Page 22 of Life and Death
“Huh. Do you want . . . I mean, do you think McKayla will ask you?”
“I hope not,” I said, maybe a little too fast.
He looked up at me, surprised. “Why not?”
“I don’t do dances.”
“Oh.”
We shuffled forward for a minute in silence. He was thoughtful. I was impatient to get out of the drizzle.
“Do you mind if I tell her that?” he asked.
“No. That’s probably a good idea. I don’t want to have to tell anyone no if I don’t have to.”
“Okay.”
“When’s the dance again?”
We were close to the cafeteria now. He pointed to a bright yellow poster advertising the dance. I’d never noticed it before, but it was curling around the edges and a little washed out, like it had been up for a while.
“A week from Saturday,” he said.
I was pretty sure Jeremy had already said something when, the next morning, McKayla was not her usual bubbly self in English. At lunch she sat away from both Jeremy and me, and she didn’t say much to anyone. She stayed quiet as she walked with me to Biology, but she came over like usual to sit on the edge of my lab table. As always, I was too aware of Edythe sitting close enough to touch, but still so far away she might as well have been a product of my imagination.
“So,” McKayla said, looking at the floor instead of at me. “Jeremy said that you don’t do dances.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
She looked at me then, her expression hurt and a little angry. I hadn’t even told her no yet, and I already felt guilty.
“Oh,” she said. “I thought maybe he was making it up.”
“Uh, sorry, no. Why would he make up a story like that?”
She frowned. “I think he wants me to ask him.”
I forced a smile. “You should. Jeremy’s great.”
She shrugged. “I guess.” Then she took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eye with a quick, nervous smile. “Would this ‘I don’t dance’ thing change if I was the one asking you to go?”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Edythe’s head suddenly tilt in my direction. Like she was listening to my answer, too.
It took me a little too long to respond. I still felt guilty, but mostly distracted.WasEdythe listening?
“Um, sorry, again.”
McKayla’s face fell. “Would it change if someone else asked you?”
Did Edythe see how McKayla’s eyes flickered in her direction?
“No. It’s a moot point anyway. I’m going to be in Seattle that day.” I needed to get out of town—two Saturdays from now was the perfect time to go.
“Does it have to bethatweekend?” McKayla asked.
“Yeah. But don’t worry about me. You should take Jeremy. He’s much more fun than I am.”
“Yeah, I guess,” she mumbled, and she turned to walk back to her seat. I watched her shoulders slump forward, and I felt horrible. I closed my eyes and pushed my fingers against my temples, trying to force McKayla’s dejected posture out of my head. Mrs. Banner started talking. I sighed and opened my eyes.
