***
The next day, my father took us to school, dropping me off first near the high school entrance and then pulling down farther to the elementary school lot. The two schools were joined by a long hallway decorated with art made by all different classes. Now that I no longer had a car, either my parents drove me or I took my bike. It was harder on Cam than me—he didn’t start until later. But, well… When I used to take him, he’d had to wait in theschoolyard, playing video games.
I crossed the parking lot and wedged my way through the packed halls. I no longer wanted to stay outside with my friends, who stood around laughing, gossiping, and sneaking cigarettes—acting like they were cooler than everyone else. Plus, I still hadn’t talked to Kate, and the rest of my friends seemed to want to follow her everywhere she went.
At my locker, I took out the books I’d need for my next class. It was almost November, and that meant midterms were around the corner. We had projects to do, papers to write, presentations to give, and all that without counting the extracurricular activities we’d need to keep up with if we wanted to get into a good school.
And now it wasn’t just a matter of getting into Yale—I’d need a scholarship. That had changed everything. There’d be no slacking off. My future was at stake, my independence…everything, basically.
“Hey, precious,” a voice whispered from behind me.
I smiled and turned around, and there he was, leaning on the lockers.
“Hey,” I said, feeling that warmth I needed more than ever.
“I told you I could bring you guys in today,” Taylor said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Dad insisted. I should have told you, but it slipped my mind.”
“No worries.” His blue eyes traveled over my face as his fingers gently brushed my cheeks. “Have you been crying?”
“No,” I replied automatically.
“Kami…”
I turned, closed my locker, and walked away, saying, “See you in biology.” Why hadn’t I told him about my parents? One thing I did know was that I didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I didn’t want anybody giving me pitiful looks or asking me if I was OK. I wanted what was happening at home to stay a secret as longas possible.
“Hey, Kami, hold up!” Ellie shouted from the other end of the hall. I waited for her to come over. “How was your weekend?” she asked. She looked uncomfortable. I didn’t blame her. I’d kept my distance from everybody except Taylor for the last two weeks.
“It could have been better,” I responded, walking to Mr. Gómez’s class.
“You heard about the party Friday, right?” she asked, trying to ignore my somber tone. “Since Halloween’s on a weekday, Aaron said we could throw a party at his place on Friday.”
Great,I thought.Another party at Aaron Martin’s house.
Just the thought of it gave me a headache, but I did love Halloween. I loved getting dressed up and decorating my house, and I loved eating candy. I’d stick to the basics this year and take my brother out trick-or-treating; I could throw on a sheet with two holes in it for eyes. I could already imagine Taylor laughing as he saw me taking my brother around our neighborhood.
“Youwillcome, won’t you?” Ellie asked.
“I don’t know, Ellie,” I said, biting my lip as I walked into class. I sat in the first row, and she took the desk beside mine.
“Come on,” she responded, disappointed. “You’ve looked like a zombie for weeks now, walking up and down the halls with that sad face, not saying a word to anyone. What’s up with you? You can tell me. We’re supposed to be best friends.”
And we were. Out of all my friends, Ellie was the one I trusted most, the one I loved most, the one who was most like me. But lately I’d felt like a fish out of water.
“Kate even wants you to come,” she blurted out at last. Like I cared. “She said she was hoping we’d all dress up in matching costumes, like you did back in elementary school.”
Ellie was the only one who hadn’t gone to grade school withus. She’d come from the big city, from New York, and she was open-minded. That’s why we got along so well. She didn’t have stupid prejudices like everyone else.
“If I do go, I’m going to dress how I want, not how Kate says I have to.”
Ellie’s face lit up. “So that means you’ll come, right?”
When I saw her brown eyes light up like that, I knew I couldn’t resist.
“If I have to…”
She gave me a hug as the teacher walked in and said, “All right, everyone, take out a pen and paper. We’re having a pop quiz on matrices.”
