I could see their bra straps through the fabric. It’s not like they weren’t trying to get attention with what they were wearing.
Ren’s face was calm, his eyes unreadable, but he was listening, too.
Someone said Crystal's name and I saw Ren's eyes flicker over to them. Maddy suddenly noticed Ren and bit her lip, and the other girls stopped talking. We were close enough that it was obvious we had heard it all. I walked past, but Ren paused.
"If you knew her, you wouldn't say that," he said quietly.
Maddy's cheeks flushed and she tossed her hair out of her eyes like she didn’t care. "It's just the way she dresses. I'm sure she's nice," she said, syrupy and sweet.
"She is," he answered, his voice cool. He held her gaze.
Her face changed from its icy arrogance for a fraction of a second, and I was surprised to see real regret there. Then she smiled, and the moment was lost.
We walked into the classroom and sat down, but my mind wasn’t on Spanish.
I could have defended Crystal--it didn't have to be Ren. Was I so intimidated by Maddy that I was afraid to stick up for my friend? It was easy for Ren because he didn't know how popular Maddy was.
Even as I thought about it I knew that was ridiculous. I simply wasn't as brave as he was. Even more impressive, he said, "If you knew her..." as if he knew all about Crystal, and I was sure he didn't. This was only his second day here, what could he possibly know about her? He certainly wasn't making any flattering deductions based on her ever-exposed cleavage. It's like he respected her despite what she wore.
It made me even more ashamed that I wasn't the one who defended her--I really did know Crystal, and I knew those girls were wrong about her. Better than Ren could have.
Maddy didn't come into class until Noah did, clinging to his arm and avoiding Ren's gaze.
Noah called out to Ren and nodded at me. Either that or his neck had an involuntary spasm. I couldn't really tell if he was acknowledging me or not. Or why.
Steve was late for lunch, walking up to the table holding his tray with both hands and his enormously heavy backpack dragging at one of his arms. He stubbed his toe against my chair and regained his balance by leaning on my head.
Ren grabbed for the tottering tray and saved Steve's lunch, except for a few fries that flew off and landed in Noriko's lap.
"Sorry," Steve said, and his backpack fell on me. I tried not to think too hard about going to Homecoming with him. There was the possibility that if we danced he might accidentally kill me--I needed to be brave.
Steve retrieved his tray from Ren and took the empty chair next to Crystal. He didn't bash her in the head with his backpack, I noticed.
I was so busy picturing a Homecoming Dance massacre of my toes that I didn't hear Noriko at first. "...so my mother is taking me to New York."
Katie leaned her chin in her hands. "That sounds like fun."
Noriko’s small mouth was a prim, but happy smile, her almond shaped eyes serene. "I’ll have a lot to choose from. I can’t wait!"
Going to New York for a dress was much more glamorous than going to the mall.
Noriko unpacked her lunch as she spoke. "My aunt and uncle live there so we will spend the night. That way we can shop on Sunday if we don't find anything Saturday."
Steve was listening to this tale of glamour with his thick brows furrowed together over his pointed nose, making him look like a confused bird.
I suddenly wondered if he even had a suit to wear. I'd only seen him in jeans and sneakers. Hopefully his parents would help him figure it out, but I imagined his Dad was just like Steve, except older with thinning hair.
Katie was sitting next to Noah, playing with a silver necklace, pulling the locket along the chain. I remembered that Noah had given the necklace to her and looked over at him. He was talking to Ren about one of their classes. I watched to see if Noah would look over at Katie, and he did,
Ren’s face was calm, his eyes unreadable, but he was listening, too.
Someone said Crystal's name and I saw Ren's eyes flicker over to them. Maddy suddenly noticed Ren and bit her lip, and the other girls stopped talking. We were close enough that it was obvious we had heard it all. I walked past, but Ren paused.
"If you knew her, you wouldn't say that," he said quietly.
Maddy's cheeks flushed and she tossed her hair out of her eyes like she didn’t care. "It's just the way she dresses. I'm sure she's nice," she said, syrupy and sweet.
"She is," he answered, his voice cool. He held her gaze.
Her face changed from its icy arrogance for a fraction of a second, and I was surprised to see real regret there. Then she smiled, and the moment was lost.
We walked into the classroom and sat down, but my mind wasn’t on Spanish.
I could have defended Crystal--it didn't have to be Ren. Was I so intimidated by Maddy that I was afraid to stick up for my friend? It was easy for Ren because he didn't know how popular Maddy was.
Even as I thought about it I knew that was ridiculous. I simply wasn't as brave as he was. Even more impressive, he said, "If you knew her..." as if he knew all about Crystal, and I was sure he didn't. This was only his second day here, what could he possibly know about her? He certainly wasn't making any flattering deductions based on her ever-exposed cleavage. It's like he respected her despite what she wore.
It made me even more ashamed that I wasn't the one who defended her--I really did know Crystal, and I knew those girls were wrong about her. Better than Ren could have.
Maddy didn't come into class until Noah did, clinging to his arm and avoiding Ren's gaze.
Noah called out to Ren and nodded at me. Either that or his neck had an involuntary spasm. I couldn't really tell if he was acknowledging me or not. Or why.
Steve was late for lunch, walking up to the table holding his tray with both hands and his enormously heavy backpack dragging at one of his arms. He stubbed his toe against my chair and regained his balance by leaning on my head.
Ren grabbed for the tottering tray and saved Steve's lunch, except for a few fries that flew off and landed in Noriko's lap.
"Sorry," Steve said, and his backpack fell on me. I tried not to think too hard about going to Homecoming with him. There was the possibility that if we danced he might accidentally kill me--I needed to be brave.
Steve retrieved his tray from Ren and took the empty chair next to Crystal. He didn't bash her in the head with his backpack, I noticed.
I was so busy picturing a Homecoming Dance massacre of my toes that I didn't hear Noriko at first. "...so my mother is taking me to New York."
Katie leaned her chin in her hands. "That sounds like fun."
Noriko’s small mouth was a prim, but happy smile, her almond shaped eyes serene. "I’ll have a lot to choose from. I can’t wait!"
Going to New York for a dress was much more glamorous than going to the mall.
Noriko unpacked her lunch as she spoke. "My aunt and uncle live there so we will spend the night. That way we can shop on Sunday if we don't find anything Saturday."
Steve was listening to this tale of glamour with his thick brows furrowed together over his pointed nose, making him look like a confused bird.
I suddenly wondered if he even had a suit to wear. I'd only seen him in jeans and sneakers. Hopefully his parents would help him figure it out, but I imagined his Dad was just like Steve, except older with thinning hair.
Katie was sitting next to Noah, playing with a silver necklace, pulling the locket along the chain. I remembered that Noah had given the necklace to her and looked over at him. He was talking to Ren about one of their classes. I watched to see if Noah would look over at Katie, and he did,
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