Page 4 (2/2)

I studied the students Bridger O’Connell sat at the center of the table, surrounded by the school’s prettiest girls and best-dressed boys, and they were all shooting daggers in er was obviously still mad that I’d beat him, and beat his dad’s old track record And, apparently, so were the students sitting with hiious Everyone in the cafeteria was glaring at le person at the senior table, except Bonnie, turned their backs to me Bonnie, her face as red as the toht be infectious She was faced with a choice Be my friend and lose all her others, or ditch me and keep her reputation intact

"U her lunch She was nice Too nice to tell me that she didn’t want to be friends

"Gee, Bonnie You know, actually I a machines I’ll see ya," I said She looked at ie Mae Maybe I’ll see you around or so a smile to my face as I stood from the table and walked away Of course she’d see me around She just wouldn’t notice irls’ bathroo for lunch to end I had eaten at just such a spot at my last school

"This spot’s taken," a voice said

I turned and stared into a pair of chocolate eyes framed by sleek black hair and olive skin

"What?" I said

"That’s ainst

I crossed irls’ bathroo over? She crossed her arirl said, a sirl? Who kicked the entire track tea?"

"Yeah That’s me"

She let her arms fall to her sides "That rocks I wish I could have seen it I’ed "I suppose there’s room for two"

"Yeah That would be nice" I let my arms relax and sank down to the floor

Yana sat beside me and pulled a plastic fork and Styrofoae-print backpack--the kind of box you get from a restaurant for leftovers She opened the lid and took a bite of soet that?" I asked

"Froht after my shift"

"You work at a restaurant?"

"Yeah"

"Does it pay well?"

Yana shrugged "I hts it doesn’t pay all that well, but on a good weekend night, I’ve come home with more than a hundred dollars"

That sounded like a fortune I could i?"

"Why? You need a job?"

"Yeah"

Yana pulled a piece of paper from her backpack and jotted down a name and address "Stop in and fill out an app Ask for Naalyehe He’s the tall leathery guy with a heart of gold--and randpa You can’t miss him Tell him Yana sent you"

4

The bus dropped me half a mile froot home my stomach felt like it had been replaced by a black hole I stuh the front door

"Coach called this afternoon Said toyou don’t own any?" Mrs Carpenter asked, putting her denim jacket on

I shook my head "I don’t, but, um … actually …"