knocked on the bathroom door and with the authoritarian tone of a teacher told us to clear out and head back to class.
“You better go,” I said. The onion was getting more potent, turning my waterworks into a waterfall. I tried to stop the flow, but without some water and alone time, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Suze got a wad of toilet paper from the stall and passed it my way. “I can’t leave you like this. You got someone you can talk to?”
I hesitated before shaking my head.
“Well, now you do. Meet me on the front steps after school. And try not to think too much between now and then. Seriously, baby—it won’t help anyone.” She wrinkled her nose and took in a whiff of air. “Do you smell onions?”
I mopped my eyes and shook my head.
“Must be this whole damn place. I can’t stand it when they serve liver and onions. Even when I don’t eat it, it follows me wherever I go.”
THE CLOCK COULDN’T MOVE fast enough. I had no idea how I was going to get Suze to talk about Tom, but that didn’t matter at the moment. Maybe I couldn’t get everything I needed in one day. This afternoon might be about building trust. Once she and I were true friends, I could figure out how to find out everything Pop might need to know.
I worried she might’ve forgotten about me at the end of the day—after all, it had been four hours since we last spoke—but after school she was waiting for me just where she said she would be. And she wasn’t alone—Rhona and the nameless girl who’d been with them in the restroom were with her.
“Hi,” I said, feeling uncomfortable that my audience of one had grown to three. The two girls gave me the once-over, their eyes at half-mast. The idea of spending time with me was clearly not high on their list of things they wanted to do. Don’t worry, I wanted to tell them, I’m not looking forward to this, either.
From the corner of my eye I saw Pearl exit the school. She had a book with her and settled down on a bench to wait for me.
“Hope you don’t mind, but Rhona and Maria wanted to join us,” said Suze. So that was the girl’s name—Maria. I wasn’t aware there was a destination for this meeting, but the group started walking and I trailed along, wondering how on earth I could ask the three of them about Tom without appearing like I was digging for information.
It was obvious I couldn’t. At the very least Rhona wouldn’t appreciate my interest in her ex-boyfriend.
Rhona poked a thumb over her shoulder. “Aren’t you friends with that girl over there? Pearl Harbor?”
She and Maria shared a giggle.
“Not really.”
“I always see you two eating lunch together.”
“She’s tutoring me,” I said.
“In what?” asked Rhona. “How to gain fifty pounds?”
I wanted to defend Pearl, but I had a feeling that would do little to endear me to them.
“Why do you call her that?” I asked.
“Because she’s gotten big enough to be a target from the air,” said Rhona. “And she’s the worst disaster to ever strike the U.S. on its own soil.”
“Rhona’s just sore because Pearl was going around telling everyone she was knocked up last year,” said Maria.
Rhona shot her a look that should have struck her dead.
“Are you sure it was her?” I asked. “She doesn’t strike me as a gossip.”
“Trust me—your little friend is more than happy to go around talking about me and anyone else who catches her eye.” Rhona stepped toward me until I could smell the cigarette still on her breath. She put her index finger into the center of my chest and pushed with so much force that I had to fight to stay upright. “You tell her that the next time she opens her mouth to say my name, she’s going to find my fist in it.”
“Shush,” said Suze. Rhona lifted her finger and looked ready to deliver another blow to my sternum when Suze shot her a look that made her instantly step away from me.
Was Suze defending Pearl? Or me?
My chest
“You better go,” I said. The onion was getting more potent, turning my waterworks into a waterfall. I tried to stop the flow, but without some water and alone time, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Suze got a wad of toilet paper from the stall and passed it my way. “I can’t leave you like this. You got someone you can talk to?”
I hesitated before shaking my head.
“Well, now you do. Meet me on the front steps after school. And try not to think too much between now and then. Seriously, baby—it won’t help anyone.” She wrinkled her nose and took in a whiff of air. “Do you smell onions?”
I mopped my eyes and shook my head.
“Must be this whole damn place. I can’t stand it when they serve liver and onions. Even when I don’t eat it, it follows me wherever I go.”
THE CLOCK COULDN’T MOVE fast enough. I had no idea how I was going to get Suze to talk about Tom, but that didn’t matter at the moment. Maybe I couldn’t get everything I needed in one day. This afternoon might be about building trust. Once she and I were true friends, I could figure out how to find out everything Pop might need to know.
I worried she might’ve forgotten about me at the end of the day—after all, it had been four hours since we last spoke—but after school she was waiting for me just where she said she would be. And she wasn’t alone—Rhona and the nameless girl who’d been with them in the restroom were with her.
“Hi,” I said, feeling uncomfortable that my audience of one had grown to three. The two girls gave me the once-over, their eyes at half-mast. The idea of spending time with me was clearly not high on their list of things they wanted to do. Don’t worry, I wanted to tell them, I’m not looking forward to this, either.
From the corner of my eye I saw Pearl exit the school. She had a book with her and settled down on a bench to wait for me.
“Hope you don’t mind, but Rhona and Maria wanted to join us,” said Suze. So that was the girl’s name—Maria. I wasn’t aware there was a destination for this meeting, but the group started walking and I trailed along, wondering how on earth I could ask the three of them about Tom without appearing like I was digging for information.
It was obvious I couldn’t. At the very least Rhona wouldn’t appreciate my interest in her ex-boyfriend.
Rhona poked a thumb over her shoulder. “Aren’t you friends with that girl over there? Pearl Harbor?”
She and Maria shared a giggle.
“Not really.”
“I always see you two eating lunch together.”
“She’s tutoring me,” I said.
“In what?” asked Rhona. “How to gain fifty pounds?”
I wanted to defend Pearl, but I had a feeling that would do little to endear me to them.
“Why do you call her that?” I asked.
“Because she’s gotten big enough to be a target from the air,” said Rhona. “And she’s the worst disaster to ever strike the U.S. on its own soil.”
“Rhona’s just sore because Pearl was going around telling everyone she was knocked up last year,” said Maria.
Rhona shot her a look that should have struck her dead.
“Are you sure it was her?” I asked. “She doesn’t strike me as a gossip.”
“Trust me—your little friend is more than happy to go around talking about me and anyone else who catches her eye.” Rhona stepped toward me until I could smell the cigarette still on her breath. She put her index finger into the center of my chest and pushed with so much force that I had to fight to stay upright. “You tell her that the next time she opens her mouth to say my name, she’s going to find my fist in it.”
“Shush,” said Suze. Rhona lifted her finger and looked ready to deliver another blow to my sternum when Suze shot her a look that made her instantly step away from me.
Was Suze defending Pearl? Or me?
My chest
Similar Books
