Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes Page A

I am pretty sure they don’t give out awards for how many guys you’ve blown by the jungle gym.
    The funny thing is, Spring Youth does a better yearly ski trip than the school so I have actually spent one entire week with these people, skiing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and listening to the lessons of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, from Nerdlinger and other similar yet varied nerd-underlings from across the Midwest. One thing for sure about these guys, they all definitely look like they have nothing better to do.
    Basically, if you were casting a film, and you needed to fill the role of a quiet loner, who possibly goes out one day and decides to shoot everybody at the Taco Bell, it would be this guy. And his minions. Thank God they found Jesus, otherwise we’d all be in trouble.
    I do have to say, by the end of that week of skiing, and listening to the nerd-minions talk about Jesus, and singing folk songs under that giant wooden hall in the middle of the resort . . . I’m kind of surprised I didn’t stand up and find Jesus. I’m sure he was around there somewhere.
    But now it’s Shelli’s turn to be indoctrinated, so this particular afternoon I get to walk four blocks on my own till Logan zips over on his moped and saves me from the brisk October air. And when I say brisk, I mean freezing.
    But when Logan pulls up to the curb, he doesn’t look happy. He kind of just stares at me with this hangdog look.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œUm, obviously, there’s something wrong, so . . .”
    â€œIt’s just. I dunno. I heard you’re with Jared Kline now. Is that the deal?”
    â€œWhat? No. Are you kidding?”
    â€œIt’s just, everybody was saying you like left that party with him.”
    â€œOh my God. That is like a zillion percent not true. Here, can I just . . .”
    â€œLook, it’s no big deal—”
    â€œBut it’s not even true! Jared Kline is like a total scam artist. Everybody knows that. Do you think I’m gonna fall for that?”
    â€œI dunno.”
    â€œDo you?”
    â€œWell, do you want to?”
    â€œDo I want to fall for Jared Kline and then have him dump me and be a laughingstock? Uh . . . no.”
    â€œYeah, but what if he like really liked you? Would you like him?”
    â€œLogan. What are you talking about? I’m like sneaking out to see you and stuff. Doesn’t that mean anything?”
    â€œI dunno, maybe you just need a ride home.”
    â€œ Tsh. Yeah, and I especially need to dangle from a tree limb in the middle of the night for no reason just because I said I’d meet you.”
    He looks up at me, finally. “Look, I’m sorry I just. I really like, um, being around you and stuff . . . so when I heard that. I dunno. It kinda made me crazy.”
    But now all of a sudden there’s a rustle in the trees and some girl catches us when we’re not supposed to be caught. Nobody knows about us, still. And I’m kinda hoping nobody will for a while. I just don’t know how to deal with it. How to deal with Becky. It’s like a chess game. Too many moving parts.
    And then suddenly, out from the trees, there she is.
    Stacy Nolan.
    Phew. At least it’s not she who shall not be named.
    â€œUm. Hi.”
    â€œHi Stacy. What’s up?”
    â€œOh, I just . . . I heard somebody back here and . . .”
    â€œAre you walking home?”
    â€œYeah.”
    That sucks. That means I’m either gonna have to walk with her or admit, to someone else besides Shelli, that I’m getting moped rides home with Logan. Not good. The more people that know, the sooner Becky finds out.
    â€œWell, I can walk with you, I guess . . .”
    â€œYeah, yeah. Okay. Cool.”
    Logan gives me a look. He’s not happy about this. But on the other hand, what am I supposed to do?