herself directly in front of me. I could only see the back of her but I could tell that she had a thin, waif-like body, was just over five feet tall, and had long blond hair that was in a pony tail.
Bryson started to laugh. “This is priceless,” he said. “It’s just a prank, girl. Take it easy.”
“It’s time for you to go,” the girl said firmly.
“This is too much,” Bryson said. “Okay, whatever, I’m out. Nate, have fun with your little friend.”
Bryson left and the girl turned to face me. She was pretty but very young looking – too young for me to be interested. She barely looked old enough to be a freshman. I could not see any fat on her body at all. Her arms were so thin I thought I could encircle them by touching the tip of my index finger to my thumb. Her eyes were a pretty shade of blue, though, and she had a kind expression on her face.
“This might hurt a little,” she said as she reached up and took hold of the tape across my mouth. She pulled it quickly off. I worked my lips back and forth a little to lessen the sting.
“Thanks,” I said in my best nonchalant tone as the girl continued to untape me.
“No problem,” she said. “I’m just sorry you had to go through that. Bullying can be extremely painful to endure.”
“Oh, it wasn’t bullying, more of hazing really,” I said.
“Uh-huh. Well, you’re red, but I guess whatever you want to call it is fine,” the girl said.
She finished unwinding the tape from around my body. I took a step forward and felt my chest, thankful that I didn’t have any hair there to rip off. I looked like a mess. The red and black paint had been smeared by the tape so that it looked like one hideous mixture.
“What’s your name?” the girl asked.
“Nate Cadwell,” I replied as I tried to wipe some of the paint off and then gave up. “Yours?”
“Faith Reagan,” she said. “I would shake your hand but it’s got paint all over it. Nice to meet you, though.”
“Yeah, likewise,” I said. “Well, thanks again.”
I started walking up to the school. To my surprise and partial annoyance, Faith fell in step beside me.
“It was lucky I found you,” she said. “I stayed late after cross-country practice ‘ cause my brother wasn’t done with his run yet. Otherwise I never would have seen you.”
My ears perked up a bit when she said that she was on the cross-country team. Trinity was on that team. “Are you a freshman?” I asked.
The girl nodded. “I’m too young to drive so my brother gives me a ride after school,” she said.
“So how are you liking high school so far?” I asked. “Is the cross-country team treating ya well? Some nice girls on it?”
“Oh yes, I love it;” Faith said. “It seems a lot nicer than your soccer team, anyways.”
I didn’t want to talk about that. “Trinity London is on your team, isn’t she?” I said as if the thought had suddenly occurred to me.
Faith raised an eyebrow and gave me a sideways look. “Are you serious right now?” she asked.
“What?” I said.
“You’re red. Like, the color red. How am I the only one of us who sees this? You need to take a cold shower, sport. Trinity London is not happening for you. She’s way out of your league. Focus on the problems on hand, like how not to get taped to a pole again tomorrow.”
I glanced at her. “You’re pretty bold for a pip-squeak,” I said.
“Pip squeak? I’m one of the fastest girls on the team,” Faith said. “I bet you couldn’t keep up, fatty.”
“Fatty?” I protested. I glanced down at my shredded abs. Was the girl blind?
“You heard me,” Faith said. “So what’s your story, anyhow? I haven’t seen you around before and trust me, I would have remembered seeing a guy who’s frickin’ red even if I am just a freshman. Are you new here?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I got kicked out of my boarding school. My parents live in town so here I am.”
“Uh-huh,” Faith said. “Why were you at a
Bryson started to laugh. “This is priceless,” he said. “It’s just a prank, girl. Take it easy.”
“It’s time for you to go,” the girl said firmly.
“This is too much,” Bryson said. “Okay, whatever, I’m out. Nate, have fun with your little friend.”
Bryson left and the girl turned to face me. She was pretty but very young looking – too young for me to be interested. She barely looked old enough to be a freshman. I could not see any fat on her body at all. Her arms were so thin I thought I could encircle them by touching the tip of my index finger to my thumb. Her eyes were a pretty shade of blue, though, and she had a kind expression on her face.
“This might hurt a little,” she said as she reached up and took hold of the tape across my mouth. She pulled it quickly off. I worked my lips back and forth a little to lessen the sting.
“Thanks,” I said in my best nonchalant tone as the girl continued to untape me.
“No problem,” she said. “I’m just sorry you had to go through that. Bullying can be extremely painful to endure.”
“Oh, it wasn’t bullying, more of hazing really,” I said.
“Uh-huh. Well, you’re red, but I guess whatever you want to call it is fine,” the girl said.
She finished unwinding the tape from around my body. I took a step forward and felt my chest, thankful that I didn’t have any hair there to rip off. I looked like a mess. The red and black paint had been smeared by the tape so that it looked like one hideous mixture.
“What’s your name?” the girl asked.
“Nate Cadwell,” I replied as I tried to wipe some of the paint off and then gave up. “Yours?”
“Faith Reagan,” she said. “I would shake your hand but it’s got paint all over it. Nice to meet you, though.”
“Yeah, likewise,” I said. “Well, thanks again.”
I started walking up to the school. To my surprise and partial annoyance, Faith fell in step beside me.
“It was lucky I found you,” she said. “I stayed late after cross-country practice ‘ cause my brother wasn’t done with his run yet. Otherwise I never would have seen you.”
My ears perked up a bit when she said that she was on the cross-country team. Trinity was on that team. “Are you a freshman?” I asked.
The girl nodded. “I’m too young to drive so my brother gives me a ride after school,” she said.
“So how are you liking high school so far?” I asked. “Is the cross-country team treating ya well? Some nice girls on it?”
“Oh yes, I love it;” Faith said. “It seems a lot nicer than your soccer team, anyways.”
I didn’t want to talk about that. “Trinity London is on your team, isn’t she?” I said as if the thought had suddenly occurred to me.
Faith raised an eyebrow and gave me a sideways look. “Are you serious right now?” she asked.
“What?” I said.
“You’re red. Like, the color red. How am I the only one of us who sees this? You need to take a cold shower, sport. Trinity London is not happening for you. She’s way out of your league. Focus on the problems on hand, like how not to get taped to a pole again tomorrow.”
I glanced at her. “You’re pretty bold for a pip-squeak,” I said.
“Pip squeak? I’m one of the fastest girls on the team,” Faith said. “I bet you couldn’t keep up, fatty.”
“Fatty?” I protested. I glanced down at my shredded abs. Was the girl blind?
“You heard me,” Faith said. “So what’s your story, anyhow? I haven’t seen you around before and trust me, I would have remembered seeing a guy who’s frickin’ red even if I am just a freshman. Are you new here?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I got kicked out of my boarding school. My parents live in town so here I am.”
“Uh-huh,” Faith said. “Why were you at a
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