avoiding making eye contact with anyone, I got through the first two periods without any problems, but my luck ran out in English. Mr. O'Brien had gone over our stories and drawings and decided that most of us were ready to bind our books.
Since Daphne, of course, wasn't in school, I had to do ours all by myself. All around me, I could hear the other kids laughing and talking as they worked. Never had I felt so lonely.
It was almost a relief when I saw Michelle and Tracy walking toward me. For a few minutes they stood without speaking, one on either side of me, watching me bind the book. Michelle was so close to me that I could smell the bubble gum she was chewing.
I tried to pretend I didn't see them, but Michelle finally popped her gum so loudly that I jumped.
"Been to McDonald's lately?" Michelle's voice had an icy edge.
I shook my head and tried to concentrate on my book.
"What were you doing in there? Spying on us?"
I stared at Michelle, genuinely surprised. "Why would I spy on you?"
She shrugged. "Maybe you wanted to find out what Tracy and me were doing with Tony and Scott." She stared back at me from under purple eyelids.
I shook my head. "I wasn't spying, honestly."
"But you were with Daffy, weren't you?" Michelle persisted.
I pressed my book carefully into its cover. Without looking at her, I nodded.
"Are you getting to be friends with her?" Tracy asked.
"She's not so bad, you know," I mumbled. "Really, when you get to know her, she's pretty nice." But I didn't look at either one of them.
"Daffy?" Michelle snorted.
I could feel my face getting redder and redder, and I shoved my glasses back onto the bridge of
my
nose.
Michelle leaned closer to me. "She's not really sick, is she? I mean not physically. She looked perfectly healthy to me."
"I think she's just hooking school," Tracy added. "Her little sister said she was too smart to go. That sounds like hooking to me."
"She has mononucleosis," I said, "and it takes a long time to get over it. Hope was just confused."
At this, Michelle burst out laughing. "Daffy has mono? Are you kidding?"
"What's so funny about that?" I stared at Michelle, puzzled.
"You know how you get it, don't you?" Michelle continued to laugh.
When I didn't say anything, Michelle shook her head and rolled her eyes at Tracy. "You get it from kissing," she said. "It's called the kissing disease. Who would kiss Daffy?"
"That's not true. You get it from drinking out of the same glass, not from kissing!" I glared at Michelle.
But she and Tracy just laughed. "Maybe she kissed Donald Duck!" Michelle almost swallowed her gum cackling at her own joke.
As she started quacking and making kissing sounds, Mr. O'Brien walked up to us. "What's going on here?" He frowned at Michelle.
"Nothing." Michelle stopped laughing and gave me a nasty look.
"Have you two finished binding your book?" he asked.
Tracy nodded and held it up for him to see. "Does it look okay?"
Mr. O'Brien took "The Nightmare Slumber Party" and flipped the pages. "Fine, it looks fine." Handing it back to Tracy, he told her and Michelle to go back to their seats.
When they were gone, he looked at "The Mysterious Disappearance of Sir Benjamin Mouse." Patting my arm, he smiled. "It looks beautiful, Jessica, really lovely. Is Daphne feeling any better?"
I nodded, ashamed to look at him. It was one thing to lie to Michelle, but Mr. O'Brien was different.
"Did you talk to her grandmother about the tutor?"
"I gave her the letter," I said uneasily.
"I hope she gets one soon. I'd hate to see a girl as intelligent as Daphne fail a grade." He smiled at me. "Next time you see Daphne, tell her I miss her and I'm looking forward to having her return to school. Maybe I'll drop by her house one afternoon and see how she's doing."
I nodded, and he moved on to another desk to check the work Tony and Scott were doing on their war story. As I put the finishing touches on my book, I hoped Mr. O'Brien wouldn't have time to drive out
Since Daphne, of course, wasn't in school, I had to do ours all by myself. All around me, I could hear the other kids laughing and talking as they worked. Never had I felt so lonely.
It was almost a relief when I saw Michelle and Tracy walking toward me. For a few minutes they stood without speaking, one on either side of me, watching me bind the book. Michelle was so close to me that I could smell the bubble gum she was chewing.
I tried to pretend I didn't see them, but Michelle finally popped her gum so loudly that I jumped.
"Been to McDonald's lately?" Michelle's voice had an icy edge.
I shook my head and tried to concentrate on my book.
"What were you doing in there? Spying on us?"
I stared at Michelle, genuinely surprised. "Why would I spy on you?"
She shrugged. "Maybe you wanted to find out what Tracy and me were doing with Tony and Scott." She stared back at me from under purple eyelids.
I shook my head. "I wasn't spying, honestly."
"But you were with Daffy, weren't you?" Michelle persisted.
I pressed my book carefully into its cover. Without looking at her, I nodded.
"Are you getting to be friends with her?" Tracy asked.
"She's not so bad, you know," I mumbled. "Really, when you get to know her, she's pretty nice." But I didn't look at either one of them.
"Daffy?" Michelle snorted.
I could feel my face getting redder and redder, and I shoved my glasses back onto the bridge of
my
nose.
Michelle leaned closer to me. "She's not really sick, is she? I mean not physically. She looked perfectly healthy to me."
"I think she's just hooking school," Tracy added. "Her little sister said she was too smart to go. That sounds like hooking to me."
"She has mononucleosis," I said, "and it takes a long time to get over it. Hope was just confused."
At this, Michelle burst out laughing. "Daffy has mono? Are you kidding?"
"What's so funny about that?" I stared at Michelle, puzzled.
"You know how you get it, don't you?" Michelle continued to laugh.
When I didn't say anything, Michelle shook her head and rolled her eyes at Tracy. "You get it from kissing," she said. "It's called the kissing disease. Who would kiss Daffy?"
"That's not true. You get it from drinking out of the same glass, not from kissing!" I glared at Michelle.
But she and Tracy just laughed. "Maybe she kissed Donald Duck!" Michelle almost swallowed her gum cackling at her own joke.
As she started quacking and making kissing sounds, Mr. O'Brien walked up to us. "What's going on here?" He frowned at Michelle.
"Nothing." Michelle stopped laughing and gave me a nasty look.
"Have you two finished binding your book?" he asked.
Tracy nodded and held it up for him to see. "Does it look okay?"
Mr. O'Brien took "The Nightmare Slumber Party" and flipped the pages. "Fine, it looks fine." Handing it back to Tracy, he told her and Michelle to go back to their seats.
When they were gone, he looked at "The Mysterious Disappearance of Sir Benjamin Mouse." Patting my arm, he smiled. "It looks beautiful, Jessica, really lovely. Is Daphne feeling any better?"
I nodded, ashamed to look at him. It was one thing to lie to Michelle, but Mr. O'Brien was different.
"Did you talk to her grandmother about the tutor?"
"I gave her the letter," I said uneasily.
"I hope she gets one soon. I'd hate to see a girl as intelligent as Daphne fail a grade." He smiled at me. "Next time you see Daphne, tell her I miss her and I'm looking forward to having her return to school. Maybe I'll drop by her house one afternoon and see how she's doing."
I nodded, and he moved on to another desk to check the work Tony and Scott were doing on their war story. As I put the finishing touches on my book, I hoped Mr. O'Brien wouldn't have time to drive out
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