Throw Away Teen (19 page)

When we got home from karate, Ted was already there. He’d bought me a new blue backpack. It had the Academy emblem stenciled on it and my name, too. Liz cleaned all my stuff out of my other one. She wouldn’t let me help so I fixed supper, fed the dogs and did the dishes while she used her vacuum on my books and papers.

Ted told me that Marines didn’t get mad, they got even, and he’d handle Jocelyn this time.

I decided not to leave my new backpack anywhere she could get to it. If she was here when I walked in the door, I’d take it straight upstairs to my room. Of course, if she’d been my age or just a couple years older, I’d have knocked the bitch flat on her skinny butt. I’d have to think up a way to get her back. Nobody did my fighting for me. I took care of myself and I would this time, too, even if it meant Liz and Ted would boot me back to Evergreen. I’d split before Carol arrived to do it and take Guard with me. We’d be just fine on the streets since I’d been there a lot of times before.

CHAPTER 11

Ms. Walker showed up right at seven-thirty. She’d changed to jeans and a Horse Heaven sweatshirt. She had her own binder and a couple books with her. She was totally cool when the dogs greeted her. She put her stuff on the kitchen counter and picked up Guard to hug him. “He looks so good. I haven’t seen him in almost a week.”

“
How do you know him?” I went over and took him when she started to put him down. Puppy kisses. Oh yeah, my boy knew he was mine. “His parents belong to Evelyn.”

“
Yes and I work there for my rent,” Ms. Walker said. “Call me, Fiona. When you start riding at Horse Heaven, you’ll find out that the rest of the kids at the barn do. But when I’m at school, you have to call me by my last name. Deal?”

“
Sure,” I said. “I don’t want to get in trouble for being rude. I’d hate running five miles.”

She laughed. “So would I. Don’t tell Dr. O’Malley I said so. He’ll think I’m a total wimp.”

She was all right. And things got even better when she told Liz I should drink coffee to stay focused so I wouldn’t need drugs to control my ADD. I could have my morning mocha now and wouldn’t have to drink hot chocolate like a little kid.

Fiona had a lot of great organizational tips as well. She showed me how to set up my binder in different sections for each class. By using the special dividers she gave me, I’d be able to separate my homework from finished assignments and notes and not waste time digging around for stuff.

Then, she helped me with my first reading log for English. It didn’t matter that I’d barely started
Great Expectations
. She told me not to rush with it. I could use the book I was already reading,
Anne of Green Gables
. By the time Fiona left at nine-thirty, I felt good about school for the first time in my life. I knew I could do it, and I’d earn major bucks in June. Then, when Guard and I were living on the streets, I’d have enough money to keep us going for quite a while.

***

Thursday and Friday flew by. We had another quiz in Spanish on Friday. I aced it so Senora Carstairs let me go to the Art Room to work on my own. I wanted to study camera techniques and there were a ton of photography books I could use. I had a tough time understanding what the teacher meant during his lectures, although he was patient and willing to share what he knew most of the time. Sixth period passed before I knew it and the bell rang for Photography.

Ringo and Vonnie were two of the first people in the room and Mr. Lee wasn’t far behind. He pulled out the attendance roster extra quick. “Let’s get this done, folks. Don’t settle down or unpack your stuff today.”

I joined Vonnie at her table. “What’s going on?”

“
Pep assembly.” She grinned. “Cool, huh? It means no class today.”

It sounded like a complete waste of time to me. I headed for the teacher. “Mr. Lee, can I stay here and study?”

Young, dark-haired and new to teaching, Mr. Lee still made time to answer questions. “How will you get to know the other students if you avoid assemblies, B.J.? Besides, we all have to go cheer on Ringo and the baseball team.”

I tipped back my head to look up at Ringo. “Get serious. You won’t miss one person.”

Ringo smiled, but it didn’t touch his eyes. “Oh, I can’t live without you, babe.”

“
Bite me.”

“
Where?” Ringo kept smiling, but he wasn’t happy.

I stomped off to grab my backpack. “Jerk-face.”

“
You know the school rules, Ringo,” Mr. Lee said behind me, almost laughing. “No public displays of affection, or I have to write you up.”

