time in a long time I was not
thinking, Everything stinks. Well, maybe everything did
still stink. But tomorrow could he an okay day.
12
AT LUNCH THE NEXT DAY I chickened out. I took
one look at Ashley and her friends and lost my nerve.
So I parked myself at one of the corner tables as
usual, with Georgie, Nola, and Paula. I was in the middle
of pulling my lunch out of its brown paper hag, a kidsize container of strawberry yogurt and two Fig Newtons,
when I heard Ashley's voice. "Hey, Isabelle."
I looked up and there she was, wearing a lavender shirt
with silver sparkles all over it, and her big white smile.
"Want to come sit at our table?"
"Um," I said. I felt my cheeks gather into a smile so big I had to duck my head to hide it. I didn't want to make
Nola and Georgie feel bad. I said to them, "You guys don't
mind, do you.' JUSt for today?"
Nola looked at me and shook her head the tiniest bit.
"Do what you want, Isabelle."
"It's a free country," Georgie nu►ttered, looking down
at her tray.
Paula said nothing. I knew the minute I walked away
she would talk about me, but at that moment I didn't care.
She was jealous and I was glad. Paula could say whatever
she wanted.
I busied myself with the complex task of putting my
yogurt and Fig Newtons back in their hag. When I said goodbye to Nola and Georgie I tried to act like it was no big deal,
me leaving them, but deep down I knew that it was.
The center table. Me.
When we got there Ashley swept her hand through
the air, introducing everyone, as if I didn't already know
all their names. "Isabelle, this is Maya, Arielle, Jessie,
Hannah, Heather, T►lia, Sasha, and Eliza. Everyone, this
is Isabelle."
A couple of girls said, "Hi, Isabelle." The rest just
stared at me.
"Hi," I said, sounding like a five-year-old.
Ashley pointed to an empty chair, so I sat down.
Heather on one side, Talia on the other. In the middle of
the table was a family-size bag of potato chips, one of pretzels, and a pile of Ding Dongs and Twinkies and individual
Twizzlers wrapped in cellophane.
"Have whatever, Isabelle," Ashley said, motioning to
the pile. "We take turns bringing snacks."
I sat quietly, eating my yogurt, one tiny lick at a time. I wanted so had to reach out for a Twinkie, and a handful of
chips, but I didn't let myself. I knew that once I started I
wouldn't he able to stop, and everyone would see me stuffing my face like a pig.
I noticed that Ashley wasn't eating much either. Every
few seconds she took a bite of the green apple on the table
in front of her, but that was it.
Everyone else dove right on in. There were hands
everywhere-hands in bags, hands ripping open cellophane, hands in mouths.
At one point, Ashley got up from the table to get a
drink from the water fountain. Talia turned to me. Her
long red hair, smoothed back in a green ribbon headband,
brushed against my wrist. "Promise you won't get mad if I
ask you a question?"
"Okay," I said.
"Are you new this year? I've never noticed you
before."
I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I mumbled, "I've
lived here my whole life."
"Oh," Talia said. "Sorry." She didn't sound one hit
sorry.
I kept on eating my yogurt, not saying anything while
everyone else talked. Ashley came back to the table and
sat down.
"Get a load of Big Bri," Heather Jellerette said, gesturing with a potato chip across the cafeteria. "Check out the
high-waters. Did he raid his father's closet or what? What
a dork."
We all turned to look. Over by the garbage can,
unwrapping an ice-cream sandwich, was Brian King. His plaid pants were a little short, and tight too. His stomach
rolled over the top of his belt.
"What a dweeb," said Talia.
"Dare me to go over there!" Heather said. "Tell him I
like his pants!"
Everyone at the table started laughing.
I looked over at Ashley. She didn't look like she
thought it was very funny, but she was laughing anyway, a
fake laugh. Heeheeheeheehee.
"Come
thinking, Everything stinks. Well, maybe everything did
still stink. But tomorrow could he an okay day.
12
AT LUNCH THE NEXT DAY I chickened out. I took
one look at Ashley and her friends and lost my nerve.
So I parked myself at one of the corner tables as
usual, with Georgie, Nola, and Paula. I was in the middle
of pulling my lunch out of its brown paper hag, a kidsize container of strawberry yogurt and two Fig Newtons,
when I heard Ashley's voice. "Hey, Isabelle."
I looked up and there she was, wearing a lavender shirt
with silver sparkles all over it, and her big white smile.
"Want to come sit at our table?"
"Um," I said. I felt my cheeks gather into a smile so big I had to duck my head to hide it. I didn't want to make
Nola and Georgie feel bad. I said to them, "You guys don't
mind, do you.' JUSt for today?"
Nola looked at me and shook her head the tiniest bit.
"Do what you want, Isabelle."
"It's a free country," Georgie nu►ttered, looking down
at her tray.
Paula said nothing. I knew the minute I walked away
she would talk about me, but at that moment I didn't care.
She was jealous and I was glad. Paula could say whatever
she wanted.
I busied myself with the complex task of putting my
yogurt and Fig Newtons back in their hag. When I said goodbye to Nola and Georgie I tried to act like it was no big deal,
me leaving them, but deep down I knew that it was.
The center table. Me.
When we got there Ashley swept her hand through
the air, introducing everyone, as if I didn't already know
all their names. "Isabelle, this is Maya, Arielle, Jessie,
Hannah, Heather, T►lia, Sasha, and Eliza. Everyone, this
is Isabelle."
A couple of girls said, "Hi, Isabelle." The rest just
stared at me.
"Hi," I said, sounding like a five-year-old.
Ashley pointed to an empty chair, so I sat down.
Heather on one side, Talia on the other. In the middle of
the table was a family-size bag of potato chips, one of pretzels, and a pile of Ding Dongs and Twinkies and individual
Twizzlers wrapped in cellophane.
"Have whatever, Isabelle," Ashley said, motioning to
the pile. "We take turns bringing snacks."
I sat quietly, eating my yogurt, one tiny lick at a time. I wanted so had to reach out for a Twinkie, and a handful of
chips, but I didn't let myself. I knew that once I started I
wouldn't he able to stop, and everyone would see me stuffing my face like a pig.
I noticed that Ashley wasn't eating much either. Every
few seconds she took a bite of the green apple on the table
in front of her, but that was it.
Everyone else dove right on in. There were hands
everywhere-hands in bags, hands ripping open cellophane, hands in mouths.
At one point, Ashley got up from the table to get a
drink from the water fountain. Talia turned to me. Her
long red hair, smoothed back in a green ribbon headband,
brushed against my wrist. "Promise you won't get mad if I
ask you a question?"
"Okay," I said.
"Are you new this year? I've never noticed you
before."
I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I mumbled, "I've
lived here my whole life."
"Oh," Talia said. "Sorry." She didn't sound one hit
sorry.
I kept on eating my yogurt, not saying anything while
everyone else talked. Ashley came back to the table and
sat down.
"Get a load of Big Bri," Heather Jellerette said, gesturing with a potato chip across the cafeteria. "Check out the
high-waters. Did he raid his father's closet or what? What
a dork."
We all turned to look. Over by the garbage can,
unwrapping an ice-cream sandwich, was Brian King. His plaid pants were a little short, and tight too. His stomach
rolled over the top of his belt.
"What a dweeb," said Talia.
"Dare me to go over there!" Heather said. "Tell him I
like his pants!"
Everyone at the table started laughing.
I looked over at Ashley. She didn't look like she
thought it was very funny, but she was laughing anyway, a
fake laugh. Heeheeheeheehee.
"Come
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