Lisa had seemed to change her mind about Wentworth. A part of Stevie realized that she had hurt Lisa’s feelings by insulting the school, but a part of her just didn’t care. Shouldn’t Lisa know the truth about the school? That she was way too good for it? That going there would be the biggest mistake of her life?
L ISA WENT THROUGH the next day of school in a daze. She couldn’t concentrate on any of her subjects. In third-period math, her teacher called on her to demonstrate a simple problem for the class. Lisa couldn’t do it. She stood at the blackboard with a piece of chalk in her hand, unable to remember how to begin. Finally she looked up at Mr. Ramirez, her eyes bright with tears. “I don’t know how to do it,” she said in a choked voice.
Mr. Ramirez looked at her with concern. “Have you been getting enough sleep, Lisa?” he asked quietly. “You look tired.”
“That must be it,” Lisa said. She didn’t want to tellMr. Ramirez why a math problem was making her so upset. Besides, it was true that she had hardly slept at all the night before. Even though she’d followed her mother’s advice to go to bed early, she had tossed and turned for hours.
“Do you want to go lie down somewhere?” Mr. Ramirez asked.
Lisa shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“All right, then. Go ahead and take your seat. Class is almost over anyway,” Mr. Ramirez said. “Now,” he continued in a louder voice, “who wants to tell me how to multiply two unknowns when …”
Lisa slunk back to her seat, feeling the class’s curious eyes on her. She knew they were wondering why she hadn’t been able to do the problem. After class, a few people asked her if she was okay. Lisa nodded. She couldn’t bring herself to tell them anything. At breakfast her mother had reminded her to give her teachers the news right away. That way they could begin processing her transfer forms. But after English and French and now math, Lisa still hadn’t said a word to anyone. She knew that if she started to talk, she would start to cry.
Lisa was so caught up in her own troubled thoughts that she almost didn’t see Carole coming down the hall toward her.
“Lisa! Lisa, hey!” Carole called, hurrying over, herface a mask of worry. The girls often ran into one another at school, even though Lisa was in the grade above Carole.
Lisa looked up, glad to see the only person at school who knew her secret. “Hi, Carole,” she said.
“Hi,” Carole said. Then she asked timidly, “So, nothing has changed since last night?”
Lisa looked down at her books. “Nope. I’m still going to Wentworth.”
“And you can’t say anything to your mother about how you really feel?” Carole asked. She knew she was taking a chance of upsetting Lisa even more. But in her heart of hearts, she believed that Stevie was right—that Lisa’s only chance was to say something, even if it meant letting her mother down.
Lisa shook her head. “You should see how excited she is, Carole. This morning, as I was getting ready for school, some woman from the Garden Club called. She told my mother she had heard that I was applying to Wentworth. Her daughter goes there, and she wanted to know if I’d been accepted and what my plans were.”
“That’s so rude!” Carole said, disgusted that anyone would stoop so low as to actually call the Atwoods to see if Lisa had gotten into Wentworth.
“I know. But naturally my mother was thrilled to get the call. She went on and on about how much I lovedthe school. She even told the woman about my scholarship,” Lisa said.
“It is a big honor,” Carole said.
Before Lisa could reply, the bell for the next class rang. It was Lisa’s lunch period, but Carole had social studies and had to run. “Look, I’ll see you at the barn, okay?” Carole said. She felt bad that she couldn’t skip her class and stay with Lisa.
“Sure—and don’t worry, Carole. I’ll be fine,” Lisa said, trying to
L ISA WENT THROUGH the next day of school in a daze. She couldn’t concentrate on any of her subjects. In third-period math, her teacher called on her to demonstrate a simple problem for the class. Lisa couldn’t do it. She stood at the blackboard with a piece of chalk in her hand, unable to remember how to begin. Finally she looked up at Mr. Ramirez, her eyes bright with tears. “I don’t know how to do it,” she said in a choked voice.
Mr. Ramirez looked at her with concern. “Have you been getting enough sleep, Lisa?” he asked quietly. “You look tired.”
“That must be it,” Lisa said. She didn’t want to tellMr. Ramirez why a math problem was making her so upset. Besides, it was true that she had hardly slept at all the night before. Even though she’d followed her mother’s advice to go to bed early, she had tossed and turned for hours.
“Do you want to go lie down somewhere?” Mr. Ramirez asked.
Lisa shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“All right, then. Go ahead and take your seat. Class is almost over anyway,” Mr. Ramirez said. “Now,” he continued in a louder voice, “who wants to tell me how to multiply two unknowns when …”
Lisa slunk back to her seat, feeling the class’s curious eyes on her. She knew they were wondering why she hadn’t been able to do the problem. After class, a few people asked her if she was okay. Lisa nodded. She couldn’t bring herself to tell them anything. At breakfast her mother had reminded her to give her teachers the news right away. That way they could begin processing her transfer forms. But after English and French and now math, Lisa still hadn’t said a word to anyone. She knew that if she started to talk, she would start to cry.
Lisa was so caught up in her own troubled thoughts that she almost didn’t see Carole coming down the hall toward her.
“Lisa! Lisa, hey!” Carole called, hurrying over, herface a mask of worry. The girls often ran into one another at school, even though Lisa was in the grade above Carole.
Lisa looked up, glad to see the only person at school who knew her secret. “Hi, Carole,” she said.
“Hi,” Carole said. Then she asked timidly, “So, nothing has changed since last night?”
Lisa looked down at her books. “Nope. I’m still going to Wentworth.”
“And you can’t say anything to your mother about how you really feel?” Carole asked. She knew she was taking a chance of upsetting Lisa even more. But in her heart of hearts, she believed that Stevie was right—that Lisa’s only chance was to say something, even if it meant letting her mother down.
Lisa shook her head. “You should see how excited she is, Carole. This morning, as I was getting ready for school, some woman from the Garden Club called. She told my mother she had heard that I was applying to Wentworth. Her daughter goes there, and she wanted to know if I’d been accepted and what my plans were.”
“That’s so rude!” Carole said, disgusted that anyone would stoop so low as to actually call the Atwoods to see if Lisa had gotten into Wentworth.
“I know. But naturally my mother was thrilled to get the call. She went on and on about how much I lovedthe school. She even told the woman about my scholarship,” Lisa said.
“It is a big honor,” Carole said.
Before Lisa could reply, the bell for the next class rang. It was Lisa’s lunch period, but Carole had social studies and had to run. “Look, I’ll see you at the barn, okay?” Carole said. She felt bad that she couldn’t skip her class and stay with Lisa.
“Sure—and don’t worry, Carole. I’ll be fine,” Lisa said, trying to
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