"So, if y equals five then x equals what?" Mr. Smith, the most
feared teacher at Valley jr. High, my math teacher, asked in his nasal
tone. I lost track of what was going on then because I noticed Will over
in the corner writing something on a piece of notebook paper. I thought of
what I had heard last weekend about daemons, witches, bears, knives,
alethiometers, and a girl named Lyra. Remembering what he had told me that
night, I sat dazed. None of it seemed possible, but it had to be true.
Will would never lie about that. Besides, I thought, recalling his
expression as he spoken. It was so full of passion, longing, and
fierceness. I still hadn't talked to him since he told me about it.
He finished whatever he was writing and handed it to the boy sitting next to him. I heard him whisper, "Pass this to Marina." The boy, Paul, looked shocked. Will, shy quiet Will, was passing loud outgoing Marina a note? He shook his head looking confused and passed the note along. After a few weird looks and three hands later, it arrived at my desk. I pulled it down below my desk and unfolded it quietly. I read it quickly:
Marina,
Meet me at your locker after school to talk.
-Will
I looked up to see he was watching me; I nodded and turned to look at the board. "Marina," Mr. Smith said through his nose. "In this equation, what does x equal?"
"Um," I said looking around frantically. Will mouthed, ItenI, to me. Looking up at Mr. Smith I said, "Ten?" My voice was calm and even.
"Correct," Mr. Smith said. "Oh, and by the way, nice save." I blushed crimson looking at my hands where the note was. At least he hadn't noticed that. "Wait a minute, note please," he said his hand outstretched. Reluctantly I handed it to him. "Hmmm, meet me at your locker after school to talk, Will." This time both Will and I blushed. "About what may I ask to talk about? Hmm?"
"Uh, um, not sure, I just got the note. I didn't send it," I said. Oops. I cringed. ISorry Will.I I mouthed.
"So, what was so important William?"
"Excuse me sir, but I do not think that is your business." Mr. Smith's mouth dropped to the floor. No one had ever spoken to him that way, ever. Not quite sure what to do he turned around and began teaching again. I must have looked pretty shocked, along with the rest of the class and Mr. Smith.
Will met my eyes; his face was turning red from trying not to laugh at the look on my face. He smiled slightly then looked up at the board. I asked to use the restroom where I began laughing insanely. My giggles reverberated off the walls causing it to sound as if two of me were laughing madly. I soon returned to class and finished out the rest of the day. That afternoon at my locker I met Will as planned.
"So," I said grinning. "Where has the sudden courage to stand up to Mr. Smith come from eh?"
"Left over from my little adventure. Which is what I want to talk to you about," he said his face becoming serious.
"Yeah, I figured that was it," I said shifting my messenger bag's strap. My shoulder was sore where it had been rubbing. "But what do you need to say about it is the question."
"Well, I was wondering if well, if you believed me," he said sheepishly looking at his feet.
"Oh course I believe you! I have no reason not to… Besides, I know you wouldn't lie to your IbestI friend now would you?" I said laughing.
"That's true, but who ever said you were my best friend?" he tried to say this seriously but couldn't pull it off. He ended up laughing along with me.
"Well, since you believe me, there's something I want to show you," he said motioning me to follow. I trailed behind him the whole way to his flat begging him to tell me what he was going to show me.
"Please!? Please, please, please? What is it? Come on, tell me!" He just shook his head. I decided to try a different approach, "Is it bigger than a breadbox? Smaller? Hello? Well, what is it!" No matter how much I begged, he wouldn't say anything except an occasional, not telling you.
Finally, we arrived. Opening the door he dropped his backpack by the door calling to see if anyone was home. No one answered so he just led me upstairs to his room and pulled out a small box. Inside was something wrapped in velvet. "Ok Marina, you know that knife?"
"Oh my freaking gosh! Is that it! Holy cow!" I said amazed. I bent down to get a closer look. The metal shards glittered and shone. Even ruined and broken, the knife was mesmerizing. "It's beautiful," I whisper.
"Yeah," he said sadly. "This knife was both good and bad in my life. It was good because it allowed me to meet Lyra. It was the thing that made that window in Catigazze. It is a horrible thing because it took her away. The dust… leaking… I'm never going to see Lyra again," he said crying but trying not to let me see.
