分节阅读_75

  ;d bee didhe pain of it
  yet.
  he tur a word and strode quickly away from me.
  i walked into the gym, lightheaded and wobbly. i drifted to the locker
  room, g ie, only vaguely aware that there were
  other pe me. reality didn't fully set in until i was
  handed a racket. it was it felt very unsafe in my hand. i
  could see a few of the other kids in class eyeiively. coach
  clapp ordered us to pair up into teams.
  mercifully, some vestiges of mike's chivalry still survived; he came to
  stand beside me.
  ”do you waeam?”
  ”thanks, mike — you don't have to do this, you know.” i grimaced
  apologetically.
  ”don't worry, i'll keep out of your way.” he gri was so
  easy to like mike.
  it didn't go smoothly. i somehow ma myself ih
  my rad clip mike's shoulder on the same swihe rest of
  the hour in the baer of the court, the racket held safely behind
  my back. despite being handicapped by me, mike retty good; he won
  three games out lehandedly. he gave me an unearned high five
  when the ally blew the whistle ending class.
  ”so,” he said as we walked off the court.
  ”so what?”
  ”you and , huh?” he asked, his tone rebellious. my previous feeling
  of affe disappeared.
  ”that's none of your business, mike,” i warernally g
  jessica straight to the fiery pits of hades.
  ”i don't like it,” he muttered anyway.
  ”you don't have to,” i snapped.
  ”he looks at you like… like you're somethi,” he ued,
  ign me.
  i choked back the hysteria that threateo explode, but a small giggle
  ma out despite my efflowered at me. i waved and
  fled to the lo.
  i dressed quiethihan butterflies battering
  recklessly against the walls of my stomach, my argument with mike already
  a distant memory. i was w if edaiting, or if i
  should meet him at his car. what if his family was there? i felt a wave
  of real terror. did they know that i kneosed to know that
  they k i k?
  by the time i walked out of the gym, i had just about decided to walk
  straight home without even looking toarking lot. but my worries
  were unnecessary. edaiting, leaning casually against the side
  of the gym, his breathtakiroubled now. as i walked to his
  side, i felt a pese of release.
  ”hi,” i breathed, smiling hugely.
  ”hello.” his answering smile was brilliant. ”how was gym?”
  my face fell a tiny bit. ”fine,” i lied.
  ”really?” he was unced. his eyes shifted their focus slightly,
  looking over my shoulder and narrowing. i glao see mike's
  back as he walked away.
  ”what?” i demanded.
  his eyes slid baiight. ”oing on my nerves.”
  ”you weren't listening again?” i was horror-struck. all tray
  sudden good humor vanished.
  ”how's your head?” he asked ily.
  ”you're unbelievable!” i turomping away in the geion
  lot, though i hadn't ruled out oint.
  he kept up with me easily.
  ”you were the oioned how i'd never seen you in gym — it made
  me curious.” he didn't sou, so i ignored him.
  we walked in silence — a furious, embarrassed sileny part — to his
  car. but i had to stop a few steps away — a crowd of people, all boys,
  were surrounding it.
  thehey weren't surrouhey were actually
  cird rosalie's red vertible, unmistakable lust in their
  eyes. hem even looked up as edward slid betweeo open his
  door. i climbed qui the passenger side, also unnoticed.
  ”ostentatious,” he muttered.
  ”what kind of car is that?” i asked.
  ”an m3.”
  ”i don't speak d driver.”
  &