BROKEN

Part 2 of 5

10

 You have English next, right?” Nessa burbles as we three walk down the steps together.

 Thanks to her and Celina, we do feel together. As if we’ve always been together, were meant to be together.

 I’m glad Celina is carrying my bag because I’m giddy again and would have dropped it for sure.

 “You’ll love Mrs. Gentry, she’s the best,” Nessa continues as if I’d answered. “We just started The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams. It’s so cool, all despair and desperation. My dad, he just loves old Tennessee Williams. Any of those suicidal poets and playwrights and novelists, they all turn him on, big time.”

 “Kinda like Mr. Thorne? Talk about your psychic vampires, thriving on our pain.” I hope it’s the right thing to say. I don’t want to risk breaking the spell surrounding us.

 They both stop. I swallow, sending the spinning giddy feeling plummeting from my head down to my toes. I’ve screwed up.

 But then they exchange a glance, smile in unison, and laugh.

 “You catch on fast,” Nessa says in approval. She links our arms together. “Don’t worry. We’ll protect you from old Thorny.”

 Us against the world. Feels good. I’ve never had anyone on my side before except my mom and dad. I decide to push things a step farther. “Can I ask, what was all that between you and Jordan?”

 Celina’s eyes tighten as she meets my gaze and shakes her head. Nessa grabs my arm tighter and hustles me through the door of a classroom as if she didn’t hear me. Maybe it’s for the best.

 Nessa releases me and heads for her desk. Celina leans close and whispers, “I’ll tell you later.”

 Mystery, intrigue, drama—and I haven’t even had my first official class yet. High school is so much more fun than the hospital.

 11

 My first high school class. It isn’t what I expect. Oh, the kids lined up in rows of chair-desks, some sleeping, some whispering, some taking notes, some texting—even though phones aren’t allowed in school—teacher at the blackboard, that’s all just like it is on TV.

 But TV doesn’t show the really cool stuff. The ideas and discussion and way that, even if you’re too shy to raise your hand, you can still feel good when you know the answer. I’d read The Glass Menagerie a few years ago and remember enough that I know most of the answers to Mrs. Gentry’s questions.

 Celina and Nessa surprise me. Nessa doesn’t say a word the entire class. Instead, she’s focused on writing in her notebook and I don’t think it has anything to do with Tennessee Williams. Her forehead is creased and her lips are tugged down in a frown.

 And Celina? She’s suddenly all sparkly, raising her hand, shouting out answers when the discussion gets going, even challenging Mrs. Gentry, debating the brother’s motives in bringing the Gentleman Caller home to meet his sister.

 Me? I just watch, mesmerized, too chicken to risk raising my hand or answering anything.

 Then Mrs. Gentry winds down the debate and says, “Tennessee Williams calls The Glass Menagerie a memory play. He purposely gives directions for the set to be minimalistic, the same with the costumes. He even uses the unreliability of memory as an excuse for the suggestion that everything in the play is wrong. So the assignment this week is for you to each keep a memory journal. Write down your memories, going back as far as you can. Then try to verify them by interviewing primary sources. Who are primary sources?”