"Oh Will," I sad wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "I'm so sorry! I wish I could do something to help. I must be terrible. And everyone you told before most likely didn't believe you. Having to just go on with your life without anyone to share this burden with. I promise, from now on I'll be there if you need to talk to someone," I said hurriedly. "I wish I'd known before. I could have been a better friend." He stopped crying and looked at me.
"You know what?" he asked.
"Hmm?"
"Your shirt has tears all over it," he said and began laughing.
"You are going to pay!" I said giggling.
"Uh oh!" he yelped backing up and putting the box away. I lunged at him tackling him to the ground. "Ah!" he said laughing as I tickled him. He squirmed, trying to get loose but he couldn't because he was laughing so hard. After I figured he'd had enough, I flopped down on the floor next to him. "You're evil ya know?" he said.
"Yep, I know!" I said sitting up.
"So, now that you've seen the knife, and me cry, and then laugh all in a matter of minutes, what do you want to do?"
"Well, I am kind of hungry," I said. "I say we go get milk shakes and burgers."
"You read my mind," he said standing. After we were settled in a booth with our food, I group of kids from school walked over. Two of them were in our math class.
"Paul here tells us that while you were passing a note to my girl Marina…"
"Just because we went out once Idoesn'tI mean I'm your girl!"
"Whatever," he said waving his hand. "Anyways, I hear you were caught by Mr. Smith and you told him off. This true?"
"First of all, you owe Marina an apology, and second of all yes, I did," he said.
"Sweet! That guy had it coming," the guy, his name was James, said. "Oh yeah, and Marina, sorry." The guys then turned around and left, shoving James for actually apologizing to me. There are a couple things we should get straight here. I was one of the more popular people at school and Will, wasn't. Even though we were best friends, nobody knew. We hung out on weekends since our weekdays were always so busy. He was always helping Mary out with her research. I never knew how he helped and what it was about until last Saturday night. James and I had gone out once last week. No one at school knew the quiet side of me, the side of me that cried about my dad's death and looked at the stars. Only my family did, and Will. Me and Will have never gone out and never will. We are friends and that is how it will stay. Will loves Lyra, not me. I love Will as a brother, and only as a brother.
Our number was called and we got up and got our food. We sat down again and while we munched our fries, we talked more about the whole thing.
He finished whatever he was writing and handed it to the boy sitting next to him. I heard him whisper, "Pass this to Marina." The boy, Paul, looked shocked. Will, shy quiet Will, was passing loud outgoing Marina a note? He shook his head looking confused and passed the note along. After a few weird looks and three hands later, it arrived at my desk. I pulled it down below my desk and unfolded it quietly. I read it quickly:
Marina,
Meet me at your locker after school to talk.
-Will
I looked up to see he was watching me; I nodded and turned to look at the board. "Marina," Mr. Smith said through his nose. "In this equation, what does x equal?"
"Um," I said looking around frantically. Will mouthed, ItenI, to me. Looking up at Mr. Smith I said, "Ten?" My voice was calm and even.
"Correct," Mr. Smith said. "Oh, and by the way, nice save." I blushed crimson looking at my hands where the note was. At least he hadn't noticed that. "Wait a minute, note please," he said his hand outstretched. Reluctantly I handed it to him. "Hmmm, meet me at your locker after school to talk, Will." This time both Will and I blushed. "About what may I ask to talk about? Hmm?"
"Uh, um, not sure, I just got the note. I didn't send it," I said. Oops. I cringed. ISorry Will.I I mouthed.
"So, what was so important William?"
"Excuse me sir, but I do not think that is your business." Mr. Smith's mouth dropped to the floor. No one had ever spoken to him that way, ever. Not quite sure what to do he turned around and began teaching again. I must have looked pretty shocked, along with the rest of the class and Mr. Smith.
Will met my eyes; his face was turning red from trying not to laugh at the look on my face. He smiled slightly then looked up at the board. I asked to use the restroom where I began laughing insanely. My giggles reverberated off the walls causing it to sound as if two of me were laughing madly. I soon returned to class and finished out the rest of the day. That afternoon at my locker I met Will as planned.
