With an effort, she managed not to sigh. Why did he have to be so nice? She loved him for showing concern, for looking after her in a way no one else seemed willing to, except maybe Alison.
But his timing was terrible. Things were not good at home. Things were not good, period, for that matter. Just about everything was wrong.
She couldn’t tell him that, though. Her father was already facing an inquisition from a social worker, and he didn’t have a job. He didn’t need her telling a teacher anything worrisome. Then Mr. Pipich would get involved and make things worse.
And she certainly couldn’t tell him that giant dogs from her dreams had appeared in the real world, chased her home, and nearly torn her to pieces on her front porch before vanishing. He would think she was crazy. That was a problem she didn’t need either.
So there was nothing to do but to lie to Mr. Pipich. She hated that. She knew it was a betrayal of the one adult she could rely on. But there was simply no other choice.
“Everything’s fine, Mr. Pipich,” she said. “Jeremy just scared me that one time. I’m totally over it. I’m good.”
He gazed on her through those circle glasses of his. His mustache twitched. Fearful he could penetrate her prevarication, she cast her gaze down at his desk so he wouldn’t be able to see behind her eyes.
And then she saw a gold coin lying next to his copy of Romeo and Juliet. Her eyes popped open wide at the sight of it. It was a token of some sort from an arcade. Mr. Pipich must have confiscated it from a student.
At first, she thought nothing of it, but then everything fell into place for her. When she saw the coin in her dreams, it rolled down the hallway at school before the dogs came to chase her. She searched for sanctuary, and only one room was open – Mr. Pipich’s. The key unlocked doors, and the way to get the key was with the coin. And it was Mr. Pipich who had asked her in her latest nightmare for a token. That was what the coin must be – a token she could use to get the key!
It suddenly made perfect sense that, as she stood here in Mr. Pipich’s room, the gold coin on his desk had to be the one she was searching for. She’d determined this morning she was going to find the coin, so she could purchase the key. Did she make this happen?
Sally didn’t know, but she wasn’t about to question it. The opportunity was here. She needed to seize it.
“Sally,” he was saying. “Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”
She realized he’d been speaking and she hadn’t heard a word of it. She moved closer to the desk as slyly as she could manage. She put her books down and met his gaze. Not wanting to trap herself, she didn’t answer his question.
“You can trust me,” he said. “I promise, Sally, I’m on your side. Whatever harm you think you might cause by telling me anything, I promise you it won’t be bad. It will make things better.”
She smiled sympathetically. She knew he believed that. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t know it wasn’t true.
Sally did, though. She couldn’t tell him the truth. Additionally, she suddenly had something more important to do.
“I’m fine, Mr. Pipich,” she said. “I mean it.”
She glanced surreptitiously at the coin. How was she going to get it?
“Sally,” he said. “Look me in the eye and tell me nothing’s wrong.”
God, did he have to be such a pain in the ass? She loved him, but he did not understand the situation, and his probing was getting irritating.
A plan leaped into her brain. Maybe she could accomplish both her objectives at once.
She took another step towards the desk and put her hands on it, making sure her left hand covered the coin. Then she met Mr. Pipich’s blue-eyed gaze.
“Mr. Pipich,” she said, “I’m really fine. There is nothing wrong at home. There’s nothing really wrong anywhere in my life. I have friends, I have the lead in the school play, and I have good grades in all my classes except for social studies. Mr. Frank is a jerk, but I’ll figure him out. I do not need your help with anything that doesn’t relate to English class or Romeo and Juliet, and I wish you’d quit asking.”
He was taken aback by her final remark. He leaned back in his chair, startled and immediately looked embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, Sally,” he said. “I’m just trying to look out for your best interests.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate that. I have to go now, though, or I’ll be late for class.”
He looked more uncomfortable than before. Sally had him beaten. All she had to do was leave now.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “If you’re late and you need a pass, let me know. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks,” she said.
She offered him a smile and stood up straight, dragging the coin off the desk and into her hand as she did. As stealthily as possible, she slipped it into her pocket, grabbing her books with her right hand and using them as cover.
“See you at practice after school,” she said.
Then she turned and got out of his classroom before he could stop her or realize what she had done.
She was disgusted and elated at the same time. She hated lying to Mr. Pipich, and she felt worse about saying mean things to him. But it was the only way she could think of to get him to leave her alone.
A thrill went through her at the prospect of having the coin in her pocket, though. She’d accomplished a huge piece of her plan to save her family. Now she’d be able to get the key.
There was no time to think about that, though. If she didn’t hurry she was going to be late to health class. Contemplating the coin would have to wait for later.
Fourteen
Sally could barely contain herself at lunch. She didn’t claim a spot at their usual table. Instead, she waited for Alison at the cafeteria door. As soon as she arrived, Sally grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to a table.
“Guess what?” Sally said.
“What?”
“I got the coin!”
“What coin?” Alison said.
“The one from my dreams,” Sally said. “The one that’s always rolling away from me down the hall before the dogs come to chase me.”
“So what do you mean you got it?”
“I found it in Mr. Pipich’s room. It was just sitting on his desk,” Sally said. “I saw it at the end of third period, so I grabbed it.”
