we'd never actually exchanged a single word. And now she was lobbying to get me into pep squad. Even I found the situation slightly perplexing-and I was wearing the Skin. From where Gwen and Alex were standing it must have looked positively Twilight Zone.
"I mean it, Sam," Gwen pushed. "Will you please tell us what's going on?"
I blinked. "Nothing. I mean, she wants me to join pep squad. It's really not a big deal. I don't even know-"
Gwen flashed me a serious cut-the-crap look. "Oh, please. Like you haven't noticed you're Woodlawn's 'flavah of the month'? I find that really hard to believe."
"I'm s-sorry," I stammered as heat rushed into my cheeks. "I don't know-"
"Leave her alone," Alex cut in. He turned to Gwen. "Why do you care so much anyway?"
Gwen's face closed. "I don't. It's just weird, that's all."
I stared at my feet and tried to send Alex a telepathic thanks.
"So," Gwen said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. "Are you gonna join?"
143
I blinked, my thoughts too jumbled to form any sort of connection with Alex. "Join what?"
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Pep squad, dummy. Are you gonna go all A-W-E-S-O-M-E on us?"
Even though I knew she was being sarcastic, Gwen's words caused a little flutter kick in my stomach. I was excited. I couldn't help it.
"I'm thinking about it," I mumbled. I glanced between Alex and Gwen. "Will you guys hate me?"
Alex smiled. "Do what you want." He looked at Gwen, his face hard. "Right?"
Gwen rolled her eyes again. "Whatever." She turned to me. "If you want to explore the world of the barely-there skirt, be my guest." She scooped her bag off the floor. "Listen, I gotta get dinner ready. I'll talk to you guys later."
Watching her go, I felt a pang of anxiety followed swiftly by annoyance. Maybe I was a cheat and a thief, but did Gwen have to be so judgmental? It wasn't like I was making her join pep squad with me. Why did she care what I did? She had her cooking. Alex had his cars. Couldn't I have something too?
And why were my friends the only two people in school who seemed completely impervious to the Skin? The rest of Woodlawn thought I could do no wrong.
144
Gwen and Alex don't care about popularity, I realized suddenly. The Skin can't touch them because they don't believe in what it has to offer.
"I don't know why she's so mad," I muttered.
Alex lowered the fiberglass to the workbench and grabbed a pair of safety goggles. "You know Gwen. She lives to get riled up about this stuff. She'll calm down."
"I guess," I said.
He looked at me. "Seriously, Sam, if you want to do this, you should." He smiled. "I'll even go to your first game."
"Thanks," I said. I tried to picture Alex crammed into the bleachers, hooting with the rest of the fans, but my brain refused to cooperate. I guess some things are just too weird, even for the imagination.
Twenty minutes later, I was walking home from Alex's house when my backpack started singing. I reached in and grabbed my cell phone. It was Gwen.
"Look, about before," she said as soon as I answered. "I was way too harsh. Just because I have no interest in pep squad, I know. you think that stuff's important, so I'm happy for you. Really. I hope all your dreams come true, even if they are so painfully High School Musical."
"Uh, thanks," I said, knowing this was the
145
closest thing to an apology I was ever going to get.
"Seriously, Sam," Gwen continued. "I hope you get to do all the things you've been talking about forever. Like go to Spring Fling and win the crown or ribbon or wand-or whatever stupid, sexist trinket they dispense as a symbol of a girl's total self-worth. I really do."
"As long as you're not mad," I said.
"I'm not. I guess I'm just surprised. I mean, you realize this totally blows my high school theory."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you're amazing," Gwen explained. I could hear her clanging pots around in the background. "I've always known it. And we both know Alex does too. I just can't believe all
"I mean it, Sam," Gwen pushed. "Will you please tell us what's going on?"
I blinked. "Nothing. I mean, she wants me to join pep squad. It's really not a big deal. I don't even know-"
Gwen flashed me a serious cut-the-crap look. "Oh, please. Like you haven't noticed you're Woodlawn's 'flavah of the month'? I find that really hard to believe."
"I'm s-sorry," I stammered as heat rushed into my cheeks. "I don't know-"
"Leave her alone," Alex cut in. He turned to Gwen. "Why do you care so much anyway?"
Gwen's face closed. "I don't. It's just weird, that's all."
I stared at my feet and tried to send Alex a telepathic thanks.
"So," Gwen said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. "Are you gonna join?"
143
I blinked, my thoughts too jumbled to form any sort of connection with Alex. "Join what?"
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Pep squad, dummy. Are you gonna go all A-W-E-S-O-M-E on us?"
Even though I knew she was being sarcastic, Gwen's words caused a little flutter kick in my stomach. I was excited. I couldn't help it.
"I'm thinking about it," I mumbled. I glanced between Alex and Gwen. "Will you guys hate me?"
Alex smiled. "Do what you want." He looked at Gwen, his face hard. "Right?"
Gwen rolled her eyes again. "Whatever." She turned to me. "If you want to explore the world of the barely-there skirt, be my guest." She scooped her bag off the floor. "Listen, I gotta get dinner ready. I'll talk to you guys later."
Watching her go, I felt a pang of anxiety followed swiftly by annoyance. Maybe I was a cheat and a thief, but did Gwen have to be so judgmental? It wasn't like I was making her join pep squad with me. Why did she care what I did? She had her cooking. Alex had his cars. Couldn't I have something too?
And why were my friends the only two people in school who seemed completely impervious to the Skin? The rest of Woodlawn thought I could do no wrong.
144
Gwen and Alex don't care about popularity, I realized suddenly. The Skin can't touch them because they don't believe in what it has to offer.
"I don't know why she's so mad," I muttered.
Alex lowered the fiberglass to the workbench and grabbed a pair of safety goggles. "You know Gwen. She lives to get riled up about this stuff. She'll calm down."
"I guess," I said.
He looked at me. "Seriously, Sam, if you want to do this, you should." He smiled. "I'll even go to your first game."
"Thanks," I said. I tried to picture Alex crammed into the bleachers, hooting with the rest of the fans, but my brain refused to cooperate. I guess some things are just too weird, even for the imagination.
Twenty minutes later, I was walking home from Alex's house when my backpack started singing. I reached in and grabbed my cell phone. It was Gwen.
"Look, about before," she said as soon as I answered. "I was way too harsh. Just because I have no interest in pep squad, I know. you think that stuff's important, so I'm happy for you. Really. I hope all your dreams come true, even if they are so painfully High School Musical."
"Uh, thanks," I said, knowing this was the
145
closest thing to an apology I was ever going to get.
"Seriously, Sam," Gwen continued. "I hope you get to do all the things you've been talking about forever. Like go to Spring Fling and win the crown or ribbon or wand-or whatever stupid, sexist trinket they dispense as a symbol of a girl's total self-worth. I really do."
"As long as you're not mad," I said.
"I'm not. I guess I'm just surprised. I mean, you realize this totally blows my high school theory."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you're amazing," Gwen explained. I could hear her clanging pots around in the background. "I've always known it. And we both know Alex does too. I just can't believe all
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