Ember Rising Light (Book One)
Page 42
Chapter Thirty Eight
The school was buzzing about my temperamental speech. It seems that no one has ever stood up for the underdog before today. I found that fact notably disheartening. I thought Tray would be furious with me for pulling that stunt. He had somehow already heard about it and found me hiding out in the library. I followed him outside with my head in the appropriate, downward position.
“Hey bruiser…” Tray said in a comical tone.
“Did you just call me bruiser or did my mind just play a trick on me...” I replied.
He smiled at me with his sideways smile that I love so much and didn’t seem to be upset that I had a meltdown a few minutes ago.
“I’m staying outta your way. I hear you almost put the Ember-smack-down on your lunchroom buddies.”
“I can’t believe you already heard about it. Well, I might be little, but I’m quite feisty. Wait, lemme clarify that, I’m little, feisty and I carry around a big, intimidating brother so people tend to listen when I speak,” I informed him and tried uselessly to keep a straight face.
“All kidding aside Little Girl – are you okay?”
He didn’t expand any further on his thought – he didn’t have to.
“I’m great – Ally’s lunch didn’t fare so well though. I guess we need to pay her back or buy her lunch to make up for it. Her plate was the closest thing I could find to demonstrate my point,” I revealed to him humorously as I walked with him to our car.
“I’d feel better if you’d just leave with me today…”
“I’ll be fine. Besides when you pull the whole “lamb into a lion thingie” you have to stick around. Otherwise, the jackals will feed on your weak and rotting carcass the next day,” I interrupted him.
“Jackals don’t live in the mountains…” Tray told me in a joking manner, but his brow was creased with concern.
“Really, Tray, I’m fine – what can possibly happen? They outlawed the high school death squads’ years ago…”
“I’m leaving you here against my better judgment. So the slightest hint of the tiniest amount of trouble…”
“I’ll head for the nearest fire escape, call you immediately and beg you to come a runnin’. Now go to work – you’re almost late,” I reminded him.
I completed the day without much fanfare, although all eyes were on me with every class change. At least they waited until after I had walked by them before they whispered and pointed.
Krista was so grateful that she had to brush tears from her eyes. She told me that everyone at the table apologized to Greg for being total jerks.
Although I was happy to hear that my rant was successful, I would still be wary of our lunchroom friends for some time to come. Their attempts to exclude Greg from our circle felt dangerously close to disloyalty. I have never felt betrayal. So even if this turns out to be their big idea of joke, it still feels horrible just the same.
The social-freeze-out incident did teach me a very valuable lesson. Even people you consider friends will usually disappoint your expectations at some place and time.
So I need to get prepared for the pain…