"So," I said grinning. "Where has the sudden courage to stand up to Mr. Smith come from eh?"
"Left over from my little adventure. Which is what I want to talk to you about," he said his face becoming serious.
"Yeah, I figured that was it," I said shifting my messenger bag's strap. My shoulder was sore where it had been rubbing. "But what do you need to say about it is the question."
"Well, I was wondering if well, if you believed me," he said sheepishly looking at his feet.
"Oh course I believe you! I have no reason not to… Besides, I know you wouldn't lie to your IbestI friend now would you?" I said laughing.
"That's true, but who ever said you were my best friend?" he tried to say this seriously but couldn't pull it off. He ended up laughing along with me.
"Well, since you believe me, there's something I want to show you," he said motioning me to follow. I trailed behind him the whole way to his flat begging him to tell me what he was going to show me.
"Please!? Please, please, please? What is it? Come on, tell me!" He just shook his head. I decided to try a different approach, "Is it bigger than a breadbox? Smaller? Hello? Well, what is it!" No matter how much I begged, he wouldn't say anything except an occasional, not telling you.
Finally, we arrived. Opening the door he dropped his backpack by the door calling to see if anyone was home. No one answered so he just led me upstairs to his room and pulled out a small box. Inside was something wrapped in velvet. "Ok Marina, you know that knife?"
"Oh my freaking gosh! Is that it! Holy cow!" I said amazed. I bent down to get a closer look. The metal shards glittered and shone. Even ruined and broken, the knife was mesmerizing. "It's beautiful," I whisper.
"Yeah," he said sadly. "This knife was both good and bad in my life. It was good because it allowed me to meet Lyra. It was the thing that made that window in Catigazze. It is a horrible thing because it took her away. The dust… leaking… I'm never going to see Lyra again," he said crying but trying not to let me see.
"Oh Will," I sad wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "I'm so sorry! I wish I could do something to help. I must be terrible. And everyone you told before most likely didn't believe you. Having to just go on with your life without anyone to share this burden with. I promise, from now on I'll be there if you need to talk to someone," I said hurriedly. "I wish I'd known before. I could have been a better friend." He stopped crying and looked at me.
"You know what?" he asked.
"Hmm?"
"Your shirt has tears all over it," he said and began laughing.
"You are going to pay!" I said giggling.
"Uh oh!" he yelped backing up and putting the box away. I lunged at him tackling him to the ground. "Ah!" he said laughing as I tickled him. He squirmed, trying to get loose but he couldn't because he was laughing so hard. After I figured he'd had enough, I flopped down on the floor next to him. "You're evil ya know?" he said.
"Yep, I know!" I said sitting up.
"So, now that you've seen the knife, and me cry, and then laugh all in a matter of minutes, what do you want to do?"
"Well, I am kind of hungry," I said. "I say we go get milk shakes and burgers."
"You read my mind," he said standing. After we were settled in a booth with our food, I group of kids from school walked over. Two of them were in our math class.
"Paul here tells us that while you were passing a note to my girl Marina…"
"Just because we went out once Idoesn'tI mean I'm your girl!"
"Whatever," he said waving his hand. "Anyways, I hear you were caught by Mr. Smith and you told him off. This true?"
"First of all, you owe Marina an apology, and second of all yes, I did," he said.
"Sweet! That guy had it coming," the guy, his name was James, said. "Oh yeah, and Marina, sorry." The guys then turned around and left, shoving James for actually apologizing to me. There are a couple things we should get straight here. I was one of the more popular people at school and Will, wasn't. Even though we were best friends, nobody knew. We hung out on weekends since our weekdays were always so busy. He was always helping Mary out with her research. I never knew how he helped and what it was about until last Saturday night. James and I had gone out once last week. No one at school knew the quiet side of me, the side of me that cried about my dad's death and looked at the stars. Only my family did, and Will. Me and Will have never gone out and never will. We are friends and that is how it will stay. Will loves Lyra, not me. I love Will as a brother, and only as a brother.
Our number was called and we got up and got our food. We sat down again and while we munched our fries, we talked more about the whole thing.