I shut my geometry book and slid it into my bag. Math was finally over and it was time for lunch. As I was walking out of the classroom, Logan came up behind me.
"Hi, Mary Anne," he said. This was the first time he'd spoken to me since I babysat at his house in August.
"Oh, um, hi, Logan. Um, how are you?" I hated uncomfortable situations, and this one definitely ranked in the list of uncomfortable situations.
"Fine."
I gulped. "Oh, well, I have to go meet Claudia at her locker! Bye!" I hated lying. I hardly ever did it. But I just had to do it.
I went to Claudia's locker after my own to placate myself, to make myself feel like I hadn't lied to Logan. But she wasn't there. I saw her a little ways down the hall, walking arm-in-arm with Alan.
They were headed towards to lunchroom, so I followed them, but I figured that I shouldn't butt in so I didn't hurry to catch up to them or anything. When I got to the cafeteria, I saw that Claudia and Alan had sat down with Erica. I sat down too.
"Guess what just happened," I started.
"What?" Claudia said. "You seem kind of... upset or something."
"Well, I am. Logan just came up to me, out of NOWHERE, and started talking to me."
"What's wrong with talking?" Alan asked. Alan had not had any girlfriends besides Claudia, so I forgave him for being so naive about breakups.
I sighed. Luckily, Erica saved the day. "It's a girl thing."
A meaningless answer, but it worked. Kristy sat down then with her tray, which had today's hot lunch: a hamburger and french fries. She popped the tab on a Coke and said, "I agree with Alan, for once."
"Kristy, how would you react if Bart came up to you and starting chatting away like nothing had happened?" Claudia asked.
Kristy winced. "Point taken."
Just then, Stacey came up. "Oh, hi guys," she said breathlessly. "I was just talking to Ethan on my cell phone and you'll never believe--" She noticed Kristy at that moment and broke off. "Oh, well, it'll have to wait. I, um, have to go tutor Dorianne Wallingford in math this lunch period. Later." She headed off to the opposite side of the cafeteria.
Kristy sighed. "Do you think she REALLY has to go tutor Dori, or does she just not want to eat with me?"
Claudia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, Kristy, I don't know."
This had to be hard for Claudia. I put my hand on her shoulder. "She'll come around."
"Just like you, Kristy. It's been years since you poured Yoohoo down my shirt!" Well, you can't blame a boy for trying, I guess.
Kristy rolled her eyes. She momentarily turned back into Kristy Thomas we all knew and loved.
Cary pulled the chair next to mine from out under the table. "Anybody want anything?" he asked, looking at me. I shook my head no. Claudia put in a candy bar request.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten about Logan. But when he caught me eye as he was sitting at a table with Lew Greenberg and some other jock-type guys, I knew that he hadn't forgotten about me.
"Hi, Mary Anne," he said. This was the first time he'd spoken to me since I babysat at his house in August.
"Oh, um, hi, Logan. Um, how are you?" I hated uncomfortable situations, and this one definitely ranked in the list of uncomfortable situations.
"Fine."
I gulped. "Oh, well, I have to go meet Claudia at her locker! Bye!" I hated lying. I hardly ever did it. But I just had to do it.
I went to Claudia's locker after my own to placate myself, to make myself feel like I hadn't lied to Logan. But she wasn't there. I saw her a little ways down the hall, walking arm-in-arm with Alan.
They were headed towards to lunchroom, so I followed them, but I figured that I shouldn't butt in so I didn't hurry to catch up to them or anything. When I got to the cafeteria, I saw that Claudia and Alan had sat down with Erica. I sat down too.
"Guess what just happened," I started.
"What?" Claudia said. "You seem kind of... upset or something."
"Well, I am. Logan just came up to me, out of NOWHERE, and started talking to me."
"What's wrong with talking?" Alan asked. Alan had not had any girlfriends besides Claudia, so I forgave him for being so naive about breakups.
I sighed. Luckily, Erica saved the day. "It's a girl thing."
A meaningless answer, but it worked. Kristy sat down then with her tray, which had today's hot lunch: a hamburger and french fries. She popped the tab on a Coke and said, "I agree with Alan, for once."
"Kristy, how would you react if Bart came up to you and starting chatting away like nothing had happened?" Claudia asked.
Kristy winced. "Point taken."
Just then, Stacey came up. "Oh, hi guys," she said breathlessly. "I was just talking to Ethan on my cell phone and you'll never believe--" She noticed Kristy at that moment and broke off. "Oh, well, it'll have to wait. I, um, have to go tutor Dorianne Wallingford in math this lunch period. Later." She headed off to the opposite side of the cafeteria.
Kristy sighed. "Do you think she REALLY has to go tutor Dori, or does she just not want to eat with me?"
Claudia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, Kristy, I don't know."
This had to be hard for Claudia. I put my hand on her shoulder. "She'll come around."
"Just like you, Kristy. It's been years since you poured Yoohoo down my shirt!" Well, you can't blame a boy for trying, I guess.
Kristy rolled her eyes. She momentarily turned back into Kristy Thomas we all knew and loved.
Cary pulled the chair next to mine from out under the table. "Anybody want anything?" he asked, looking at me. I shook my head no. Claudia put in a candy bar request.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten about Logan. But when he caught me eye as he was sitting at a table with Lew Greenberg and some other jock-type guys, I knew that he hadn't forgotten about me.