“Her skin is flawless,” Mike thought to himself as he studied his newest interest just a few seats ahead of him. He wasn’t even pretending to pay attention to Mrs. Lenox anymore. Her voice had started to sound like the adults in the old Charlie Brown cartoons as soon as she started talking.
He studied her and as he caught a glimpse of her profile, he was thinking that she actually had the most perfect skin he had ever seen. He knew a lot about skin. More than he wanted to know. His father was a dermatologist and it wasn’t a secret that he was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps. He was supposed to be in the office after school to help out and “learn a thing or two straight from the source, the best of the best…”
Mike felt the scowl come across his face, but it was only momentarily. He watched as Glory slowly turned and took a peek over her shoulder. She looked directly at him. He was sure of it this time. He flashed her a knowing smile and she narrowed her eyes and quickly looked away. She was such a sassy thing.
He was enjoying her resistance, already finding her frown a bit endearing, just like her curious limp. If it weren’t for those two things, her beauty would probably have made her unapproachable. Mike considered asking her to model for a few photos to put up in his father’s new office, but realized he was getting ahead of himself, as he tended to do.
He eyed the clock, making sure he didn’t miss counting down the seconds until the bell. He was going to be the first person up and ready to help Glory to her next class. She would act like she hated that, but he knew it was only an act. Why had she put up these walls? The mystery was so intriguing.
She glanced at him again, this time more indirectly, but her eyes flitted his way, and he gave her another sly smile. She ignored and immediately refocused on the teacher, but her back was straighter and more alert than before. He was having a reaction.
He considered asking her to come watch him practice on his dirt bike after school but it sounded like an excuse to show off and it probably was. She would say no anyway. Instead he decided that he was going to walk her home, whether she wanted him to or not.
“I should meet her at her locker,” he thought, “as soon as I figure out where that is, or maybe ….”
“ Mike? Mike!” the teacher scolded.
“Oh! Sorry Mrs. Lenox. Can you repeat the question?”
“Who is the artist of The Scream?”
“ On page 43…” she hinted.
“Munch?” he read from the book.
“Glad you joined us back on planet earth,” Glory said with a snicker
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Chapter 3- Lola
Glory hit the button on her alarm clock and forced herself to get out of bed. After an extra long shower she threw on some distressed jeans and purple hoodie. She grabbed her backpack and went to the front door. She took some deep breaths. It took all her will to open the door and step out.
Glory dragged her feet during the walk to school. She knew she should hurry since she was supposed to go talk to Ms. Miller, but maybe if she was late Ms. Miller would still meet with her and Glory could miss most of first period.
As she neared the school there was more students around. Glory pulled her hood up over her head and took out her IPod. With music blaring in her ears she could drown out the voices that she knew were talking about her.
She made it to Ms. Miller’s office just as the first bell of the day rang. Ms. Miller was sitting at her desk reading some papers. Glory stood in the doorway not making a noise. She wanted to prolong having to go to class as long as possible. After a couple of minutes Ms. Miller looked up.
“Oh Glory, you’re here. Come in and sit down.” She indicated one of the chairs.
Glory slumped into one of the chairs, her IPod still on. Ms. Miller began talking, but Glory couldn’t really hear her. Ms. Miller began pointing at her ears so Glory slowly turned the IPod off and took the buds out of her ears.
“Really Glory, you may get away with that with others, but not with me. I don’t care if you listen to your music in class, that’s up to your teachers, but with me you’ll listen. Got it?”
“Yes, sorry. I just have a headache and as odd as it sounds the music helps.”
“So you’re still getting the migraines?”
“Yeah, but they’re not as bad as before.”
“Have you taken your pills?”
Glory hesitated before speaking. “I stopped taking my pills?”
“All of them?” Ms. Miller voice was full of shock and worry. Glory was supposed to be taking pills for migraines, depression, anxiety, and pain.
