“Of course, I realize it. You think I don’t understand the impulse-momentum relationship? I got straight As in Physics,” Monty says. “I read an article about Bruce Lee—you know who he is? He was the most brilliant, badass, and efficient martial artist who ever lived. Except for the guy who trained him. And maybe some other guys. But I know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It’s all about control. I will hold my fist one inch from his pointy face without bending my wrist, and I will explain to him exactly what will happen when the forward motion of my fist meets his face from a physics and physiology standpoint. If he doesn’t run away, then he deserves what’s coming to him, and I will be able to tell everyone that I punched someone in the face for the rest of my life. Win-win. Right, Johnny?”
“Ahem. Yes, sensei. I’d be happy to explain kinetic energy to him too.”I need to read that article.
“Sounds like you’ll both bore him to death before punching him,” Olivia says.
“Either way, we’ve defended your honor.”
“Lucky me.”
I have a whole new level of respect for Monty and a whole new level of awareness that I will never tug on Tiny Dancer’s pigtails again, never touch her even to ask her to pass the maple syrup at breakfast when I sleep over, never look at her when Monty’s around. A group of girls catches his eye, and he wanders away from us.
Olivia stares down at the roses and says, “I don’t even like red roses, anyway. Such a cliché. Here.” She holds them out to me, grinning slyly. “You want them? You can give one to each of your imaginary girlfriends.”
“I’d need a lot more than a dozen,” I say, because it seems clever and witty. Apparently I was right, because she laughs so hard she drops the bouquet.
I walk over and pick up the roses, hand them to her. “Here. You shouldn’t be so ungrateful.”
She suddenly goes from laughing to glaring at me as she swipes the flowers from me. “I wasn’t being ungrateful—I dropped them on accident!”
“Byaccident. How you get such good grades in school is beyond me.”
“Everything about me is beyond you, Nerdballs.”
She may be right.
“You were good,” I tell her. Monty is busy talking to a girl with braces and boobs, so it feels safe to talk to Olivia now.
She seems surprised that I’ve offered her a compliment. Have I never done that before? Maybe not.
She shrugs. “Thanks. This was just an informal recital. The big annual event is on stage at the community college next month. You should come.”
“Okay. If Monty wants me to.”
She steps closer to me and lowers her voice, confiding in me. I am careful not to lean in too close so her brother doesn’t kick me in the head. “It’ll get more interesting when I turn fifteen and I can start the Level Four classes. I’m just biding my time at this school.”
“What do you mean, biding your time?”
“I mean, I’m not going to stay in Cleveland when I go professional.”
I laugh at that.
She scowls at me.
“Are you seriously telling me you want to be a dancer for a living? Like that’s your goal in life?”
“I’ve only been talking about it since I was six,” she says.
“Yeah, but that’s just a little girl’s dream.”
“Well, it’s going to be a reality for me.”
I frown. “But it’s not a real job.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Olivia!” Mr. Montgomery scolds her from twenty feet away.
“Don’t bother coming to the next recital, Nerd.”
