Read Online Who I Kissed by Janet Gurtler - Free Book Online Page A

pretend not to hear over Mr. Duffield chewing out the smartass.
    “Sam,” Casper calls again.
    I ignore him, hoping he’ll take the hint.
    “I do not like green eggs and ham,” Casper whispers, but this time it’s noisier. “I do not like them, Sam I am.
    “I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I am.” He says it louder, so I finally turn to him and he grins. “If you will let me be, I will try them. you will see.”
    “Seriously? Dr. Seuss?” I say.
    He laughs a squeaky, high-pitched laugh loud enough to attract attention. I scrunch up my shoulders and bury my chin into my chest as eyes turn toward us.
    Mr. Duffield glances our way. Great. I don’t want any more attention, but fortunately he’s decided it might be more valuable to spend class time teaching. I say a silent prayer of thanks to the teacher gods.
    “Be my partner,” Casper says.
    “For what?” I whisper.
    “We have to do a joint study on 1984 . I was thinking that we could do a paper on double thinking as it applies to our world versus the world in the novel.”
    “Casper?” the teacher calls. “Is there something you need to share with the class?”
    “Not so much, Mr. Duffield. Catching Samantha up on what she missed,” he tells him. Every eye in the room turns to me, and my face boils to hot tub temperature. “We’ve decided to work together on the team assignment.”
    We have?
    The teacher eyes us both and then nods. “Fine,” he says and reaches toward his desk. He types something on his laptop keypad and then looks up. “All right, who else is pairing up?”
    Other kids raise their hands, and Mr. Duffield one-finger types names into his laptop.
    With my hands folded, I stare down at my desk, but my skin tingles with the feeling that someone is staring at me. I look up and glance over a couple of rows. Zee’s eyes are narrowed and shooting virtual bullets into my brain. He lifts his chin slowly and, with a purposeful look straight at me, raises his hand.
    “I’ll partner with Kaitlin, Mr. Duffield,” Zee calls out and looks away.
    Kaitlin practically purrs with approval, and a few boys around them whoop like overgrown monkeys.
    Zee grins, but the edges of anger don’t leave his face. Behind him, Kaitlin flashes me an evil sideways smile.
    “Typical Zee. More interested in scoring than grades,” Casper says quietly, and then he laughs.
    My heart flops. Of course Zee is interested in Kaitlin. I blow out a big breath. As if it matters. Zee already made his choice pretty clear. And I killed any chance I ever had with him. The thought chokes me and I squeeze my eyes tight. No pun intended, indeed.
    Casper taps me on the shoulder. When I turn around, he passes me a piece of paper. “My phone number,” he says. His voice isn’t deep, and it has more cracks it in than an old sidewalk, but it’s a pitch that carries. I know every person in the room can hear us.
    “I’d like to get started right away. I want an A-plus on this.” He glances purposefully around the room. “And who knows what else we might get…”
    My spidey sense tingles. Is he actually flirting with me?
    “Can I get your number?” he says, as if to promote the idea.
    The creepy sensation on my skin returns, and I glance over. Zee looks like he just got disqualified in a swim race. I lift my chin.
    “Sure.” I jot my number down in my notebook, rip the page out, and hand it over to him.
    “Better not get too close,” someone behind him mumbles. “She’ll take you down the way black widows eat their prey.”
    “Hey, dickhead,” Casper says. “Did you listen to what they said at the assembly? You’re supposed to be compassionate.”
    As much as I’m mortified to have it confirmed that I was discussed at school, it doesn’t surprise me. Unlike on the news reports, my name is on everyone’s lips here. My heart warms to Casper. I’m almost inclined to hug him.
    “She didn’t know, and obviously she feels bad, so back off,”