Silent by Sara Alva Page A

her eyes mocking.
    I cringed. Maybe she hadn’t liked me at all. Maybe the whole reason she’d talked to me at lunch was for her own amusement.
    Either way, it was seriously time to make my exit from this train-wreck of a conversation.
    “I’m gonna go home now,” I mumbled. No reason to wait around for Dwayne and Brandon, since they liked to loiter in the hallways after class. I didn’t really see the appeal in that, but then again, I didn’t see the appeal in going back to the house, either.
    “I’ll walk with you,” Laloni said, and without hesitation fell into step beside me.
    Now I was really confused. She was going to follow me home? I didn’t even know Ms. Loretta’s rules about having girls over. Didn’t sound like something she’d go for.
    “Uh, sure,” I stammered, as if she needed my permission. We were already on our way, anyhow. “You don’t got nothing better to do?”
    She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “Not today.”
    We crossed several squares of sidewalk before I could come up with something else to say. “So…you know of any parties happening around here?”
    “If there are any, I’ll be sure to let you know about ’em.”
    Finally, a fucking inkling of a chance with her. Though when I thought of having to go to a party, my guts rolled around in protest. I wished there was a way to be cool without having to plaster on a fake smile and act like you enjoyed drunken morons. Which reminded me…
    “You guys drink and stuff?”
    She shrugged again. “Depends on the party, I guess. But I don’t do that shit.”
    I might’ve stopped walking for a second.
    “What, that surprises you?” she asked, crossing her arms as her head darted from side to side.
    “Sort of. Usually the girls that stay clear of that stuff are…losers…and you don’t seem like that.”
    “Huh. That’s funny. Because you do seem like a loser, and I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you don’t stay clear of that stuff .”
    I stuck my hands out defensively. “Whoa. What the hell. I wasn’t trying to insult you.”
    She smiled brightly, braids bobbing. “Neither was I.”
    We’d almost reached the house, and I was torn between an overwhelming urge to be rid of her, and a desire to know just what it was she’d seen in me that had caused her to approach me in the first place.
    “Look, I don’t really get you,” I said—one of the most honest things I’d told anyone in ages. “Why exactly are you hanging around me right now? Do you, uh…”
    My question was cut off when caramel-colored arms suddenly encircled her from behind, then whirled her around to sweep her into a kiss.
    “Heya, baby.” When he was through sucking on her mouth, Brandon draped his arm over her shoulder. “I see you met the new kid.”
    And that would’ve been the perfect moment for an earthquake. Not a really horrific one, of course…but just enough to knock Brandon flat on his ass and give me a chance to get the fuck away from my total humiliation.
    “Uh huh.” Laloni’s laughter cut sharply into my wounded pride. “He’s been really shy so I thought I’d talk to him today.”
    “I ain’t shy, bitch,” I snapped.
    Brandon stepped in front of her. “You better watch how you fucking talk to my girl.”
    She slapped his shoulder. “I told you not to call me that. I ain’t no one’s girl.”
    But Brandon kept glaring, and for once I actually felt like I needed to back down. Not ’cause I was scared of him, or anything…but I had a sister. I knew you weren’t supposed to treat girls like that.
    “Sorry, Laloni. I just didn’t realize you…you knew about me already.”
    “You mean that you a foster kid?” she asked.
    I gritted my teeth.
    “It’s okay. Obviously I don’t have a problem with it. I put up with this asshole.”
    Brandon made a hurt face. Laloni laughed and kissed it off him.
    I was getting sick to my stomach.
    “All right, so maybe I shoulda told you I knew who you was…but then I