Read Online Not That I Care by Rachel Vail - Free Book Online Page B

get school supplies at Sundries. We had made plans, me and CJ, and we were nice enough to include Zoe. Now the boys were already waiting for us out by the wall.
    “If that’s OK,” Zoe answered, tucking her hair behind her ear.
    CJ shrugged slightly. She checked her bun with her wiry, nervous fingers. I could tell she’d go along with whatever I wanted to do.
    “Fine,” I said. “I don’t care if they come.”
    “Me, too,” CJ said, and drooped over gracefully to retie her Keds. She doesn’t bend her knees. She got that habit from Fiona the Boring.
    Olivia slammed her locker shut and said, “Have fun getting school supplies.”
    “Have fun at the orthodontist,” Zoe answered.
    “That’s likely,” said Olivia. “Hey, you three want to come over, after? We could play pool. I should be done by four-fifteen.”
    We said sure. Nobody has anything against Olivia; she’s always sort of been on the outskirts of our group. She slammed her locker and ran to meet her mother, saying, “Wish me luck!”
    “Luck!” Zoe yelled in her booming voice.
    CJ whispered, “Olivia’s mother told my mother that Olivia thought she might not need braces.”
    We all shook our heads. Olivia has extremely crooked teeth.
    We ambled out into the heat of the afternoon where the Levits were sweating, kicking the wall, waiting for us. Jonas is in chorus with me instead of band with CJ and Zoe and Tommy, so he and I walked ahead, making up nasty lyrics to the ancient cornball chorus songs. I don’t know why I don’t like Jonas, I started to think—he’s a lot easier to talk to than Tommy.
    When we got to Sundries and started rummaging through the school supply area, Jonas threw a big gummy eraser in my basket. I threw one in his, too. Then I walked away, quick, over to CJ at the counter. I didn’t have enough money to buy more than a couple of things, anyway, and the gummy eraser was a dollar fifteen. I had saved my money all summer, but I was reserving eleven dollars for the Barbie doll whose head is now in my sack. Every time I start to save up, there’s something I suddenly get the urge to blow it all on.
    CJ was looking at friendship rings in the case, so we picked out the one we both liked. I was relieved she liked a sort of plain one, with just a simple knot in the silver. I’d never want to wear something all gaudy. Not that I could afford to buy it anyway, but still. I hadn’t told her about the Barbie I had put on hold, right there under the Sundries front counter. CJ has dozens; she wouldn’t understand why I’d waste my own money.
    We crossed our fingers and touched our noses. I’ve really outgrown stuff like that, but CJ hasn’t.
    After all five of us bought our stuff, we walked down the strip to the pizza place. Jonas slid in next to me on the bench, but I made sure not to look at his cute rosy cheeks too much, because I didn’t want him thinking I liked him or something. Tommy spent the whole time telling us about their little cousin, how he taught him all about dinosaurs over Memorial Day weekend.
    CJ and Zoe were leaning toward him, nodding and sipping their sodas through straws. All I could think was, How am I supposed to pay my share of this check? I’m not even supposed to go to the pizza place; we have no money to waste on extravagances . I held the new gummy eraser in my palms, rolling it between them, under the table. I didn’t need it; I mean, pencils have erasers built right in on top for free.
    Then Tommy jutted his chin toward me. I didn’t know what he’d just said, because I was mentally adding up what change I still had in my pocket, so I just looked away. We had finished the pizza, so it was time to put money on the tray. They probably all think I’m a cheap jerk, but too bad. I only had half a cup of soda and one slice.
    Mrs. Levit was waiting outside in her Audi. She waved to us as the boys climbed into the backseat with their school supply bags. Me, CJ, and Zoe walked to Olivia’s house