I didn’t hear Ringo’s answer. The headmaster came on the intercom and announced it was time for the baseball, fast-pitch, and track teams to go to the gym, along with the cheerleaders. He added for the teachers to bring the rest of their students in five minutes and to plan on staying for the assembly.

Mr. Lee rattled off the last of the student names, then passed the roster to Ringo. “Drop this in the office on your way to the gym.”

Since I couldn’t get out of the assembly, I opened my backpack and found the book we were supposed to read for English. I could get through a chapter or two of
Great Expectations
while the school wasted my seventh period. There was money to earn and it wasn’t as if Ringo really liked me. The only time I’d seen him this week was at school and he’d pretty much hung out with his jock friends. He hadn’t called or come by or even shown up during my karate class.

“
Are you going to read that during the assembly?” Vonnie demanded, as she walked beside me toward the gym. “B.J., take a break. If my boy-friend’s team was up in front of the whole school, I’d pay attention even if I was totally bored by the sport.”

“
I don’t have a boy-friend,” I retorted.

“
What about Ringo? Sarah told me he’s hot for you.”

“
She’s delusional, and I have plans that don’t include a guy.”

When we walked into the gym, I saw a bunch of jocks standing by Ringo. He came over, looked at me and then snagged my book.

“
What are you doing? Give that back!”

“
After school, when I drive you home.” Ringo’s gaze narrowed, and he added, “Study on your time, B.J., not mine.” He walked off with my book.

I was steamed. It didn’t help when Vonnie sat and laughed at me. I thought about punching her, but there wasn’t much point. I wanted to dig an assignment out of my back-pack just to piss him off, but I barely had enough space to breathe let alone move on the bleachers. So I chose to ignore Ringo instead. But he just sat with a bunch of guys and talked to them like I didn’t exist.

Jerk! I’d seen him put my book in his sports bag. Just because he was big, blond, buff, and beautiful, it didn’t mean I had to do what he said or that I wanted him. Well, not much—but I’d wanted other things that were dangerous, and it always led to trouble. The way Ringo made me feel all girly inside was definitely trouble. He had to go.

The assembly started. I was stuck watching the coaches introduce their various sports teams. Like I really cared. I looked around the gym but didn’t see anyone I knew. After the teams sat back down, the cheerleaders bounced up from the bleachers. They did a couple dances.

Big deal
, I thought.
Rah
!
Rah
!
Sis-boom-bah
!

Then they got everybody around me yelling. “SFA goes all the way!”

What was that was supposed to mean? When the students surrounding me were all fired up, the cheerleaders started a different stunt. Two of them stood on top of three other girls’ shoulders.

Vonnie leaned over. “It’s called a pyramid.”

“Whatever.” Why couldn’t they get it through their heads that I really didn’t care?

Four of the remaining cheerleaders and Sarah came up to the front. While the whole school watched, Sarah was tossed into the air. She landed at the top of the human skyscraper. She had a foot on each girl’s shoulder, and stood perfectly balanced. She must’ve been more than ten feet from the gym floor, but looked as comfortable as if she were on the ground.

“What is she? Nuts?” I demanded. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Vonnie laughed. “Junior Varsity says she’s the best flyer they’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, right. She’ll be lucky if she doesn’t fall and break her head.”

“She won’t. Don’t worry, B.J. She’s good at this.”

She must’ve been. When Sarah waved like some kind of TV princess, most of the students cheered. Even the teachers clapped politely.

After a couple seconds, Sarah glanced over her shoulder. Then, she deliberately fell backwards. I choked back a scream. How would I explain to Liz that Sarah chose to splatter her brains all over the gym?

I barely saw the two girls who’d been in the middle of the pyramid slide down. I didn’t hear a thud, or see anyone running to call 9-1-1. When the cheerleaders spread out, I spotted Sarah. She came forward with two guys, the three of them holding hands. The guys wore blue sweatpants. Their matching sweatshirts had white trim and fancy, huge red letters,
SFA.

“Are they cheerleaders, too?” I asked. “They caught her”?”

“They always do,” Vonnie said. “After football ended last fall, my brothers joined the Cheer Squad. My dad about died of embarrassment, until he realized how hard they worked, and how often they practiced.”

“Well, I hope he got over it,” I said. “They’re awesome.”

