MASTER SET - Final PASS
MAS
Odessa’s waving at me and then points slowly over to Rory and mouths, Nice job! I can’t believe she even cares. I hate that she plays all the sides. And now she’s gone, already back to her friends, laughing loud enough to be heard over the entire student body. I can make out Todd, arms over the chair next to him, way up top. He tosses me a nod and indicates that I should get Jo, but I don’t have the energy to play messenger girl. I settle back into my chair and glance at Jo, who I realize could probably sit somewhere else. But I’m not ever scared of that type of thing. Since freshman year, she has proved fiercely loyal, and we three basically subsist as our own little clique. Not nerds, geeks, losers. Not even townies. I just think we’re good friends. I remember what Dad said, about how he wanted me to leave now without her. Or Rob. She sees me looking and gives me a quick pucker of her red lips, but the tension under her skin is visible. We’re all freaking out. Not so far away from us on the row, I find myself staring at a newly familiar face. The boy from last night, sitting by himself. He’s keeping his eyes down, rolling a pencil between his fingers, when he glances up and catches me staring. His eyes are brown, a comforting color, but near the pupils they shift to a bright and vivid yellow. I realize I didn’t get a good chance to stare last night. There’s something magical to these moments when a new kid doesn’t know the cliques and is willing to speak to or hang out with anyone for the first few days. I kinda feel sorry for him; coming into Westbrook junior year and trying to find a way through all the un1S
spoken rules must be a nightmare. And considering how he fared
1R
last night, he’s probably worried about putting himself out there
1L
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WellsEnd_FinalPass_REV.indd 44
10/9/13 3:01 PM