Page 42 of We Shouldn't Be Together
Jamie nudges me from the adjacent desk. “Dude,“ she whispers. “What’s up with you? You’re being all fidgety.”
“That devious cow is sitting over there,” I whisper back. “How can she act like she doesn’t ruin people’s lives?”
“Ugh. Don’t give her the time of day. It’s not worth it.”
“But she’s messing with you.”
“Right now she isn’t, and I prefer not to dwell on it.”
I lift my hands off the desk and exhale coolly. “Okay, fine.”
I run my pen along with the sentences of our class discussion questions. I even lean in, trying to focus on each word. But there’s a ringing in my ears. The words jump around on the page. Soon, all I can recognize is the fire in my belly.
I slam the pen down and huff in Jamie’s direction. “I can’t let it go,” I whisper roughly. “She’s gonna tank my grade in chemistry and my parents are gonna flip.”
“Why don’t you tell your mom to email the school and have you moved back with your original lab partner?”
“Since when am I a momma’s boy?”
Jamie snorts. “I dunno. I thought it would be a good option.”
“Mrs. Field already made a point about not rearranging students again. Like it would kill morale or something. I think she wants to save face. She’ll look pretty ridiculous changing the seating order again.”
“Maybe she’s just making her point? Tabitha can’t learn in class, no matter where she sits.”
“Yeah, she runs her mouth to hide the fact there’s nothing in that thick skull of hers.”
“Stop letting her corrupt your thoughts,” Jamie whispers. “You’re letting her win.”
I shudder at the thought. That chick is not getting under my skin. She’s not gonna live inside my head. And she is absolutely not gonna win.
I slink down in my seat and scratch my pen against the margin of my notebook. I slash my pen strokes up and down until there’s a noticeable indent on the page.
Our teacher then calls on students to read the next few pages from King Lear, giving them each a role to play. I pick up my copy, remaining slouchedin my seat. As the voices fill the classroom, I whisper to Jamie, “Are you coming to Logan’s Point after school?”
“I gotta go to the café and help Maddy with inventory.”
“Boo. Can’t you skip it?”
She shakes her head. “Maddy’s heaps stressed. I can’t ditch her.”
“Boring. You want me to help?”
She smirks. “Not with that attitude.”
“What am I supposed to say? Oh wow, inventory. What fun?”
Jamie snorts, jiggling her shoulders with laughter.
“Kai,” Ms. Jenkins says softly. “Jamie. Hush, please.”
She has such a dainty way of telling students to be quiet. I can’t help zipping it when she asks so politely. Nothing like the foghorn Mrs. Field.
There’s another character joining the scene, and Ms. Jenkins volunteers Tabitha.Freakinghell. Just when I decide to turn over a new leaf, I’m tested again. Tabitha’s voice is the only sound in the room. I drag my pen down the entire length of my notebook. The tearing sound gains the attention of two adjacent students.
When my pen skids over the end of the page, my ears prick to a catch in Tabitha’s voice. I lift my gaze and watch her curls tumble over her face, leaning in as she reads a tricky word. This Shakespearean nonsense is hard to enunciate, I’ll give her that.
Wait.
