Forks

by A.E. Davis

The rest of the day, I kept my head down and threw out my own version of Spanish when anyone tried to talk to me, which sounded lame, but it kept most of the people away. I hadn’t seen Van again, which kind of made me…I don’t know…feel gloomy. He was like the only normal person I had seen… well that was using the word “normal” pretty loosely but it was better than nothing. I even resorted to eating the candy he gave me, not because of what he said but because I was hungry. My lunch sucked.

  The bell rang and I squeezed my way through a throng of people out of class. Once I made it through the cluster, I stopped and looked to my right, then my left, trying to figure out what direction to go in.

  “Hey… Switzerland…”

  I turned to see the guy that was in front of my car earlier, leaning against a locker. “My name is Amber!” I snapped before remembering I was supposed to be an import from another country.

  His eyes crinkled at the corners and he laughed. “I knew you could speak English.” He unhitched himself from the locker and stepped in front of me.

  “Yeah, great, you figured out my big secret.” I tried to shove past him. “Sorry, I am all out of Bozo buttons.”

  “You being smart with me…Switz…I mean, Amber?”

  “No.” I widened my eyes. “Why would I do that?” I poured on the sarcasm.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I guess you got a death wish...” His eyes glittered strangely.

  “Freak!” I stomped past.

  A hand grabbed hold of my arm and flung me backward. My breath rushed from my lungs. It felt like I hit a brick wall.

  “I didn’t say you could leave.” His warm breath hissed in my ear.

  Irritation flared in me, overriding my common sense. “Last time I checked, I didn’t need permission to go to class.” Jerking my arm away, I stumbled forward over my feet. “Especially by someone like you,” I snapped. He looked surprised by my snappy retort. Honestly so was I. When did I get a set? I had to wonder.

  “Yeah, well …” He shoved his hands into his pockets, looking unsure suddenly.

  “Well what?” I glared at him. Actually, my heart was beating out of my chest and I felt like I was going to be sick. Someone stepped in my line of vision. All I saw was a neon green Superman logo.

  “Leave,” he snarled…“Now!”

  Before I could even look up, I was shoved down the hall. My body lifted off the floor and I was airborne before my feet came crashing back down. I didn’t even bother turning around. Keeping up my momentum, I ran all the way to class and only slowed long enough to get through the door. Once inside I came to a screeching halt. Everyone was staring at me, including the two sparklers, Viola and Cressida that had blocked my way earlier. Perfect.

  They gave me a nasty glare as I made my way to the back of the room.

  The teachers nasally voice rang out, “Ms. Davis, how nice of you to join us.”

  I cringed. Now everyone would know I wasn’t a foreign import. Dropping my bag on the floor, I sat down and pressed my hand to my head like a visor to shield against the angry glares I was getting from just about every female in the class. As far as I could tell, they were all sparklers, except for two.

  “You’re a newbie, huh?” asked a small blonde girl with a cherubic face sitting in the row of chairs beside me. She pursed her bow shaped lips and gave me the once over. Her face wasn’t the least bit sparkly but she was pretty pale, ghostly almost.

  “Guilty as charged,” I said, and leaned down to pick up my notebook and pen from my bag along with the candy the guy had given me earlier.

  Her cherubic face brightened and she laughed making her china blue eyes glitter. “I’m Glinda.”

  I lifted my brows. “Glinda?”

  “Yeah, like Wizard of Oz.”

  “Like the good witch.” I opened up my notebook.

  “Maaybee,” she singsonged and traced a black bird tattoo on the inside of her left wrist. “Don’t mind them, they’re just jealous.”

  I looked at the girls, all of whom looked like Victoria secret angel models. “Of me?” I dumped out a piece of candy and popped it in my mouth. “Not likely.”

  “Oh but they are.” She shook her head adamantly, making her light blonde curls float around her face. “You smell… ripe.”

  My face flamed—I took ripe to mean (as in B.O.) Dipping my head, I sniffed my armpit—nope, just cheap deodorant…

  She laughed again. “Not that kind of ripe silly. You smell fresh, like ….” She inhaled deeply and frowned. “What is that?” Her nose wrinkled.

  “What is what?” I popped another Red Hot in my mouth. The faint smell of cinnamon filled the air.

  She put her hand over her nose. “Never mind,” she mumbled and turned back around.

  And that was the end of that.

  I tossed three more Red Hots in my mouth—the kids here are whacked.