“Are you planning to mess with Ringo?” Vonnie demanded. “Don’t use Rob and Owen just to piss him off.”

“Where did that come from? Why would I do that?” It was true that Ringo’s bad habit of telling me what to do was beyond annoying, and I had to figure out how to get him to understand that no one controlled me. But I wasn’t the type to drag other people into a fight or use them like
Kleenex
. I’d been through enough of that to know exactly how much it sucked. So, I told Vonnie the truth. “They impressed me, that’s all. I figured Sarah would kill herself with that last stunt. It takes major
cojones
for guys to do a girly sport like Cheerleading.”

Vonnie gave me a suspicious look, but didn’t say anything else. I watched the stupid games the cheerleaders got the athletes from each team to play. There were relay races, including an obstacle course which had to be done while riding little kid tricycles. The golf team won two of the races, but the baseball team won three. The track team tied with them. However, the girls who did Fast-Pitch came in first and got big candy bars for prizes.

The cheerleaders came out and did a couple more routines which got everybody yelling and stomping. Sarah did a bunch of cartwheels and ended up at the top of another pyramid. This time I noticed when Rob and Owen moved behind the girls, so they were ready to catch Sarah. I wondered who was who. I opted not to ask Vonnie.

A skinny dude in a suit walked up and took the microphone from one of the cheerleaders. Instant silence filled the gym. I didn’t know who the guy was, but he obviously had clout. He announced that the buses were in front of the school. We could head out early, not return to class, and for us to have a “Highlander-Fling” weekend. I glanced at the mural of a Highlander painted on the gym wall. How exactly did a Highlander have a fling? Probably not the way most people thought.

Everyone raced for the doors, except the cheerleaders who started cleaning up the gym. I headed over to help. I wanted to tell Sarah how amazing she’d been. It took guts to do what she did and it made me admire her more.

I threw a handful of tissue paper into the nearest garbage can and worked my way over toward Sarah. “Where do you get the nerve to be that far in the air? I’d freak.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Sarah grinned at me. “I bet you’d be good at it. You’re small, light and
Sensei
Nichols told Warren you’re well-coordinated. You should go out for Cheerleading. We could use another flyer.”

“No way. One miss and I’d be dead. I don’t want to end up in a puddle on the floor.”

Sarah laughed. One of the guys wandered over, and she introduced us. “This is Rob. He and Owen do all the hard stuff.”

“No, we don’t. It’s all you.” Rob winked at me. “At least, that’s what we tell her.”

“I think it takes all three of you to be that good.” I watched Rob’s dark brown eyes. For a moment, he believed me. Then, his handsome face filled with doubt. I made a point of heaving a huge sigh. “I’ll bet nobody realizes how much effort it takes to do what everybody thinks of as a ‘chick’ sport. Of course, you probably joined the Cheer Squad to get the girls.” I lifted one shoulder. “Guys are all alike.”

Sarah cracked up. “Actually, Rob and Owen are better than that.”

“Yeah,” Rob agreed. “We’re the kind, sensitive sort.”

“Sure, you are.” I went over to the bleachers, grabbed my backpack. “I’ve
gotta
go, or I’ll miss my bus. Will you guys be cheering this weekend?”

“Yes,” Sarah said. “We’re junior varsity so we do spring sports. We’re getting ready for Cheer try-outs. Are you coming to any of the games tomorrow?”

“I have to study,” I said. “I’ll probably spend the whole weekend just on Algebra.”

“I could help with that,” Rob told me.

“No, you couldn’t. You’re just a pretty face.” I widened my eyes. “An athlete, not a math geek.”

That made him smile. He was shorter than Ringo, only about five inches taller than me. He was stocky, but not fat. His curly black hair was almost as long as mine, and he wore it in a ponytail. He was cute, in a soft kind of way, like the little brats back at the center. He didn’t scare me, not like Ringo’s friends did.

When Rob asked for my number, I reluctantly gave it to him. I didn’t want to get attached to anyone, not even Willa or Sarah, since I’d only be in Stewart Falls for the next eight weeks. But having a harmless guy hanging around might prove useful. I had no doubt it would piss Ringo off if I became friends with Rob but not him. Ringo needed to learn quickly that I was in control of myself. And I needed to keep my distance from him or I’d wind up getting hurt.