Read Online Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jo Knowles
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between us is making me a lot less brave than I sound.
Jessie jumps down from the toilet as if she’s about to pounce on us. I grab Ellie by the hand and pull her out of the room fast. We rush down the empty hall back to homeroom. Their footsteps thud behind us. Luckily they’re going to have to ditch their drinks before a teacher sees them, so we’re safe for now.
“Don’t worry about them,” I say before we go back in.
As I start to open the door, Ellie puts her hand on my arm.
“Thanks,” she whispers.
We look at each other for just a second, but it’s long enough for me to see that her eyes really are different. I didn’t notice when I was putting on her makeup, but I see now. Or maybe it’s what I don’t see. Something that used to be there is gone.
Ellie follows me inside. Everyone watches us suspiciously as we walk to our seats. Even Mr. Howard glances up from his newspaper and clears his throat. I’m sure they’re all dying to know what’s going on. And of course it’s only a matter of time before Kayla and Jessie tell them.
I PEEL OFF MY SWEATY T-SHIRT and throw it into my gym bag. The sooner I can get out of here the better. I’m about to take off when Kyle comes up behind us and shoves Caleb’s shoulder.
“Hey, Special Cay, you stud.”
It’s nice to hear him giving someone else crap for a change. But Caleb? A stud?
Dave walks out of the shower naked, wiping his poor, zit-covered face with his towel. “What’s he talking about?”
Caleb looks as confused as I do. “Wish I knew. Sounds good,” he says.
“Kayla and Jessie overheard some interesting news in the girls’ bathroom today,” Kyle says. He makes this sly face, like he’s got some huge secret. Jesus, he’s such a dick. Sometimes I don’t know what I want to do more: laugh at him or kick his ass.
“They were talking about
me
?” Caleb asks.
“About you and someone else,” Kyle says.
“Damn, Cay, you keeping something from us?” I ask.
“Not that I know of, but I’m dying to hear what I did.” He sounds nervous.
Dave, the sex-crazed lunatic, runs over to Caleb. Even though he’s still naked, he starts giving Caleb this noogie like he’s gonna rub the guy’s hair right off and make a premature bald spot.
“Cut the shit!” Caleb yells.
“Whoa!” Dave backs off and puts a towel around himself.
Kyle laughs. “Touchy much?”
“Just tell me what you’re talking about,” Caleb says. He looks like he’s about to beat the crap out of Kyle.
“OK, OK. God. I heard about you and Ellie, all right? I didn’t know you were so sensitive, dude. But damn, you should’ve asked us for some advice on keeping your soldiers behind enemy lines before you went all the way.”
Caleb is totally pale.
“Wait,” I say, starting to register what Kyle just said. “You were with
Ellie
?”
Kyle nods. “All the way, man.” He turns to Caleb. “I mean,
Daddy.
”
“Whoa!” Dave steps back like Caleb has some contagious disease.
“Shut up, Kyle. I mean it.” Caleb steps closer to him, as if he’s about to pummel Kyle even though Kyle could flatten him in two seconds. I should step in, but I don’t move. I’m hot all over. My whole body is sweating.
Daddy?
Ellie’s pregnant?
“Aw, I think he’s in love.” Kyle laughs in Caleb’s face.
“I said, shut up.” Caleb curls his hands into fists.
Kyle laughs, like he knows Caleb would never try it. But as Kyle turns to say something to me, a flash of fist connects with his jaw and his head spins the other way.
“Shit!” he screams.
Caleb stands there. Frozen.
Kyle looks at him for a half second before he throws one back at him. Caleb doesn’t even have time to duck. Kyle’s fist connects to his mouth and knocks Caleb back so he crashes into Dave. He looks like one of those blow-up clowns you punch and make fall over, only they bounce up again for more, which is exactly what happens, and this time Kyle gets him in the gut.
“What the —?”
Jessie jumps down from the toilet as if she’s about to pounce on us. I grab Ellie by the hand and pull her out of the room fast. We rush down the empty hall back to homeroom. Their footsteps thud behind us. Luckily they’re going to have to ditch their drinks before a teacher sees them, so we’re safe for now.
“Don’t worry about them,” I say before we go back in.
As I start to open the door, Ellie puts her hand on my arm.
“Thanks,” she whispers.
We look at each other for just a second, but it’s long enough for me to see that her eyes really are different. I didn’t notice when I was putting on her makeup, but I see now. Or maybe it’s what I don’t see. Something that used to be there is gone.
Ellie follows me inside. Everyone watches us suspiciously as we walk to our seats. Even Mr. Howard glances up from his newspaper and clears his throat. I’m sure they’re all dying to know what’s going on. And of course it’s only a matter of time before Kayla and Jessie tell them.
I PEEL OFF MY SWEATY T-SHIRT and throw it into my gym bag. The sooner I can get out of here the better. I’m about to take off when Kyle comes up behind us and shoves Caleb’s shoulder.
“Hey, Special Cay, you stud.”
It’s nice to hear him giving someone else crap for a change. But Caleb? A stud?
Dave walks out of the shower naked, wiping his poor, zit-covered face with his towel. “What’s he talking about?”
Caleb looks as confused as I do. “Wish I knew. Sounds good,” he says.
“Kayla and Jessie overheard some interesting news in the girls’ bathroom today,” Kyle says. He makes this sly face, like he’s got some huge secret. Jesus, he’s such a dick. Sometimes I don’t know what I want to do more: laugh at him or kick his ass.
“They were talking about
me
?” Caleb asks.
“About you and someone else,” Kyle says.
“Damn, Cay, you keeping something from us?” I ask.
“Not that I know of, but I’m dying to hear what I did.” He sounds nervous.
Dave, the sex-crazed lunatic, runs over to Caleb. Even though he’s still naked, he starts giving Caleb this noogie like he’s gonna rub the guy’s hair right off and make a premature bald spot.
“Cut the shit!” Caleb yells.
“Whoa!” Dave backs off and puts a towel around himself.
Kyle laughs. “Touchy much?”
“Just tell me what you’re talking about,” Caleb says. He looks like he’s about to beat the crap out of Kyle.
“OK, OK. God. I heard about you and Ellie, all right? I didn’t know you were so sensitive, dude. But damn, you should’ve asked us for some advice on keeping your soldiers behind enemy lines before you went all the way.”
Caleb is totally pale.
“Wait,” I say, starting to register what Kyle just said. “You were with
Ellie
?”
Kyle nods. “All the way, man.” He turns to Caleb. “I mean,
Daddy.
”
“Whoa!” Dave steps back like Caleb has some contagious disease.
“Shut up, Kyle. I mean it.” Caleb steps closer to him, as if he’s about to pummel Kyle even though Kyle could flatten him in two seconds. I should step in, but I don’t move. I’m hot all over. My whole body is sweating.
Daddy?
Ellie’s pregnant?
“Aw, I think he’s in love.” Kyle laughs in Caleb’s face.
“I said, shut up.” Caleb curls his hands into fists.
Kyle laughs, like he knows Caleb would never try it. But as Kyle turns to say something to me, a flash of fist connects with his jaw and his head spins the other way.
“Shit!” he screams.
Caleb stands there. Frozen.
Kyle looks at him for a half second before he throws one back at him. Caleb doesn’t even have time to duck. Kyle’s fist connects to his mouth and knocks Caleb back so he crashes into Dave. He looks like one of those blow-up clowns you punch and make fall over, only they bounce up again for more, which is exactly what happens, and this time Kyle gets him in the gut.
“What the —?”
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