of Mandy coming in a week and a half should thrill me. It really should.
âSara?â
Just then I smell smoke. The cigarette has rolled off the windowsill onto the carpet, and a fiery hole is spreading next to my desk. âGotta go.â I snatch up the burning cigarette and stomp on the smoking carpet with the sturdy sole of my black shoe.
Two bedroom fires in a week. I donât even recognize my life anymore.
chapter 12
the crowned princess of calculus
The following Monday, I plop down behind Carling in math class. Just as I do, she crosses her legs and I can see the edge of her underwear. They definitely arenât Sundayâs; this pair is blue. And Iâd bet my motherâs sweater they arenât Fridayâs, since today is Friday and conforming doesnât seem to be Carling Burnackâs thing.
Is it pathetic to admit how badly I want to know what day of the week sheâs chosen today? Itâs not that Iâm pervy. Iâm just still baffled by the Sunday-on-Tuesday incident and want to know if she has a system or if her choice is random. Because I would totally have a system.
As I dig for a pen at the bottom of my backpack, thereâs a commotion to my left. A bunch of kids are huddled over Griff, who is holding up his iPhone for all to see. If I lean forward, I can peek past his shoulder to get a glimpse of Poppyâs video for film class, which Griff took the liberty of secretly filming with his phone. I move close enough to see the tiny screenâitâs a long shot of a female Ant from behind. Sheâs in uniform, walking around the Store to the ominous music from the movie Jaws . Her face is never fully visible, but itâs pretty obvious from the floaty hair and skinny calves that itâs Isabella, and sheâs uncharacteristically feeding from a bag of Doritos.
Isabella stuffs a handful of chips in her mouth and the camera zooms in to catch her chewing. The kids in class roar with laughter when the word Reduce flashes on the screen and fades.
âIzzers, Iâve never actually seen you eat,â squeals Carling.
âGive me that!â Pouting, Isabella grabs for the phone but Griff pulls it away, laughing.
âYouâve got some wicked appetite.â Griff grins wide and I wonder if he has all his adult teeth yet. He wipes his dripping nose with his sleeve. âItâs making me hot.â
âShut up, you sicko perv. Youâre a miniature freak of nature.â
Poppy walks into the room, sees whatâs going on, and right away her face crumples. âThat filmâs copyrighted, Hogan! You canât just air my work.â
âIâm so gonna be your manager one day,â he says.
Isabella says, âYou arenât allowed to just film me without my permission, Poppy! Thatâs not even legal.â
Someone says, âLike thatâs ever stopped her.â
Poppy drops into the seat beside me, her breath coming in torrid little puffs. âMr. Curtis is going to confiscate your phone if he sees it.â
Sloane asks, âWhat day was this filmed, Izz? And why didnât you share?â
Video Isabella continues, picking up textbooks with greasy orange fingers. Everyone groans, deliciously disgusted, when Isabella turns to see if anyone is watching, then wipes her oily digits on the arm of a white shirt hanging on a rack. Seconds later, an unknowing younger girl takes the shirt, holds it up, and admires herself in a mirror. She doesnât notice the orange streaks on the sleeve. The word Reuse pops up. Fades.
âThatâs Griffâs big sister!â says a guy. âSheâs tainted now.â
âCome on,â says Sloane. âShe lives with Griff. You think sheâs not tainted already?â
âIzz, this is so gross!â Carling says, laughing so hard she can barely get the words out.
âIâm going to get you, Poppy,â says Isabella.
Poppy squints at her.
Morgan Parker
Kelley Armstrong
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Ron Hansen
Sally Mason
Chrystalla Thoma
Deborah Bladon
Ariella Papa
Kevin Barry
Sean Williams