It's a Wonderful Death - Sarah J. Schmitt Page 0,43

manage to avoid screaming—which is a good thing because once my brain and body connect I realize I’m walking next to my English teacher.

“If you can get me the paper by Monday, I can give you partial credit,” Ms. Walters is saying.

“Uh, sure. Thanks,” I mutter, as memories from the new lifeline begin to replace the old ones.

She stops in the middle of the hall, forcing a freshman to swerve in order to avoid a collision. “RJ, this is important. If you don’t pass my class, you’re going to be on academic probation. That means no cheerleading. No homecoming dance. And you will be kicked off the court. You will be barred from all school activities of any kind, period. You need to take this seriously.”

Oh right, I’m failing three classes. “I know, Ms. Walters. I’ll get it done. I promise.” I don’t know why, but there’s a part of me that cares about disappointing her. Maybe something is different about me. Who knows, maybe I am evolving.

“Monday morning,” Ms. Walters repeats before slinging her heavy bag and walking toward the parking lot.

I take a deep breath before heading toward the next stop on my road to redemption.

As I walk silently up behind the boy with the sketchpad, I wish I could remember his name. “Um, hi.” Pathetic conversation starter, I know, but it’s the best I’ve got under the circumstances.

He wraps his arms protectively around his sketchbook. “What do you want?” he growls.

“I, uh, I thought we could talk.”

“What? Are you here to make fun of me again? Where’s your ogre of a boyfriend?” He glances around the quad nervously. I can’t blame him. It wouldn’t be the first time one of my friends set him up for public ridicule.

“About that. I’m sorry.”

He snorts. “No, you’re not. If you were sorry, you would have stopped them.”

“I should have. I wanted to. I really did, but—”

“But what?” he spits. “Don’t patronize me. You saw old Daniel sitting alone and thought you’d get in a few more low blows to let me know just how much of a waste of space you think I am.”

Daniel. That’s his name. But he has a point, and I don’t have an excuse. “What are you working on?” I ask, trying to save this conversation and my chance at getting my life back.

“None of your business.”

Clearly whatever I’m supposed to change isn’t going to be easy. I crane my neck to get a better look. “Are those your drawings?”

“How do you know about them?” he asks defensively. I notice his grip on the book tighten slightly.

I shrug. “I was sitting behind you last week when it was raining.” He keeps staring at me. “You know, when everyone was hanging out in the auditorium before school.”

“Yeah, I think I got hit by a couple spitballs from your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say defensively. He gives me a curious look. Okay, yes, earlier today I was probably hanging all over him in the hall, but that was then. This is now.

“Right. He’s just a friend. Look, what do you want from me?” he sneers.

I can’t believe how hard it is to think of the right thing to say. “I guess I just wanted to talk.”

“What? Did you lose a bet?”

Wow. He really is hostile. That’s when I realize I don’t know the first thing about trying to make amends with someone who doesn’t at least pretend to like me. I take a deep breath. “I came over here to say I’m sorry and you …”

“You said you were sorry. You can go now.”

A sharp whistle from across the quad makes us both turn. “RJ, come on.”

I stifle a groan. Felicity is sauntering toward us with Penny and Lyndsey in tow.

“Are you coming?” she says, looking straight through Daniel to me.

“Coming where?” I ask, shifting uncomfortably on the cold cement bench.

“Did you forget? We’re all going to Marinara’s for pizza. Dave’s waiting for us.” Her lips spread into a sneer. “Who’s your friend?”

She’s not going to let this go. “Uh, this is Daniel,” I answer.

“Huh. I thought his name was Splatter.”

I jump up from my seat. “What did you say?”

She takes two steps toward me until we’re less than a foot apart. “Well, that’s what my stepbrother calls him. Dave thinks he would be better off as splatter on the pavement.” I sense Daniel tense up at her words. Did we really do this to him? Did we really make him so scared that just the mention