Freak Genius

Chapter 8: MACY

Chapter 8: Macy

Arthur, Dan, and Brittany laughed as they stumbled down the halls with Macy at their side. Macy only smiled, however, for she was too absorbed in thought. Before Macy had joined her friends at lunch she'd encountered Casey and Taylor in the hall. Somehow they'd managed to force her into the bathroom where Taylor sneered, "Who do you think you are? What makes you think you can just roam the halls, smiling like you're more important than everybody else?" Then Casey advanced on her, laughing, "Oh Freak Genius, you would think that after all this time you would've learned that you're not worth scrap. I mean, why would anyone consider a know-it-all important? You just make the rest of us look bad!" By this time Macy had begun slowly exiting the bathroom. Casey and Taylor followed her, malicious grins spread across their faces.

' Then Macy was free! She'd made it to the hall! She plastered a broad smile across her face. Casey came up behind her, though, and whispered in her ear, "If you try and tell anyone that you're not bullying me, I will make sure everyone in this whole entire town knows that you're obsessed with Dan..." She trailed off as she and her friend scampered away.

The threat was bouncing around her skull, giving her a headache. Her cranium was already set to collapse with Dan's words, "The annoying little freak won't leave me alone! I can't shake her. I'm really getting tired of looking at her ugly face!" Macy was getting tired of these words!

Arthur waved farewell as he departed to board the bus home. Dan, Brittany, and Macy continued to the parking lot. They reached Brittany's pick-up truck posing across from Dan's small green junk-car. They halted between the cars. Brittany leaned up against her truck, Macy folding her arms across her chest, "So do you two want to come over later? I mean, it is a Friday. Macy, you can spend the night... Dan... You can stay late but my dad probably wouldn't approve of your presence past one or two." Dan shrugged. Macy unfolded her arms and frowned, "Kimber and I were going to hang out today... But I can always come over after eight. I'll just take my mom's car. She can live without it for one night." Dan nodded, opening the driver door, "Yeah. I think I'll just come over then too." Brittany smiled, also opening the driver door of her truck. "Sweet. I'll see ya later Danny Boy! Love ya!" "Love you too, Brit. Bye Macy. I guess I'll see you at Brittany's." Macy nodded, hopping into Brittany's truck.

The three doors slammed simultaneously. Brittany inserted the keys into the ignition, the engine roaring to life. Dan's small car sputtered a bit and then steadily rattled. Macy watched his gaze linger on Brittany and then shift over to her. Macy quickly looked away, hoping he'd missed her staring. She could feel his eyes boring into her skin quite painfully. The searing sensation lifted when he glanced into his rearview mirror to pull out of the parking spot. Brittany did likewise and was soon on the highway. Once she'd managed a steady speed she opened her mouth to speak, "Sooooo... Stephen Star gave you his flippin' number!" Macy instantly forgot about Casey's threat and Dan's hurtful words. "I know! Should I text him? " Brittany scoffed. "Hell yeah!" Macy whipped out her phone- her thumbs flying across the screen. "What should I say?" She then removed the small slip of paper containing his phone number out of her pocket. "You should be all, 'Hey! Just thought I'd text you so you have my number!' Then you start a conversation without sounding desperate." Macy nodded, typing in her exact words. Seconds later her cell phone buzzed, the screen lighting up.

Macy reads the message out loud:

I'm gonna assume this is Macy... What's up?

Brittany giggled as Macy replied, her heart soaring on cloud 9:

You betcha! Brittany Palmoni is giving me a ride home.

Macy continued to read their messages out loud to Brittany while she drove.