She produced the coin and handed it to Alison, who stared at it skeptically. Alison turned it over and over, examining it.
“Sally, this is a token from, like, Chuck E. Cheese or some place,” Alison said.
“I know,” Sally said. “I figure Mr. Pipich took it from someone or found it on his floor or something.”
“So what makes you think this is the right coin?”
Sally sighed. She hated being doubted and questioned. Why couldn’t anyone believe her the first time?
“In all my dreams, Mr. Pipich has something to do with the coin,” she explained. “It rolls towards his classroom when I dream I am in school. One other time, he actually asked me for it. He said, ‘Token, please,’ and he turned into Shakir when I didn’t have it. Finding this in Mr. Pipich’s classroom has to be right. All the dreams are trying to tell me something. This is what they had to say about the coin.”
Alison nodded and handed it back. It felt good between Sally’s fingers. She rubbed it, enjoying the sensation of its texture on her thumb.
“So now what?” Alison said.
“I’m not sure,” Sally admitted. “I’m supposed to use it to get the key.”
“How?”
“I wish I knew. This morning, I decided for once and for all that I was going to get that stupid key. Then the coin I need to buy it just showed up. So maybe I can make it happen by thinking about it hard enough.”
“Maybe,” Alison said. She sounded doubtful. “Seems like it should be more complicated than that, though.”
Sally opened her mouth to protest, but Brian and Brad arrived and slid into the s
eats next to them. Sally stuffed the coin back into her pocket. Brian was driving her crazy today. First, he’d indicated Alison was one of his favorite girls too. Then he’d admitted he only wanted Sally to help him with the play. Now, she had something really important to discuss with Alison, but here he was interrupting her. She wouldn’t be able to talk to her until after play practice. Sally sighed.
“What’s happenin’, ladies?” Brian said.
Sally rolled her eyes. Brian always had the same clichéd opening, and after his performance this morning, she really wasn’t interested in hearing it again.
“Lunch,” Alison replied.
“My favorite class of the day,” Brad said.
“Speaking of which,” Brian said, “Frank got on us pretty hard about falling behind in the Spirit Stick competition.”
“Us too,” Sally said.
“What’s that got to do with lunch,” Alison asked.
“Well, I figure I can help the team by buying sweets from the bake sale,” Brian said. “Who’s with me?”
“Not me,” Alison said. “I am not spending any money to benefit the Spirit Committee as long as Molly Richards is a member.”
Sally smiled. She appreciated the solidarity.
“Fair enough,” Brian said. “Brad?”
“Dude, you know I’m diabetic,” Brad said. “I can’t have that stuff.”
“Oh, right,” Brian said. “Sally?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t have any money.”
“Are you sure?” Brian said. He flashed that bright smile. “My treat.”
“Well . . .” Sally said.
She still wasn’t sure. She didn’t like to ask others for money, but he was offering.
“Come on,” he said. “What’ll it be?”
“A Rice Krispie treat?” Sally asked.
“Coming right up,” he said and disappeared over to the bake sale table.
Alison grinned suggestively at her. Sally blushed.
“So he’s buying treats for you now, eh?” Alison teased.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Sally said.
“Uh-huh,” Brad said, giving Sally the same look Alison had.
Sally had a bite of her sandwich. She knew the two of them thought Brian had it bad for her, but there was no truth to it. If there had been, he wouldn’t have said Alison was one of his favorite girls this morning. They only saw the outward signs. Sally knew what Brian was really like.
“Think he’ll ask her out?” Alison said to Brad.
“Not sure,” Brad said. “I don’t know if he has the courage.”
“He will,” Alison pronounced. “Why else would he want to buy her sweets?”
“I’m right here,” Sally said.
Another thrill went through her, unbidden. What if Brad was right? What if Brian really did like her, but he didn’t have the guts to ask her to date him?
She shook her head. First of all, that wasn’t true. Brad was wrong. Second, it didn’t matter. If Brian wasn’t brave enough to ask her out, there was no point to him liking her in the first place.
Brian returned with a Rice Krispie treat for Sally and a brownie for himself. He sat down and began unwrapping his after handing off Sally’s.
“Thank you,” she said.
“My pleasure,” he replied.
“Well, look who it is, girls,” Molly said as she and The Set went by.
“Why it’s Little Red Riding Hoodie and the fag-boy,” Moira said.
“I guess we know where the losers’ table is,” Kylie said.
“Yeah, I guess we know where the loser’s table is,” Brinna added.
“Yep,” Alison said. “It’s right over there, where you guys are planning to sit.”
“You wish,” Wendy said.
“Bigots are losers,” Alison pronounced. “And you’re as bigoted as they come, Molly.”
“Yeah, why don’t you use the N-word too, Molly,” Brian said. “Then you can really prove to everyone what kind of person you are.”
“Shut your mouth, faggot,” Molly said. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Make me,” Brian said standing up.
“Are you threatening me, gay-boy?” Molly said.
“He. Is. Not. Gay!” Sally shouted. She stood up and puffed up her chest, daring Molly to continue. The lunchroom got suddenly quiet.
“How would you know?” Molly returned. “A little girl like you wouldn’t know the first thing about it.”
