but not as often as she looked at him.
Lunch ended and I made my way to Biology, thinking about dresses. Mr. Leitner droned on about mitosis and meiosis and other cell adventures.
My eyes were getting heavy and I struggled to stay awake. If only Burke wasn’t suspended…he was always good for a bit of comic relief. Mr. Leitner dropped his pen and bent over and I was suddenly reminded of the last time Mr. Leitner did that in front of the class.
As he bent over to pick it up, his skinny rear end protruding out at the class, Burke whispered with a perverted lisp, "Schmexy!"
Mr. Leitner turned around and narrowed his eyes at the class, focusing on Burke, who smiled back as if he had just paid him a huge compliment. Mr. Leitner was careful about dropping things after that, but my stomach hurt from trying not to laugh.
I let out a disappointed breath of air. There would be no such entertainment today. I’d heard Burke was suspended for three days, at least until next Monday, so it would be a dull week in Biology.
After school I was walking across the parking lot when Ren caught up with me, his skateboard in his hand. I was pleasantly surprised.
"I didn't know you walked home from school. I didn't see you yesterday," I said.
"My mom picked me up. I told her I could walk from now on, at least until I drive."
A blue Mustang crept behind us, waiting for us to move. We sidled over and let it pass. A couple more cars rumbled past, and we hopped between moving cars until we were out of the parking lot. When we got to the sidewalk he dropped his board and stepped on it to ride next to me.
“Thanks again for asking me to the dance,” I said, glancing over at him. And then I realized I’d made it sound like a date and it really wasn’t. “I mean, with everyone else.”
“Thanks for saying yes,” he answered, smiling at me, not the least bit awkward.
The dance made me think about Katie and Noah, and why Noah asked Katie out and not me or Noriko. Not that I wanted him to. I only wondered why he disliked me so much. I blurted out, "Why is Noah such a jerk?”
He pushed along in silence and I was afraid he was going to say he didn't know what I was talking about, that Noah was fine.
"You're right...I have noticed he isn't nice to you."
"But why?"
"I don't know. He probably doesn't even know. But don't...don't hang on to being mad. You know what I mean?" He was looking at me as if he were trying to explain some math problem that was too complicated for my little brain.
"Uh, I know all about forgiveness," I said, slightly irritated.
"Not just forgiveness...just don't waste your time being angry at him. Because..." he stopped, his hands gesturing in the air to find the words.
"Because Noah is so uh-mazing and no one should ever be mad at him. Because he had a bad childhood." I knew that much wasn't true, at least. He had a really happy family life. He idolized his father, adored his mother and took care of his younger brothers and sisters. "Or he has an incurable case of jerkolepsy.”
Ren smiled. "That's pretty much it, I think. He has jerkolepsy. There's probably a cure, but it's not much fun."
I really didn't want Ren to defend Noah. "Poor guy." I sounded more bitter than I meant to, but Ren just shook his head.
"Don't let him worry you."
I hissed, pulling my lips back like a vampire and he laughed. "Okay, then."
I suddenly remembered Steve. "Hey, does Steve know what to wear to the dance?"
"Handled. I'm going over to his house Saturday to check out the situation."
"That's really nice of you."
He shrugged. "Not really. Steve's a nice guy."
Steve was a nice guy, but he was also awkward and socially inept. It took some real effort to see past that--at least it did for me. Ren didn't seem to have a problem with it. As a matter of fact, he seemed to see all of us exactly as we were, without needing a lot of explanations or even a lot of time with us. His first impressions weren’t just right, they were spooky
Lunch ended and I made my way to Biology, thinking about dresses. Mr. Leitner droned on about mitosis and meiosis and other cell adventures.
My eyes were getting heavy and I struggled to stay awake. If only Burke wasn’t suspended…he was always good for a bit of comic relief. Mr. Leitner dropped his pen and bent over and I was suddenly reminded of the last time Mr. Leitner did that in front of the class.
As he bent over to pick it up, his skinny rear end protruding out at the class, Burke whispered with a perverted lisp, "Schmexy!"
Mr. Leitner turned around and narrowed his eyes at the class, focusing on Burke, who smiled back as if he had just paid him a huge compliment. Mr. Leitner was careful about dropping things after that, but my stomach hurt from trying not to laugh.
I let out a disappointed breath of air. There would be no such entertainment today. I’d heard Burke was suspended for three days, at least until next Monday, so it would be a dull week in Biology.
After school I was walking across the parking lot when Ren caught up with me, his skateboard in his hand. I was pleasantly surprised.
"I didn't know you walked home from school. I didn't see you yesterday," I said.
"My mom picked me up. I told her I could walk from now on, at least until I drive."
A blue Mustang crept behind us, waiting for us to move. We sidled over and let it pass. A couple more cars rumbled past, and we hopped between moving cars until we were out of the parking lot. When we got to the sidewalk he dropped his board and stepped on it to ride next to me.
“Thanks again for asking me to the dance,” I said, glancing over at him. And then I realized I’d made it sound like a date and it really wasn’t. “I mean, with everyone else.”
“Thanks for saying yes,” he answered, smiling at me, not the least bit awkward.
The dance made me think about Katie and Noah, and why Noah asked Katie out and not me or Noriko. Not that I wanted him to. I only wondered why he disliked me so much. I blurted out, "Why is Noah such a jerk?”
He pushed along in silence and I was afraid he was going to say he didn't know what I was talking about, that Noah was fine.
"You're right...I have noticed he isn't nice to you."
"But why?"
"I don't know. He probably doesn't even know. But don't...don't hang on to being mad. You know what I mean?" He was looking at me as if he were trying to explain some math problem that was too complicated for my little brain.
"Uh, I know all about forgiveness," I said, slightly irritated.
"Not just forgiveness...just don't waste your time being angry at him. Because..." he stopped, his hands gesturing in the air to find the words.
"Because Noah is so uh-mazing and no one should ever be mad at him. Because he had a bad childhood." I knew that much wasn't true, at least. He had a really happy family life. He idolized his father, adored his mother and took care of his younger brothers and sisters. "Or he has an incurable case of jerkolepsy.”
Ren smiled. "That's pretty much it, I think. He has jerkolepsy. There's probably a cure, but it's not much fun."
I really didn't want Ren to defend Noah. "Poor guy." I sounded more bitter than I meant to, but Ren just shook his head.
"Don't let him worry you."
I hissed, pulling my lips back like a vampire and he laughed. "Okay, then."
I suddenly remembered Steve. "Hey, does Steve know what to wear to the dance?"
"Handled. I'm going over to his house Saturday to check out the situation."
"That's really nice of you."
He shrugged. "Not really. Steve's a nice guy."
Steve was a nice guy, but he was also awkward and socially inept. It took some real effort to see past that--at least it did for me. Ren didn't seem to have a problem with it. As a matter of fact, he seemed to see all of us exactly as we were, without needing a lot of explanations or even a lot of time with us. His first impressions weren’t just right, they were spooky
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