Even When You Lie to Me by Jessica Alcott

Poets Society
?” he asked.
    “Not important,” I said. “You can jump up here”—I rapped on the desktop—“when you really want to inspire us.”
    “I guess I’ll have to memorize all of ‘If’ by Kipling,” he said. “I’ve always hated that poem.” He leaned back and looked at the ceiling.
    “You were flustered,” I said.
    He sighed. “Those were my incredible coping skills under pressure. It’s too bad I didn’t become a pilot.” He held out his hands and shook them as if he were having a seizure. “Steady as a rock.”
    “You’d be excellent at bumper cars.”
    “I am renowned at a local track for several reasons.”
    I picked up a couple of books and pretended to read the blurbs, then tossed them down again. There was something thrilling about looking through his things while he watched. “You really find Dr. Crowley intimidating? I’ve seen her drinking Go-Gurts.”
    “I find anyone who’s spent that long in academia suspicious.”
    “Why do I find that odd?” I said, and ruffled a stack of marked papers.
    “All right, smart-ass,” he said, grabbing them from me. “There’s a reason I teach high school. It’s so I know I’m definitely smarter than most of you.” He looked at me. “Thank you, by the way.”
    “For what?”
    “Don’t play dumb when I’m complimenting your intelligence.”
    I smiled. “I had to step in when it became clear you were going to give the game away.”
    “The game?” he said. “You’re referring to the one in which I appear competent to the outside world?”
    “That’s it.”
    “Oh, is that where this conversation is headed? You’re uncomfortable with me complimenting you, so you’re insulting me?”
    I paused. “Yes.”
    He picked up the tennis ball from his desk and tossed it at me. “Typical.”
    We were laughing as Lila walked up.
    “Hey, nerds,” she said. “What’s so funny?”
    “Besides your face?” I said.
    “Oh ho,” Lila said. “Good one.” She turned to Drummond. “You have any bon mots for me, dude?”
    “Not after today,” he said.
    “Oh yeah,” Lila said. “Pathetic performance, really.”
    “Lila!” I said.
    “It’s fine,” he said. “I was only trying to put in as much effort today as Lila did.”
    “I resent that,” she said. “I watched the entire BBC adaptation, which is really long.”
    “In between ‘dates’ with Jason?” I asked.
    “No. We watch them
on
dates. Or I do. He usually falls asleep.”
    “Who’s this Jason character?” Drummond asked.
    “He’s Lila’s boyfriend,” I replied, enjoying her face when I said it.
    “Not my boyfriend,” she said. “I just spend time with him occasionally on a recreational basis.”
    “  ‘Recreational,’  ” I muttered.
    “Enough with the air quotes, Captain Sarcasm,” Lila said.
    Drummond looked at us as we laughed. “This relationship seems fulfilling.”
    “He’s very muscular,” she said.
    “Why don’t I know this guy?” Drummond asked. “He sounds like an intellectual titan.” He grinned at Lila.
    Lila gave him her warm, slow smile back. “He’s not in any advanced lit classes. I’m not entirely sure he can read, come to think of it.”
    “He’s on the lacrosse team,” I said. “He’s one of their stars.”
    “Lacrosse is a rube’s game,” Drummond said. “I prefer curling. Tactical sweeping.”
    “I heard you liked swimming, actually,” Lila said. She had that tilt to her head and cock of her hip that always made me nervous.
    Drummond considered her. “Where’d you hear that?”
    “I have sources,” she said.
    They both laughed. My pulse began to hammer.
    “I bet you wear a Speedo, don’t you?” she said. “One of those bright red ones.”
    I stood up and tugged on her arm.
    “We’re late,” I said.
    “We’re talking,” she said.
    “Go,” Drummond said. “You kids already spend way too much time in my company.”
    Once we were in the hall, Lila whispered, “What was