bethany stared down at the disheveled black hair, the legs splayed out. She could see the blond disciples on either side, slowly realizing their leader had fallen.
Bethany pushed by and hurried down the hallway. She faintly heard one of the disciples say, “What a fucking freak,” as she escaped.
Now Shannon took center stage in Bethany’s thoughts. Shannon was going to do something. An insult like that could not go undefended.
Bethany ducked into her classroom and hurried to a seat near the back, finding refuge behind her open textbook. Her hands were shaking as she turned to Chapter Four: Mesopotamia .
Why couldn’t she tell someone off for once in her life?
Genn and Chester shared this class with her, which meant there was no relief. Four long minutes passed before Bethany decided to get the Tums out from her bag and chew a few more. Her hands were still shaking as she pulled the zipper closed. The black metal of the gun winked at her from deep within the pocket.
She tried to focus on reading the chapter about Ancient Mesopotamia she was supposed to have read last night. Her eyes kept darting to the bag at her feet. She could almost hear the gun asking, “Why did you bring me if you weren’t going to use me?”
By the time the bell had rung, Mr. Quinn hadn’t yet arrived, nor had Genn or Chester. Everyone else talked with each other, their voices rising louder and louder. Liz Hutchinson walked in with her fellow cheerleaders, Sara and Sandy Young. She glared at Bethany before sitting down. Carolyn Kingsley and Jeff Dupry sat near Bethany, so she could hear their conversation clearest. “We’re going to hang blue and white crepe paper and get blue and white balloons too. But mostly we haven’t gotten further than that,” Carolyn was saying.
“The homecoming dance isn’t until next month anyway,” Jeff said.
“Yeah, in like two weeks! We’re never going to be ready.”
Genn and Chester walked in five minutes late. They sat at their seats directly behind Bethany, seemingly unbothered by the fact that there was no teacher supervising the classroom.
“Hey, Chester, remember that time we all went to Chili’s and pretended it was my birthday so we could get free cake?” Genn said suddenly, her voice loud enough to hear all over the classroom.
“Yeah?”
“Wasn’t that fun?”
“Oh. Yeah.”
Bethany’s hands shook as she turned a page in her history book. She willed them to stop but they only shook harder. What if she pulled out the gun now and blew Genn’s face off? Would her hands stop shaking long enough for her to hit a target two feet away?
For a long time Bethany and Genn had pretended to be friends. Genn always pretended like there was nothing wrong. Bethany always avoided things she didn’t want to deal with. So as long as neither of them talked about the bracelet Genn had stolen from Bethany, it was okay. They only actively stopped talking to each other when Bethany and James broke up. Bethany avoided James for several weeks. And since Genn had attached herself to his side, she ended up avoiding both of them, as well as all of her other friends who had known James longer and paid their loyalties to him.
Bethany’s mind still had a hard time grasping the fact that she had no best friend. She and Jana had been inseparable since kindergarten. There was that lonely summer after Jana moved, and then Genn filled in the gap. It wasn’t quite the same, but when she started dating James she finally felt the hole close. Then Bethany had someone, be it a best friend or a boyfriend, to be around whenever she wanted to do
Then Shannon’s shocked face looked up, and Bethany turned cold. It would be Shannon. That was how her life was. It would be Shannon, because Shannon was the one person other than Genn Neveu who Bethany didn’t want to confront, and because Shannon was in another one of Bethany’s classes this afternoon. Bethany stared down at the disheveled black hair, the legs splayed out. She could see the blond disciples on either side, slowly realizing their leader had fallen.
Bethany pushed by and hurried down the hallway. She faintly heard one of the disciples say, “What a fucking freak,” as she escaped.
Now Shannon took center stage in Bethany’s thoughts. Shannon was going to do something. An insult like that could not go undefended.
Bethany ducked into her classroom and hurried to a seat near the back, finding refuge behind her open textbook. Her hands were shaking as she turned to Chapter Four: Mesopotamia .
Why couldn’t she tell someone off for once in her life?
Genn and Chester shared this class with her, which meant there was no relief. Four long minutes passed before Bethany decided to get the Tums out from her bag and chew a few more. Her hands were still shaking as she pulled the zipper closed. The black metal of the gun winked at her from deep within the pocket.
She tried to focus on reading the chapter about Ancient Mesopotamia she was supposed to have read last night. Her eyes kept darting to the bag at her feet. She could almost hear the gun asking, “Why did you bring me if you weren’t going to use me?”
By the time the bell had rung, Mr. Quinn hadn’t yet arrived, nor had Genn or Chester. Everyone else talked with each other, their voices rising louder and louder. Liz Hutchinson walked in with her fellow cheerleaders, Sara and Sandy Young. She glared at Bethany before sitting down. Carolyn Kingsley and Jeff Dupry sat near Bethany, so she could hear their conversation clearest. “We’re going to hang blue and white crepe paper and get blue and white balloons too. But mostly we haven’t gotten further than that,” Carolyn was saying.
“The homecoming dance isn’t until next month anyway,” Jeff said.
“Yeah, in like two weeks! We’re never going to be ready.”
Genn and Chester walked in five minutes late. They sat at their seats directly behind Bethany, seemingly unbothered by the fact that there was no teacher supervising the classroom.
“Hey, Chester, remember that time we all went to Chili’s and pretended it was my birthday so we could get free cake?” Genn said suddenly, her voice loud enough to hear all over the classroom.
“Yeah?”
“Wasn’t that fun?”
“Oh. Yeah.”
Bethany’s hands shook as she turned a page in her history book. She willed them to stop but they only shook harder. What if she pulled out the gun now and blew Genn’s face off? Would her hands stop shaking long enough for her to hit a target two feet away?
For a long time Bethany and Genn had pretended to be friends. Genn always pretended like there was nothing wrong. Bethany always avoided things she didn’t want to deal with. So as long as neither of them talked about the bracelet Genn had stolen from Bethany, it was okay. They only actively stopped talking to each other when Bethany and James broke up. Bethany avoided James for several weeks. And since Genn had attached herself to his side, she ended up avoiding both of them, as well as all of her other friends who had known James longer and paid their loyalties to him.
Bethany’s mind still had a hard time grasping the fact that she had no best friend. She and Jana had been inseparable since kindergarten. There was that lonely summer after Jana moved, and then Genn filled in the gap. It wasn’t quite the same, but when she started dating James she finally felt the hole close. Then Bethany had someone, be it a best friend or a boyfriend, to be around whenever she wanted to do
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