“I hate feeling like a walking pharmacy. Besides they make me feel weird, like a zombie.”
“Do you really think that the beginning of the school year was the best time to stop taking your meds? Do your parents know?”
“No, I really haven’t talked to them much. I hate talking.”
“I know. Listen you need to get to class, but I want you to come and talk to me if you need to. If you can’t take something today don’t go running home. You can come here and we can talk or you can even just sit on the couch and listen to your music. Just please don’t run away. That’s not the answer.”
Glory began to turn her IPod back on when Ms. Miller spoke again. “If your teachers don’t mind, and if it doesn’t interfere with your work, then you can listen to that. The minute a teacher tells you to turn it off you do. Got it?”
Glory nodded her head and stuck the buds into her ear. Most of her teachers pretended they didn’t notice her listening to music instead of the lesson. The exception was her gym teacher, Ms. Bakowski. Even though Glory had a note excusing her from activity, she was expected to participate somehow, so she got to be the teacher’s helper.
Glory handed out the papers that had the rules for tennis on them. As she walked passed Zoe and her friends, one of them tripped Glory. She went down hard on her bad leg. She rolled onto her back and grabbed at her leg. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
Ms. Bakowski rushed over. “Are you okay Glory? Do you need to go to the nurse?”
Glory shook her head and sat up. “No, I just need to sit down for a minute.”
Ms. Bakowski helped Glory get to the bleachers and sit down. The rest of the period Glory noticed Zoe glancing her way, a pained look in her eyes. ‘What right does she have to look at me that way?’ Glory thought.
After gym, Glory had lunch. She was limping a little more than usual. She was having a hard time carrying her tray to a table.
“Would you like some help?” A deep voice asked.
Glory looked up into the hazel eyes of a tall boy. He had dark brown hair and olive skin. One corner of his mouth was pointed up into a crooked smile. Glory had never seen him before, and she would have found him cute, but she hated sympathy.
“I’ve got it,” She quipped and walked away to an empty table. The boy followed and sat down at the same table.
“My name’s Mike,” The boy said.
“I don’t remember saying you could sit there.” Glory stared at him. Did he not know who she was, what she had done?
“I figure it’s public domain. You don’t have to talk to me, but I’m new in town and it would be rude.”
“What, you didn’t make any friends yesterday you can annoy?”
“Yes, but if I sat with them how could I enjoy your winning personality?”
Glory actually smiled. She looked down at her tray to hide it. She did not want to smile. She wanted to be moody and hate life. She didn’t deserve to be happy. She didn’t look up for the rest of lunch and Mike had chosen to become mostly quiet. When the bell rang he spoke again.
“You didn’t touch your food.”
“I’m not very hungry. Not that it’s any of your business.” She placed her tray through the kitchen window and left. Mike followed her again.
“What, are you stalking me now?” She huffed.
“I’m just going to my next class.”
“Oh sorry.” Glory reached the door to her art class. Mike held it open for her. “This is your next class?”
“Yes,” Mike smiled.
“Great,” Glory replied sarcastically. She took a seat at the back of the classroom. She tried to focus on the paper in front of her, but her eyes kept wandering to the boy with the great smile. Just what she needed, a crush.
Glory dragged her feet during the walk to school. She knew she should hurry since she was supposed to go talk to Ms. Miller, but maybe if she was late Ms. Miller would still meet with her and Glory could miss most of first period.
As she neared the school there was more students around. Glory pulled her hood up over her head and took out her IPod. With music blaring in her ears she could drown out the voices that she knew were talking about her.
She made it to Ms. Miller’s office just as the first bell of the day rang. Ms. Miller was sitting at her desk reading some papers. Glory stood in the doorway not making a noise. She wanted to prolong having to go to class as long as possible. After a couple of minutes Ms. Miller looked up.
“Oh Glory, you’re here. Come in and sit down.” She indicated one of the chairs.
