Max and I

Chapter Nine

I woke up and looked at my clock.

It was 12:05. Just past midnight.

I didn't know how I woke up but thought it was because it was of my dream. I had a really uncomfortable dream. I had married Max and we loved each other and kissed.

"Ugh," I whispered. I pulled the hair out of my face. I opened my eyes for a minute and rubbed them. But I didn't want to let anyone know I had woken up. Mom would have asked, "Are you fine? Are you sick? Do you need to take medicine?"

"I'm absolutely fine," I would reply.

I turned on my nightlight. I was a baby, someone could've said. I still used my light quite often. To say the truth, I was afraid of the dark. And Mom was too. Elli thought it was crazy.

I slowly got back into bed and got cold. I wrapped the sheets around me and faintly whispered, "Sleep, sleep, sleep," trying to get back to sleep. But I didn't. I woke up late the next day and was tired. I ate my toast, not really thinking much and went to school.

My heart beat fast. I tried to sit quietly but I was worried about school. Sierra whispered a lot with Brunetta.

"She kisses people," the girls whispered. They probably thought I couldn't hear, but I did.

"Shut up!" I told them. "Keep your mouth silent!"

Hee, hee, hee. The Brunetta-laugh. "What? We were just talking about a dream I had," Brunetta said. "What's your question?"

"Nothing, never mind," I said.

"You sure?" It sounded like the girls were teasing me.

"What dream did you have?" I asked.

"We just dreamed about this boy. I kissed him and that's all," Brunetta said.

"OK. I don't need a complete retell. But I know you were laughing at me and Max. Seriously, Brunetta—tell me the truth..." I looked her straight in the eye.

"I promise you, Meg, we were not speaking a word about you. Pinkie-swear?"

"Nope." I pulled away. "Stop lying. Remember what Ashley said. She's gonna tell on you. So ha, there goes your laugh."

The girls began to speak to each other again. I really truly disliked Brunetta and Sierra SO much when they did that.

Ashley was reading a book when I came into the classroom. She told me her mother worked early so she went to before-school club

She smiled pleasantly at me and said, "Sorry for the thing with Max yesterday."

I looked at her nicely too. "Thanks for admitting the truth."

Brunetta was listening from the corner of her eye. Ashley didn't notice, but I did. I told her to shut up.

Mr. Robertson came into the classroom drinking some coffee. "Brunetta please come over to me," he told loudly enough that the whole class could hear. Mrs. Kingstone came into the room briefly afterwards. She was a pretty old woman who had gray hair and a round face. She was fat.

"What now?" Brunetta cried.

"Let's go into my room," explained Mrs. Kingstone. "We'll talk about it." Mr. Robertson came out into the hall and soon came back inside.

I looked back at Sierra. She didn't have a cell phone today. Sophia was talking to Timmy again. Timmy was smiling, his eyes gleaming bright.

"OK, Tim and Sophie, how about you talk at lunch about your thing? Right now we're moving into LA. Get your books out." Mr. Robertson had a very stern face.