known how it would turn out and was surprised when he started laughing. She’d been angry, thinking he was making fun of her, but had quickly seen the humor in it. He had slight dimples when he laughed; she couldn’t help smiling as she remembered them. He was too cute for his own good and her peace of mind.
The night was endless and included precious little sleep. Bernie was thankful when her alarm rang and she could hurry to school and defrost under a lukewarm shower. She wanted to wear Josh’s sweatshirt but figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to flaunt it in front of Kayleigh. She’d been nice and Bernie didn’t want to give her any reasons to act jealous. She reluctantly left it in her car and tried to keep warm with her thin jacket. Hopefully this cold front would blow over soon and it would return to more normal Albuquerque temperatures for late fall.
Second period English was as annoying as it had been the day before, and the rowdy boys seemed determined to do whatever they could to piss off Mr. Collins and sidetrack the lesson. She watched Diego flick spit wads at the girl in front of him. What did Gabby ever see in this loser? But he was the last person who saw her. Bernie was still determined to find out what really happened to Gabby, so she needed to talk to Diego, no matter how repulsive he might be. She gathered her notebook and other belongings while Mr. Collins kept Diego and his friends behind for a well-deserved scolding.
She waited outside the classroom door for him. “Hey, Diego.”
He stopped in his tracks, looked her up and down, his eyes settling on her chest. “Hey, Bernie. What’s up?” He jerked his chin at his group of friends, giving them the signal to get lost.
“Um, I just haven’t had a chance to, you know, talk to you in a while.”
He grinned and stepped closer. Much closer. She tried not to gag on the fumes from his aftershave.
“That’s cool, Bernie. We should go out and talk. What you doin’ Saturday night?”
God, this guy was like a walking advertisement for thug life. From his little black mustache to his diamond stud earrings to his baggy pants and sideways baseball cap, he was what Bernie referred to as a wangster —a wannabe gangster.
“I have to work. Sorry. Listen, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about Gabby.”
“Gabby? Man, I don’t wanna talk about her. I’d rather talk about you and me. Go out with me Friday.”
“I can’t. I really just—”
“Oh, man. There’s the bell. Gotta go, sweet Bernie. See you around, okay?” Diego hurried away, leaving Bernie frustrated. She needed to find out what he knew about Gabby, but a date with him was a high price to pay for that information.
***
“ So , are you going to sit with us today?”
Bernie jumped as the voice sounded close behind her. “God, Josh! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She straightened the bottle of juice she had knocked over on her tray.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled, showing the dimples that left Bernie weak. He reached past her to grab a cardboard container of French fries. “Will you? Please?”
She rolled her eyes at his pleading. “Yeah, I guess.” She turned to give her ID card to the lunch-line cashier, embarrassed at this glaring sign of a free-lunch student. “I’m surprised you eat cafeteria food, what with your elevated gourmet taste.”
He laughed lightly. “Well, it’s hard to mess up fries. I bring my lunch sometimes.” He handed the cashier a five-dollar bill and pocketed his change.
She followed him to his lunch table, hoping there wouldn’t be any hostile stares from the popular kids who were already seated.
“Bernie! Hi! Here, I saved you and Josh seats.” Kayleigh welcomed her warmly. This cheerleader girlfriend of Josh’s was seriously messing with Bernie’s preconceived notions of how the in-crowd was supposed to behave. “So, how’s the econ project going? Is Josh pulling his
The night was endless and included precious little sleep. Bernie was thankful when her alarm rang and she could hurry to school and defrost under a lukewarm shower. She wanted to wear Josh’s sweatshirt but figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to flaunt it in front of Kayleigh. She’d been nice and Bernie didn’t want to give her any reasons to act jealous. She reluctantly left it in her car and tried to keep warm with her thin jacket. Hopefully this cold front would blow over soon and it would return to more normal Albuquerque temperatures for late fall.
Second period English was as annoying as it had been the day before, and the rowdy boys seemed determined to do whatever they could to piss off Mr. Collins and sidetrack the lesson. She watched Diego flick spit wads at the girl in front of him. What did Gabby ever see in this loser? But he was the last person who saw her. Bernie was still determined to find out what really happened to Gabby, so she needed to talk to Diego, no matter how repulsive he might be. She gathered her notebook and other belongings while Mr. Collins kept Diego and his friends behind for a well-deserved scolding.
She waited outside the classroom door for him. “Hey, Diego.”
He stopped in his tracks, looked her up and down, his eyes settling on her chest. “Hey, Bernie. What’s up?” He jerked his chin at his group of friends, giving them the signal to get lost.
“Um, I just haven’t had a chance to, you know, talk to you in a while.”
He grinned and stepped closer. Much closer. She tried not to gag on the fumes from his aftershave.
“That’s cool, Bernie. We should go out and talk. What you doin’ Saturday night?”
God, this guy was like a walking advertisement for thug life. From his little black mustache to his diamond stud earrings to his baggy pants and sideways baseball cap, he was what Bernie referred to as a wangster —a wannabe gangster.
“I have to work. Sorry. Listen, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about Gabby.”
“Gabby? Man, I don’t wanna talk about her. I’d rather talk about you and me. Go out with me Friday.”
“I can’t. I really just—”
“Oh, man. There’s the bell. Gotta go, sweet Bernie. See you around, okay?” Diego hurried away, leaving Bernie frustrated. She needed to find out what he knew about Gabby, but a date with him was a high price to pay for that information.
***
“ So , are you going to sit with us today?”
Bernie jumped as the voice sounded close behind her. “God, Josh! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She straightened the bottle of juice she had knocked over on her tray.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled, showing the dimples that left Bernie weak. He reached past her to grab a cardboard container of French fries. “Will you? Please?”
She rolled her eyes at his pleading. “Yeah, I guess.” She turned to give her ID card to the lunch-line cashier, embarrassed at this glaring sign of a free-lunch student. “I’m surprised you eat cafeteria food, what with your elevated gourmet taste.”
He laughed lightly. “Well, it’s hard to mess up fries. I bring my lunch sometimes.” He handed the cashier a five-dollar bill and pocketed his change.
She followed him to his lunch table, hoping there wouldn’t be any hostile stares from the popular kids who were already seated.
“Bernie! Hi! Here, I saved you and Josh seats.” Kayleigh welcomed her warmly. This cheerleader girlfriend of Josh’s was seriously messing with Bernie’s preconceived notions of how the in-crowd was supposed to behave. “So, how’s the econ project going? Is Josh pulling his
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