“HE KISSED ME!”
What little noise there had been in the lunchroom abruptly ceased. Everyone stared at her. Brian looked embarrassed. Molly and The Set all gaped at her.
“That’s right,” Sally said. “He kissed me, Molly, not you. Just one more thing I got that you didn’t, you arrogant bitch.”
The entire lunchroom gasped at the insult. She fixed a smug and defiant smile on her face, daring Molly to come back from that.
“So,” Molly said slowly, “since you’ve no got boobs, you’re making up for it by being a slut.”
There was another collective gulp from the rest of the sixth grade. Alison jumped up from her seat. Brinna and Kylie wheeled around to face her. Alison took a step forward, but Sally stopped her with a wave of her hand.
“Kissing doesn’t make you a slut, Molly,” Sally said calmly. “Walking around with three buttons undone and showing off your tits to anyone who’ll look does.”
Even Alison’s jaw fell open at that remark. Molly turned first white, then red. Unable to resist, she looked down at her chest. She had three buttons undone on her top, just as Sally had described. Her breasts were straining against the fabric of a bra that was cut to show them off. She looked back up, furious. She opened her mouth to retort, but she was cut off by the arrival of Coach Braddock.
“I think that’s enough here, girls,” he said.
“But—” Molly began.
“I said, ‘That’s enough.’” The coach’s voice grew dangerous. Sally stared at Molly defiantly.
Unwilling to go to battle with Coach Braddock, Molly turned on her heel. She made to stomp off with The Set in tow, but the coach stopped her again with a final comment.
“And, Richards,” he called out loud enough for the whole lunchroom to hear. “Button up your shirt.”
Sally couldn’t see the look on Molly’s face, but she saw her shoulders go rigid. A moment later, she set her tray down and began working the buttons of her shirt.
“All right, everybody back to minding your own business,” Coach Braddock bellowed.
After a moment, people began to talk again. The coach strode away.
“Holy crap,” Alison said, amazement in her voice. “You totally blasted her.”
“Yeah, you did,” Brian added, his brown eyes shining. “That was awesome. Damn, you’re cool.”
Sally sat down. Her hands were shaking from the adrenaline that had ripped through her. She’d thought she might actually have to fight, especially after Alison got up. She was prepared to tear Molly’s face off if she had to, although she worried that would get her suspended and worse, kicked out of the play.
But she was pleased to have the approval of her friends. She started unwrapping the treat Brian had bought her.
“Thanks,” she said.
“No,” Brian said. “Thank you. That might be the coolest thing I’ve seen in a week.”
Sally smiled more broadly. So did Alison.
***
Sally and Alison left lunch early, so they could use the bathroom before class. Sally was hoping they could use the time to discuss the coin.
“Do you think the key will be easy to find,” she asked.
“I don’t know, Sally,” Alison answered. “Zelda didn’t say anything about that to me.”
Sally borrowed Alison’s brush while her friend washed her hands. She stared at herself in the mirror, wishing it were her grandmother wielding the brush instead.
“If I don’t find it before the end of the day, I
’m taking the coin to bed with me,” Sally said.
“Why?”
“Because maybe I need it in my dreams.”
“How are you going to take it into your dreams,” Alison asked.
“I don’t know,” Sally admitted.
“Maybe if you’ve got it with you when you fall asleep it will go with you,” Alison offered.
“Like sleep in my clothes, so it’s in my pocket?”
“Or hold it in your hand when you fall asleep.”
“That makes sense,” Sally said.
There was a flush behind them. Sally looked into the mirror in alarm. She hadn’t realized anyone else was in the bathroom.
A stall opened, and Molly Richards strolled out. She scowled when she saw Sally and Alison.
“I should have known it was you two losers,” Molly said. “Only morons like you would be speaking nonsense like that dream garbage.”
Sally froze. Molly had heard them? Would she tell everyone in school? Would everyone – including Mr. Pipich – think she was crazy?
“Shove it, Molly,” Alison said. “No one wants to hear the wasteage that comes out of your mouth.”
Molly smiled unpleasantly. She sauntered over to the sink and started washing her hands.
“You bitches think you’re pretty smart, don’t you?” she said. “You think you’re really clever. But you’re going to pay.”
“Molly,” Alison said, “if you know what’s good for you, you and your Set will go find someone else to bully. If you keep messing with Sally and me, you’re going to end up wishing you were dead.”
Molly turned off the water and dried her hands, still smiling. Then she turned and walked straight up to Alison.
“You really are stupid,” Molly said. “You messed with Kylie and Brinna at the mall. You got Brinna detention last week.” She turned and looked at Sally. “You took the part that should have been mine. Then you stole the boy I wanted.
“You two blonde bimbos have stepped over the line. You forgot who your betters are, and you acted like you had some right to even breathe the same air as us.
“Well you’re going to pay for it. You’re going to pay with interest. Before this week is up, your lives are going to be over at Roosevelt Middle School. You’ll have to transfer if you don’t want every waking moment to be hell. I promise you, you are going to wish you had never met me, let alone crossed me.”
Little Red Riding Hoodie: A Modern Fairy Tale Page 17
