"May I have the honor of walking you to your locker?"
I looked around for Walt. He was gone. So I took off my hat, made a deep curtsy and giggled. "I could use an escort."
Much to my surprise--and pleasure--Kevin looped his arm through mine. As we walked down the hall arm in arm, Kevin whispered in my ear, "Your hair looks really nice. I like it that way."
My hair! I'd forgotten all about my hair. All I could manage to say was, "Th-thanks."
"Ah, so there you."
The voice sent chills into my bones. I turned and looked. It was Nicole. She flashed a huge smile at Kevin.
I slipped my arm away from Kevin's. "I just remembered something. I have to run." I hurried down the hall, not daring to look back. I didn't want to tangle with Nicole. She was already steamed about the umbrella incident.
Again I spent the day avoiding Kevin. Once, when I was unexpectedly about to pass him in the hall, I ducked into a classroom. I did a U turn as soon as I saw that he had gone by.
After school I waited for Walt at my locker, but he didn't show up. I checked the chemistry lab. He wasn't there. When I returned to my locker, Walt was putting on his coat.
"Oh, hi," I said. "I almost missed you."
"Mattie …," Walt said. "I didn't expect …." He slammed his locker shut. "You didn't have to wait for me."
"When you weren't here, I went looking for you," I said. "I couldn't find you, so I came back. We can go now. Unless you have other plans?"
"I have no other plans," Walt said evenly. "Let's go." He took off so abruptly I had to run to catch up with him.
I had trouble keeping up with him all the way to his house. I barely managed to stay under the umbrella with him. "Are you trying to set a new record?"
"Was I walking too fast for you?"
"Let me catch my breath and I'll tell you," I teased. Walt didn't smile. "Is something wrong, Walt?"
For a moment he didn't answer. Then he said, "No. I'm just in a bad mood. Must be the weather."
"Oh."
"See you in the morning." Walt punched me lightly on my shoulder. "Okay?"
"Sure." I was happy to see him in a good mood again, but wondered why he'd been in a crummy mood in the first place. "See you tomorrow."
Chapter Eight
I leafed through a two year old issue of People magazine in Dr. Adam's waiting room. It was my official weigh in and I hadn't lost any weight for a week, even though I'd stuck to my diet. What if my scale at home was off? What if I hadn't lost weight at all? That would be enough to make me go out and splurge on a peppermint ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce!
"Miss Mason?"
I looked up from the magazine.
The receptionist smiled at me. "You may go in now."
I put down the magazine and trudged into the examining room.
"Hello, Mattie." Dr. Adam glanced up from a chart. "Since this is only a weigh in, just take off your shoes before you step on the scale."
I pulled at the knots in my laces with my fingernails and kicked off my shoes. Eyes closed, I stepped onto the scale.
"Congratulations."
I opened my eyes.
"You've lost sixteen pounds."
"Sixteen?" I let out a tiny sigh of relief. "But I didn't lose any weight at all last week."
"Don't worry. Sometimes you hit a plateau and you just don't lose any weight for a week or two. It will be harder to lose those last pounds now that you're closer to your goal. But I'm sure you'll do it." Dr. Adam shook my hand. "See you in a year."
I practically ran home. I was so anxious to call Erwina and I wanted to do it in total privacy. I dashed to my room, dumped my books and myself on my bed, and as soon as she answered I said, "I just saw Dr. Adam and guess what she said."
"Hmm. Let's see. She told you that you need to gain twenty pounds."
I laughed. "I've lost sixteen pounds! Can you believe it?"
"I'm impressed," said Erwina. "It's time you started showing off your new figure."
"You mean I lost sixteen pounds and nobody's noticed?" All the joy drained out of me.
"I mean it's time you got some clothes that fit."
"But … I
I looked around for Walt. He was gone. So I took off my hat, made a deep curtsy and giggled. "I could use an escort."
Much to my surprise--and pleasure--Kevin looped his arm through mine. As we walked down the hall arm in arm, Kevin whispered in my ear, "Your hair looks really nice. I like it that way."
My hair! I'd forgotten all about my hair. All I could manage to say was, "Th-thanks."
"Ah, so there you."
The voice sent chills into my bones. I turned and looked. It was Nicole. She flashed a huge smile at Kevin.
I slipped my arm away from Kevin's. "I just remembered something. I have to run." I hurried down the hall, not daring to look back. I didn't want to tangle with Nicole. She was already steamed about the umbrella incident.
Again I spent the day avoiding Kevin. Once, when I was unexpectedly about to pass him in the hall, I ducked into a classroom. I did a U turn as soon as I saw that he had gone by.
After school I waited for Walt at my locker, but he didn't show up. I checked the chemistry lab. He wasn't there. When I returned to my locker, Walt was putting on his coat.
"Oh, hi," I said. "I almost missed you."
"Mattie …," Walt said. "I didn't expect …." He slammed his locker shut. "You didn't have to wait for me."
"When you weren't here, I went looking for you," I said. "I couldn't find you, so I came back. We can go now. Unless you have other plans?"
"I have no other plans," Walt said evenly. "Let's go." He took off so abruptly I had to run to catch up with him.
I had trouble keeping up with him all the way to his house. I barely managed to stay under the umbrella with him. "Are you trying to set a new record?"
"Was I walking too fast for you?"
"Let me catch my breath and I'll tell you," I teased. Walt didn't smile. "Is something wrong, Walt?"
For a moment he didn't answer. Then he said, "No. I'm just in a bad mood. Must be the weather."
"Oh."
"See you in the morning." Walt punched me lightly on my shoulder. "Okay?"
"Sure." I was happy to see him in a good mood again, but wondered why he'd been in a crummy mood in the first place. "See you tomorrow."
Chapter Eight
I leafed through a two year old issue of People magazine in Dr. Adam's waiting room. It was my official weigh in and I hadn't lost any weight for a week, even though I'd stuck to my diet. What if my scale at home was off? What if I hadn't lost weight at all? That would be enough to make me go out and splurge on a peppermint ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce!
"Miss Mason?"
I looked up from the magazine.
The receptionist smiled at me. "You may go in now."
I put down the magazine and trudged into the examining room.
"Hello, Mattie." Dr. Adam glanced up from a chart. "Since this is only a weigh in, just take off your shoes before you step on the scale."
I pulled at the knots in my laces with my fingernails and kicked off my shoes. Eyes closed, I stepped onto the scale.
"Congratulations."
I opened my eyes.
"You've lost sixteen pounds."
"Sixteen?" I let out a tiny sigh of relief. "But I didn't lose any weight at all last week."
"Don't worry. Sometimes you hit a plateau and you just don't lose any weight for a week or two. It will be harder to lose those last pounds now that you're closer to your goal. But I'm sure you'll do it." Dr. Adam shook my hand. "See you in a year."
I practically ran home. I was so anxious to call Erwina and I wanted to do it in total privacy. I dashed to my room, dumped my books and myself on my bed, and as soon as she answered I said, "I just saw Dr. Adam and guess what she said."
"Hmm. Let's see. She told you that you need to gain twenty pounds."
I laughed. "I've lost sixteen pounds! Can you believe it?"
"I'm impressed," said Erwina. "It's time you started showing off your new figure."
"You mean I lost sixteen pounds and nobody's noticed?" All the joy drained out of me.
"I mean it's time you got some clothes that fit."
"But … I
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