Page 11 of Dahlias, Sapphires, and Cool Autumn Dusk
Which was about all I could manage to process.
Inside the classroom, I followed Phoenix to a seat near the middle. He liked to sit by the window, so I picked the desk to his left, shifting miserably in the uncomfortable seat.The least they could do ismake classrooms tolerable for the students, I thought grimly. I slid my laptop, the only thing the school allowed us to carry, onto my desk. The school sent some software about a week ago that I downloaded to be part of their system. The security or “nanny” features would keep me out of my regular desktop during the day when I was in the zone of their Wi-Fi. Phoenix added a VPN to mine, so I could get back to my own stuff if I wanted without the school knowing, so long as I didn’t get caught.
He leaned over to me when I pulled out the computer. “This teacher—Collins? She is the worst person on the planet.”
“What?”Why didn’t he mention that before?
He didn’t answer me, instead catching the eye of a girl next to me. “Oh, hey, Tiffany, this is Alatheia. She’s new. Alatheia, this is Tiffany Roth. She’s smart like you, and an artist. You two should get to know each other. Alatheia Winder. Tiffany Roth.”
Tiffany stopped and stared at me, and I regarded her back in silence. I wondered if she was as unsure how to proceed as I was. Her hair was blue, and the color completely worked for her, not that I would dare say as much out loud.
Another girl sat in front of Tiffany, but Phoenix didn’t bother to introduce me to her.
“Hi,” I finally managed, deciding I should say something.
“Hi,” she replied, then sunk in her seat. “Ah, sorry. Unexpected. I didn’t know Phoenix knew my name.”
For his part, he fiddled with something on his computer and wasn’t paying attention to us, or at least he pretended to be occupied.
I swallowed. I could be brave. I fingered the pearls, then I managed to ask, “Why wouldn’t he know you?”
“Because he hasn’t ever spoken to me in the ten years we’ve gone to school together. It’s still nice to meet you, Alatheia. He mentioned you’re an artist, too?”
I didn’t ever confess it, not to anyone but the Lents, so heat flooded my face. “I can sketch a little bit. I think he’s being kind.”
He tapped his pen on his desk sharply. “I’m not.”
Tiffany leaned forward. “Well, maybe at lunch we can see each other’s work. Almost no one here draws, I swear. It’s too. . .small for this crowd, but I love art. So, yeah, let’s sketch together, if you’re available. Um, sorry. This is such a Pullman thing to say, but I don’t recognize your last name.”
I blinked then realized what she meant. “Yeah, that’s because I’m the Poor Relation. My aunt is Tricia Samuels.” Tiffany made a face, so I had to decide what her expression meant. I never talked about myself or said anything about my family. In this case, I admitted, “She’s such a bitch.”
Tiffany gave me a huge smile. “Shereallyis. Sorry you have to live with her, but I love that stream, if you were referencing what I think. How do you feel about the guy they just introduced? Do you think he’s the Real Deal?”
Phoenix leaned forward, interrupting unabashedly. “He’s the Real Deal. I know it.”
They did love my newest character I’d added to my web novel,Poor Relation. He was also a Poor Relation, so each of the Lents thought it was based on some part of themselves. Personally, I knew it was just fiction, but they loved it.
A girl sat down in front of Phoenix, spinning in her seat to beam up at him. He rolled his eyes and went back to his computer.
“You.” She nodded at me. “You’re a new girl. Who are you?”
Tiffany sat back in her seat. “Fuck off with your attitude, Bethany. No one wants it here.”
The statement earned her a glare from the new girl and my unrelenting devotion.Do I have to answer her? Can I pretend I speak a different language? Probably not. Finally, I blurted, “I’m Alatheia Winder.”
“Oh…I heard about you. That’s right. We’re not Hamptons people, ourselves. Why stay in the country, right?” She pulled out a lollipop and popped it in her mouth. I wished she would just suck on it and shut the fuck up. I stole a quick glance at her shoes.Yep, open-toed stilettos with her school uniform. She wasn’t just rich, she was snotty, and her next question proved the shoe theory when she added, “Didn’t you try to seduce your uncle?”
I took a long breath.There it is. I haven’tmet these people yet and they already haveopinions about me.Phoenix jolted, but he never got a chance to answer because Marco Madison, who I had met at a party at his house this summer and who played water polo with the twins, slid into the seat next to her.
“Don’t you watch the news? That dude was arrested for rape. Seems like she might have just gotten lucky and got away from the creep. Support the victim or whatever.” He shrugged. “Leave the girl alone. Besides, Julian hits people who say shit about her.”
Bethany widened her eyes. “He does?”
“Don’t talk about my family.” Phoenix didn’t look at her or Marco, but he answered them nonetheless.
Tiffany frowned. “I’m sorry that happened to you. What a psycho he must be.”
“Dude.” Apparently, Marco really liked that word and didn’t just use it at parties. “I need to pass this year. I barely slid through last year. Not only is my old man suddenly up my ass about grades, but I’ve got to get my GPA up to stay on the water polo team.”
