feelings remained optimistic to a fault, and by the end of the lunch period she felt the disappointment of rejection herself.
Still, without Corry's presence it meant that she didn't have to share her table with the Freak. He never showed up when she was by herself. She tried to smile about that, but it was half hearted.
Corry might quite possibly be avoiding her, but he couldn't steer clear of her in art class. They sat at the same table. All she needed was an opportunity to let him know that she changed her mind, and it would fix any tension that might have developed between them.
Claire walked down the hallway to the technical and vocational wing as fast as she could, dodging in and out between students. It wasn't that getting there quicker would allow her to see Corry any sooner, since he always arrived at the classroom five seconds after the bell rang, but she felt so excited to see him that she moved in anticipation, hoping to fast forward to the moment.
She sat at the round art table, trying not to stare too intently at the door, because the whole world didn't need to know she was looking for Corry. The Freak came in, and sat down with a grunt. She glanced over at him and noticed that he was staring at her. That fact alone didn't concern her, he always tried that discomfort tactic, but the smirk on his face told her that he was amused. Did he see something in her expression or through her edgy posture? Did he suspect?
Avoiding any further contact with the Freak's gaze, Claire allowed her attention to set more freely on the door. Any moment now the bell would ring and Corry would come in, she would meet his eyes and smile in a way that would assure him that she liked him the way he liked her.
The bell rang. No Corry. Class started. Still, no Corry. Claire missed most of Mr. Dart's instructions for the day, continuing to eye the door for her friend's late arrival. He didn't come.
When the art assignment began, she sat there staring at a blank piece of paper, numbing herself to the meaning of Corry's absence. He sure seemed to be going out of his way to avoid her.
"So," the Freak interrupted her lack of contemplation, "where's your boyfriend?"
Claire looked up at him, displeased with his tease, but quickly lowered her head to her work, and hid behind her loose hair when she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She wasn't about to reward the Freak with a blush over such a question.
She drew aimless lines on her paper. Did Corry skip class? Or did he feign illness to avoid school all together? He felt
that
upset over Claire's initial response to his request for a date?
Because he didn't come to class, it meant that Claire couldn't tell Corry that she changed her mind. It meant no date with Corry the next day. The weekend now looked more formidable where it had formerly been so promising in her imagination.
She sulked for the rest of the period and on through algebra. By the time she got home, she only had enough energy to slink to her bedroom, where she closed herself in for the night to wallow in the heartache of a missed opportunity.
There was always Monday, always another Saturday for a date. Corry couldn't avoid her forever. Still, that thought didn't exactly lessen the immediate dejection.
Chapter Seventeen
This time I went to bed prepared. Granted, a glass (or two) of red wine and a couple of ibuprofen didn't bode well for my liver, but I would have done anything for a decent night sleep. My cast-iron twin mattress was not going to get the best of me this time.
And it didn't until the wine and pain reliever wore off. Three o'clock in the morning again, and I couldn't sleep any longer on what might as well have been a slab of granite. Lying there became more than I could bear, but moving to get up took more strength than I had.
Struggling to push up so that I could move myself to a sitting position on the side of the bed, I almost cried out at the dull ache in my lower back and the piercing
Still, without Corry's presence it meant that she didn't have to share her table with the Freak. He never showed up when she was by herself. She tried to smile about that, but it was half hearted.
Corry might quite possibly be avoiding her, but he couldn't steer clear of her in art class. They sat at the same table. All she needed was an opportunity to let him know that she changed her mind, and it would fix any tension that might have developed between them.
Claire walked down the hallway to the technical and vocational wing as fast as she could, dodging in and out between students. It wasn't that getting there quicker would allow her to see Corry any sooner, since he always arrived at the classroom five seconds after the bell rang, but she felt so excited to see him that she moved in anticipation, hoping to fast forward to the moment.
She sat at the round art table, trying not to stare too intently at the door, because the whole world didn't need to know she was looking for Corry. The Freak came in, and sat down with a grunt. She glanced over at him and noticed that he was staring at her. That fact alone didn't concern her, he always tried that discomfort tactic, but the smirk on his face told her that he was amused. Did he see something in her expression or through her edgy posture? Did he suspect?
Avoiding any further contact with the Freak's gaze, Claire allowed her attention to set more freely on the door. Any moment now the bell would ring and Corry would come in, she would meet his eyes and smile in a way that would assure him that she liked him the way he liked her.
The bell rang. No Corry. Class started. Still, no Corry. Claire missed most of Mr. Dart's instructions for the day, continuing to eye the door for her friend's late arrival. He didn't come.
When the art assignment began, she sat there staring at a blank piece of paper, numbing herself to the meaning of Corry's absence. He sure seemed to be going out of his way to avoid her.
"So," the Freak interrupted her lack of contemplation, "where's your boyfriend?"
Claire looked up at him, displeased with his tease, but quickly lowered her head to her work, and hid behind her loose hair when she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She wasn't about to reward the Freak with a blush over such a question.
She drew aimless lines on her paper. Did Corry skip class? Or did he feign illness to avoid school all together? He felt
that
upset over Claire's initial response to his request for a date?
Because he didn't come to class, it meant that Claire couldn't tell Corry that she changed her mind. It meant no date with Corry the next day. The weekend now looked more formidable where it had formerly been so promising in her imagination.
She sulked for the rest of the period and on through algebra. By the time she got home, she only had enough energy to slink to her bedroom, where she closed herself in for the night to wallow in the heartache of a missed opportunity.
There was always Monday, always another Saturday for a date. Corry couldn't avoid her forever. Still, that thought didn't exactly lessen the immediate dejection.
Chapter Seventeen
This time I went to bed prepared. Granted, a glass (or two) of red wine and a couple of ibuprofen didn't bode well for my liver, but I would have done anything for a decent night sleep. My cast-iron twin mattress was not going to get the best of me this time.
And it didn't until the wine and pain reliever wore off. Three o'clock in the morning again, and I couldn't sleep any longer on what might as well have been a slab of granite. Lying there became more than I could bear, but moving to get up took more strength than I had.
Struggling to push up so that I could move myself to a sitting position on the side of the bed, I almost cried out at the dull ache in my lower back and the piercing
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