Read Online Dark Blue: Color Me Lonely with Bonus Content by Melody Carlson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melody Carlson
Ads: Link
way. “For your information,” I tell her now, “I am not friends with any of the cheerleaders.”
She rolls her black-lined eyes at me. “Yeah, sure. What about you and little rally queen Jordan Ferguson?” She crosses her fingers together. “You guys are like that.”
I shake my head without smiling. “Not anymore.”
Amy scowls. “Don’t tell me she dumped you just because she’s a cheerleader?”
I shrug. “It’s a mutual parting of ways.”
Amy laughs in a sarcastic tone. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”
“Lighten up, Amy,” says Felicia, smiling toward me now. “So, you want to join us. We already called in a pizza.”
“Yeah. My treat,” says Edgar. “It’s a giant. Big enough for everyone.”
“Half combo and half veggie,” says Felicia. “You in?”
I look at the three of them and try to imagine a stranger combination of kids. One goth and mouthy, one weird and geeky, one smart and preppy. Go figure. “Yeah, sure,” I say. “Sounds good.”
So I get my stuff and bring it to the big table in back and sit down on the vacant stool next to Edgar. “What are you working on?” I ask him.
He holds up his tablet to reveal a charcoal sketch of a woman that’s really quite good.
“Not bad,” I say with an approving nod.
This makes him smile.
“I told Edgar that he should’ve done her nude,” says Amy as she shakes her ink pen. “She’s got a look in her eye that says she shouldn’t be wearing any clothes.”
This makes Edgar blush and look away.
“Ms. Clark probably wouldn’t be too thrilled about that,” says Felicia. “Rollin Abrams tried it last year and things got a little ugly. He ended up being excluded from the spring art fair.”
“Stupid hypocrites,” says Amy, shaking her head. “They expect us to be creative and open-minded, then they censor half the thoughts that come out of our heads.”
“Yeah,” says Felicia. “Not only that, but they make it illegal to pray in school.”
“Oh, no,” says Amy. “Sounds like Felicia’s getting up on her religious soapbox again.”
Felicia smiles in a somewhat apologetic manner. “Not really. But if you think about it, it’s no different than what you’re complaining about, Amy.”
“How’s that?” asks Amy without looking up from her pen-andink project.
I suddenly realize that I’m not even drawing now. I am simply sitting here, like a dummy, mesmerized by their banter. I suppose I have missed being involved in conversations. Still, I don’t want to appear too desperate. So I quickly pick up my charcoal pencil and pretend to turn my attention back to my drawing. It’s an old house, but I’m having a hard time getting it to look right. It seems flat and dark to me, and definitely less interesting than their conversation.My pencil hovers as I listen.
“Well, freedom of speech shouldn’t just apply to the arts,” continues Felicia. “But also to religion.”
“We have freedom of religion laws,” says Edgar.
“Duh!” Amy looks up and scowls at him.
“But they get misinterpreted,” says Felicia.
“Well, I sure don’t want anyone telling me I have to
pray
in school,” says Amy. “That’s totally fascist.”
“Right,” says Felicia. “I don’t think our government should tell us to pray either. But I don’t think they should tell us that we can’t. I also don’t think they should go around stripping words that refer to God from things like the Pledge of Allegiance or songs or even our money for that matter.”
“There she goes,” says Amy with a big sigh. “Sorry about this, Kara. But welcome to the lunch club. We love discussing anything controversial.”
Felicia laughs. “Yeah, that’s probably why we wanted you to join us. You look like you might have an ax to grind.”
“That’s right,” says Amy, pausing from her drawing to look at me with curiosity. Then she holds her pen like it’s a microphone and she’s the interviewer. “So, tell us, Kara Hendricks,
She rolls her black-lined eyes at me. “Yeah, sure. What about you and little rally queen Jordan Ferguson?” She crosses her fingers together. “You guys are like that.”
I shake my head without smiling. “Not anymore.”
Amy scowls. “Don’t tell me she dumped you just because she’s a cheerleader?”
I shrug. “It’s a mutual parting of ways.”
Amy laughs in a sarcastic tone. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”
“Lighten up, Amy,” says Felicia, smiling toward me now. “So, you want to join us. We already called in a pizza.”
“Yeah. My treat,” says Edgar. “It’s a giant. Big enough for everyone.”
“Half combo and half veggie,” says Felicia. “You in?”
I look at the three of them and try to imagine a stranger combination of kids. One goth and mouthy, one weird and geeky, one smart and preppy. Go figure. “Yeah, sure,” I say. “Sounds good.”
So I get my stuff and bring it to the big table in back and sit down on the vacant stool next to Edgar. “What are you working on?” I ask him.
He holds up his tablet to reveal a charcoal sketch of a woman that’s really quite good.
“Not bad,” I say with an approving nod.
This makes him smile.
“I told Edgar that he should’ve done her nude,” says Amy as she shakes her ink pen. “She’s got a look in her eye that says she shouldn’t be wearing any clothes.”
This makes Edgar blush and look away.
“Ms. Clark probably wouldn’t be too thrilled about that,” says Felicia. “Rollin Abrams tried it last year and things got a little ugly. He ended up being excluded from the spring art fair.”
“Stupid hypocrites,” says Amy, shaking her head. “They expect us to be creative and open-minded, then they censor half the thoughts that come out of our heads.”
“Yeah,” says Felicia. “Not only that, but they make it illegal to pray in school.”
“Oh, no,” says Amy. “Sounds like Felicia’s getting up on her religious soapbox again.”
Felicia smiles in a somewhat apologetic manner. “Not really. But if you think about it, it’s no different than what you’re complaining about, Amy.”
“How’s that?” asks Amy without looking up from her pen-andink project.
I suddenly realize that I’m not even drawing now. I am simply sitting here, like a dummy, mesmerized by their banter. I suppose I have missed being involved in conversations. Still, I don’t want to appear too desperate. So I quickly pick up my charcoal pencil and pretend to turn my attention back to my drawing. It’s an old house, but I’m having a hard time getting it to look right. It seems flat and dark to me, and definitely less interesting than their conversation.My pencil hovers as I listen.
“Well, freedom of speech shouldn’t just apply to the arts,” continues Felicia. “But also to religion.”
“We have freedom of religion laws,” says Edgar.
“Duh!” Amy looks up and scowls at him.
“But they get misinterpreted,” says Felicia.
“Well, I sure don’t want anyone telling me I have to
pray
in school,” says Amy. “That’s totally fascist.”
“Right,” says Felicia. “I don’t think our government should tell us to pray either. But I don’t think they should tell us that we can’t. I also don’t think they should go around stripping words that refer to God from things like the Pledge of Allegiance or songs or even our money for that matter.”
“There she goes,” says Amy with a big sigh. “Sorry about this, Kara. But welcome to the lunch club. We love discussing anything controversial.”
Felicia laughs. “Yeah, that’s probably why we wanted you to join us. You look like you might have an ax to grind.”
“That’s right,” says Amy, pausing from her drawing to look at me with curiosity. Then she holds her pen like it’s a microphone and she’s the interviewer. “So, tell us, Kara Hendricks,
Similar Books