Glory slumped into one of the chairs, her IPod still on. Ms. Miller began talking, but Glory couldn’t really hear her. Ms. Miller began pointing at her ears so Glory slowly turned the IPod off and took the buds out of her ears.
“Really Glory, you may get away with that with others, but not with me. I don’t care if you listen to your music in class, that’s up to your teachers, but with me you’ll listen. Got it?”
“Yes, sorry. I just have a headache and as odd as it sounds the music helps.”
“So you’re still getting the migraines?”
“Yeah, but they’re not as bad as before.”
“Have you taken your pills?”
Glory hesitated before speaking. “I stopped taking my pills?”
“All of them?” Ms. Miller voice was full of shock and worry. Glory was supposed to be taking pills for migraines, depression, anxiety, and pain.
“I hate feeling like a walking pharmacy. Besides they make me feel weird, like a zombie.”
“Do you really think that the beginning of the school year was the best time to stop taking your meds? Do your parents know?”
“No, I really haven’t talked to them much. I hate talking.”
“I know. Listen you need to get to class, but I want you to come and talk to me if you need to. If you can’t take something today don’t go running home. You can come here and we can talk or you can even just sit on the couch and listen to your music. Just please don’t run away. That’s not the answer.”
Glory began to turn her IPod back on when Ms. Miller spoke again. “If your teachers don’t mind, and if it doesn’t interfere with your work, then you can listen to that. The minute a teacher tells you to turn it off you do. Got it?”
Glory nodded her head and stuck the buds into her ear. Most of her teachers pretended they didn’t notice her listening to music instead of the lesson. The exception was her gym teacher, Ms. Bakowski. Even though Glory had a note excusing her from activity, she was expected to participate somehow, so she got to be the teacher’s helper.
Glory handed out the papers that had the rules for tennis on them. As she walked passed Zoe and her friends, one of them tripped Glory. She went down hard on her bad leg. She rolled onto her back and grabbed at her leg. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
Ms. Bakowski rushed over. “Are you okay Glory? Do you need to go to the nurse?”
Glory shook her head and sat up. “No, I just need to sit down for a minute.”
Ms. Bakowski helped Glory get to the bleachers and sit down. The rest of the period Glory noticed Zoe glancing her way, a pained look in her eyes. ‘What right does she have to look at me that way?’ Glory thought.
After gym, Glory had lunch. She was limping a little more than usual. She was having a hard time carrying her tray to a table.
“Would you like some help?” A deep voice asked.
Glory looked up into the hazel eyes of a tall boy. He had dark brown hair and olive skin. One corner of his mouth was pointed up into a crooked smile. Glory had never seen him before, and she would have found him cute, but she hated sympathy.
“I’ve got it,” She quipped and walked away to an empty table. The boy followed and sat down at the same table.
“My name’s Mike,” The boy said.
“I don’t remember saying you could sit there.” Glory stared at him. Did he not know who she was, what she had done?
“I figure it’s public domain. You don’t have to talk to me, but I’m new in town and it would be rude.”
“What, you didn’t make any friends yesterday you can annoy?”
“Yes, but if I sat with them how could I enjoy your winning personality?”
Glory actually smiled. She looked down at her tray to hide it. She did not want to smile. She wanted to be moody and hate life. She didn’t deserve to be happy. She didn’t look up for the rest of lunch and Mike had chosen to become mostly quiet. When the bell rang he spoke again.
“You didn’t touch your food.”
“I’m not very hungry. Not that it’s any of your business.” She placed her tray through the kitchen window and left. Mike followed her again.
“What, are you stalking me now?” She huffed.
“I’m just going to my next class.”
“Oh sorry.” Glory reached the door to her art class. Mike held it open for her. “This is your next class?”
“Yes,” Mike smiled.
“Great,” Glory replied sarcastically. She took a seat at the back of the classroom. She tried to focus on the paper in front of her, but her eyes kept wandering to the boy with the great smile. Just what she needed, a crush.
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