was in my second fight with my best friend. I took several deep breaths.
"Urn, uhh... Sorry," I said. "Head lunchroom monitor-- that's a big deal. I can't wait to see your vision." There! My mouth was finally back under my control.
"You ought to be sorry," she snapped. She sat at the edge of the bed sulking. The damage had been done. It was too late for a mere apology.
And now for a brief note about compliments: Everyone appreciates a good compliment: "Your hair looks lovely today." "My, how that new dress flatters your figure." But we girls take compliments to a whole new level. We live for them. And it doesn't matter if the person paying the compliment is lying and we know they're lying. All that matters is the compliment itself. We can't help ourselves. Compliments are our drug of choice.
I faced Sybil and said, 'You're right. I am jealous. But can you blame me? You've whipped that cafeteria into amazing shape."
Compliment.
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"I did?"
"Oh, yeah. And the look on your face when you're patrolling between the tables ... Wow."
"Wow?" she repeated, trying to read my face, wondering if I was going to get her on the hook and then burst into laughter.
"Double wow. And where did you get that little badge?"
"I made it out of foil from gum wrappers." The corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile.
"You made that? Wow again."
Compliment!
"You like it?"
I nodded. "You're like the sheriff of the cafeteria." Well I wasn't going to sit there and call her the lunchroom Nazi~duh!
Her smile broadened. "I was kinda cool today, wasn't I?"
"Cool? You had those zombies eating out of your hand
Well, not eating out of your hand because if they were eating out of your hand they'd probably eat your hand, but you know what I mean. I could never do that. Sorry," I said with even more sincerity.
"It's okay, Margot. I understand." She patted my hand. "If you had become head lunchroom monitor I'd be jealous, too."
I stifled a snort. Hurtful words were bubbling up inside me, another attack of verbal diarrhea rising in my throat. I jumped up. "Be right back," I managed to say.
"Where are you going?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. My teeth were pressed firmly against my tongue. I pointed, grunted, and zombie walked to the bathroom. As I moved away I realized I needed to keep the dark thing inside me under control. No telling what kind of trouble I'd find myself in if I didn't.
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Chapter Fourteenth
With the end of the semester coming in six short weeks Sybil and I decided to forgo the homecoming event and instead hold a Winter Dance at the end of the semester.
It would be a prom-like affair where we'd get dressed up and party the night away. And the girl who was crowned winter queen would be more than any ordinary prom queen. Her name would be etched in the annals of Salesian High School history forever, since there'd probably never be another one. And the best part--there were only two candidates. With Sybil still feeling guilty over the Dirk thing, I knew I was a shoo-in for the title.
Take that, Amanda Culpepper.
For the first time since seventh grade school was fun and exciting. I couldn't wait to get there each morning, and actually was sad when we went home at the end of the day. Classes were a breeze. The few teachers who remained were zombies. They growled and moaned and scrawled illegibly on the board while we students sat quietly until the bell rang. After a
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few days, however, this got boring, so Sybil and I began staying after school poring over our teachers' lesson plans with a thirst for knowledge that surprised us. We even gave ourselves homework. We didn't mind. As the new it-girls we deemed our education important. Never before had we studied so hard. Never before had our education seemed so precious. With learning no longer being rammed down our throats, Sybil and I took it upon ourselves to ram it down our own throats.
One of our biggest kicks came from teasing the zombies. They were so gullible. One time we put a walkie-talkie in a student locker. Then we stood in a corner shouting taunts into another walkie: "Hey, you stupid zombie. Come on over here and bite me. I dare you." The zombies growled and groaned and angrily tore at the locker as we continued to taunt them. When they finally ripped it open we switched channels to