Page 15 of Heartthrobs Don't Date Wallflowers
The teacher started calling names for roll, but I was barely paying attention now, my fingers flying across the screen.
Ivy
But you’re also not sure it’s NOT not what you meant?
The three-dot bubble like he was texting back didn’t appear right away, so I glanced up at the teacher again. She was going through the roll-call now, but she was only on the last names starting with C. My name was always at the end of the attendance list—usually last—so it would probably be a bit before she got to me.
Not Zesty
What.
Ivy
I think I mademyself very clear
I looked up again. The teacher was on the “T” last names now. Lucy Tall. Geoff Tims. Jude Turner. Everyone’s heads turned in unison at a boy on the far end of the class when she said the name. I frowned and looked at him as well, trying to figure out why everyone seemed more interested in him than anyone else whose name had been called. He was sitting alone at a two-seat desk, sideways on his chair with his legs up on the extra chair and his arm hanging over the back.
The girls sitting in front of him were completely turned around in their seats and leaning forward on his desk, completely ignoring the teacher.
“Here!” He called boisterously, the energy completely different from how he was sitting. I was pretty sure I heard every girl in the room simultaneously sigh and lean in closer to him. As the teacher moved on and the girl in front of him started waving a pen and notebook n front of Jude’s face, I put it together—he was part of the band. Now that I was thinking about it, I’d seen him at the bonfires I’d watched the last couple of weeks and my brief research. He just looked different in his school uniform.
Half an hour in this school and I’d already seen two of the five members of the band. What were the chances of that?
“Ivy Wade?”
My heart lurched and I froze for a second, before I remembered that I needed to react somehow to show that I was here. I raised my hand and gave a smallwave, since I didn’t trust my voice to work right now. I was hoping she would just nod and move on like she’d done for every other student, but her eyes locked on me and I knew I wouldn’t get away with just blending into the background.
“You must be our new student!” She said, her voice way too cheerful for nine in the morning. I nodded, my face heating up as everyone turned in my direction. Unlike when they looked at Jude with admiration, everyone’s faces were flat as they looked at me. I kept my gaze fixed on the whiteboard over the teacher’s shoulder, hoping the floor would open up and swallow me whole.
“Well, welcome to Summerfield! I know starting in the middle of the semester can be tough, but you’ll catch up in no time.”
I tried to mumble a thanks but I wasn’t sure it was even audible. Luckily, she didn’t seem to notice as she put down the attendance sheet and started talking about what we’d be going over today.
As she turned to the whiteboard, the eyes around me started drifting away, one by one. But I could still feel the weight of a few lingering stares, like they were sizing me up, trying to figure out who I was. I sank a little deeper into my chair, hoping that if I stayed still long enough, they’d forget I was even here.
Once everyone had turned away, and I glanced at the board to make sure I wasn’t already totally lost in the material, I glanced atmy phone again.
Not Zesty
No??
I’m confused by the NOT not
You mean it might be what I meant?
That’s not what I meant
Ivy
What’s not what you meant
Not Zesty
The thing you thought I said
Ivy
I’m lost
