Page 44 of Indiscretion

I wiped sweat from my brow. “Aren’t you hot in that hat? I’m freaking roasting.”

Bailey’s face fell. Rather than respond, she turned her back to me and stayed that way while we waited. It was weird, especially because it was just the two of us at the bus stop.Oh-kay then. So much for trying to be nice to the new girl.

Ben ran down the block just as the yellow school bus rumbled to a stop.

“What the hell? I thought you were going to miss the first day.”

He raked a hand through his messy hair. “I was studying and lost track of the time.”

“Studying? What the heck could you be studying? We didn’t even start classes yet.”

“Math. Algebra isn’t going to be easy this year.”

I shook my head and climbed onto the bus behind the new girl. “Why do I hang out with you? You’re such a nerd.”

Ben followed me to the last row. Garrett and Will were already seated. Normally only ninth graders got to sit in the back, but these guys were my teammates, so they made an exception. And Ben didn’t play football, basketball, or baseball like I did, but he’d been my closest friend since I moved here last year, and we stuck together, so he reaped the benefits of a good seat. I guess it was fair since I got to reap the benefits of having a brainiac for a buddy and copy his homework when I didn’t feel like doing mine.

The new girl slid into a seat a few rows ahead of us. She propped her violin case up next to her. I didn’t pay much attention as we made our way to the school, at least until I heard her voice rise and saw her reaching over the seat for something.

“Give me that!”

Lenny Gleason was an overgrown jerk. He held Bailey’s denim bucket hat up in the air with one hand and pointed to her head with the other. “Where did you get your haircut? Lawnmowers R Us?”

I took a closer look at what the hell he was talking about. Bailey had short, brown, frizzy hair, and patches of it were missing. Lenny Gleason was a dick, but he was right, itdidlook like someone had taken a lawnmower and shaved random spots.

Bailey seemed to be on the verge of crying, so I jumped up and walked over.

Lenny might be a year older, and an inch or two taller, but I was wider, stronger, and had more balls than him. I’d kick his bully ass in a heartbeat. Snatching the hat from his hand, I stepped up so he and I were nose to nose. “You want to pick on someone, Gleason? How about someone your own size? I’m right here.”

His ruddy skin turned red, and his eyes narrowed, like he was considering accepting the challenge, but after a long stare off, he huffed and sat down.

I shook my head. “That’s what I thought.”

A fat tear rolled down Bailey’s cheek when I turned to give her back her hat. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s a moron. His twin sister sits in the front row. She took all the brains in the womb.”

Bailey sniffled and tried to smile as she took her hat back. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

A few minutes later, we pulled up at school. Bailey got off the bus ahead of me, and I jogged to catch up to her.

“Who do you have for homeroom?”

“Mr. Johnson, I think. Room two eighteen.”

“I’m on the first floor, but I can show you where the classroom is, if you want?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I didn’t realize I was.”

“I’m not a charity case,” she snipped. “I can take care of myself.”

Man, this girl had a chip on her shoulder. I probably should’ve walked away and let her take her anger out on someone else. I wasn’t sure why I didn’t. But I kept pace with her. When we got to the door, I opened it and pointed to the stairs on the left.

“These are for going up only. There’s a set at the other end of the hall for coming down.”

“Oh, okay, thanks.”

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