Purple Sharpie

Thirty: Josh

For some reason Brennan wasn't in any of my classes that I usually had with him that day.

And trust me, I looked everywhere. Halfway to talk to him about Cammie and Reemee- and half to talk to him about why he had been called to the principal's office.

But as I was getting out of the last class before lunch, I saw him: Reemee on his arm like a devoted puppy. Then I saw someone that I had never seen before.

He had bleach-blonde hair shaved at the sides and a face that was attracting more than a few stares in the hall. He reminded me of Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter not just by his looks but in the way he walked and carried himself, with his head higher than the clouds and his back not exactly straight.

I went up to Brennan, grinning at Reemee and nodding at Malfoy. "Hey sexy." Brennan said. I made a face at him. He made a face back. "Too much? " Brennan whispered, glancing at the blonde boy.As he looked from the boy to me, I realized that this was the first time that I've ever seen a nervous Brennan.

It made me smile.

''Who is this?'' I said leaning against the lockers, my arms folded. Reemee was the one who answered, grinning. "This," she muttered to me."Is Superman's kryptonite."

She could probably see my confusion on my face because Reemee continued. "Stupid joke with me and Cammie. The point is, Brennan's been trying to impress him all morning and it hasn't worked. Weston Reynolds-" she pointed at Malfoy,"-seems to be the only person that Brennan feels like the second best thing around."

There's a moment as I take that improbable fact into my brain. "That's ridiculous." "Not so," she says, pointing subtley at the two boys.

Weston was standing there, looking at the hall traffic as it passed,waving at the girls with the Infinity scarves and Victoria secret perfume clouds. Okay. So he's going to hit on Reemee, not Cammie.

On that thought that zigzaged through my mind, my throat closed up a microscopic amount, and I shook my head.

Then, as I watched, Brennan glanced at Weston, shifting his position ever-so-slightly to match Weston's relaxed stance.

"Whoa." The word slipped from my mouth, oozing into the air. "It's been happening from the moment that that ferret walked into the principal's office." I looked at the long-haired brunette. "Why were you two called down anyway?" Reemee stopped marveling at the incredible spectacle that was Brennan being thoroughly shown up to look at me.

"They needed that-" she pointed at the blonde boy,"To be given the grand tour." I furrowed my eyebrows, biting my lip. There was a second of silence, then, "Cammie would get a kick out of this."

I jumped at the sound of her name."Uh-" I cleared my throat. "Where is Cam, anyway? Haven't seen her since this morning." Reemee shrugged. "I have no idea- I haven't either."

"Hey!" I looked up. A girl from the Chess Club was running toward us. "Reemee, right?" Reemee nodded, adjusting her weight slightly to one side. "Cammie wanted me to tell to you and the guy with the hair to meet her at the fountain for lunch." She glanced at Brennan, then at Weston, then at me.

"Whichever one she's referring to." Reemee and I laughed, and Reemee grinned at the girl. "Thanks, Kayleigh." She said. " I'll see you in Health, okay?" Kayleigh gave her a high five, swishing her hips as she walked away.

Brennan came over and I watched Weston walk away with a pretty blonde girl. "What was that about?" he said. "We have to meet Cammie by the fountain. I swear if she's hurt again, I don't care if she tries to stop me." "Same." Brennan and I said at the same time.

Suddenly, thinking about the girl I had heard in the window, I had an idea. " Hey, Reemee," She looked at me over her shoulder. "Who was it who hurt Cams?"