Sloppy Firsts_ A Jessica Darling Novel - Megan McCafferty [73]
"Why are you always messing with my friend Jess?" she demanded, flapping her arms in his face before he had a chance to take two steps inside the classroom. But Marcus didn’t even break his stride. He walked over to his assigned seat and sat down.
"Don’t ignore me!" she said, following right behind him. "I want to know why you’re messing with my friend."
Marcus laughed. Actually, it was more of an idea of a laugh. His shoulders shook and his eyes crinkled and bursts of air came out of his mouth. But there was no noise that resembled anything close to a laughing sound. Sara got the point anyway.
"What’s so funny?" Sara asked, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
Marcus kept right on laughing his silent laugh.
"WHAT’S SO FUCKING FUNNY?!"
The whole honors class held their breath. Everyone had been waiting for something like this to happen since school started. But to their disappointment, Marcus had defied his controversial, provocative rep and had basically kept to himself. Until now.
"You’re not Jessica’s friend," Marcus said. "She can barely tolerate any of you."
For the first time since I’ve known her, Sara was at a loss for words. She huffed and puffed in the aisle for a few seconds. Then came the mother of all hissy fits.
"OMIGOD! WHERE DO YOU GET OFF SLAMMING ME AND MY FRIENDS?! I DON’T CARE THAT YOUR IQ TESTS SAY YOU’RE A QUOTE GENIUS UNQUOTE . YOU’RE A FUCKING DREG WHO IS GONNA WIND UP PUMPING GAS IN PINEVILLE FOR THE REST OF YOUR FUCKING LIFE!"
Just then, Bee Gee entered the room, oblivious to the sweeps-week-level drama that was going on in Room 201.
"Okay, people. Are we ready for a World War?"
Sara was ready, that’s for damn sure.
"I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL YOU FUCK UP AND GET KICKED OUT OF HERE FOR GOOD. BETTER YET, WHY DON’T YOU DO US ALL A FAVOR AND JUST OD AND GET IT OVER WITH, YOU FUCKING LOSER?"
And Bee Gee, in a rare moment of PHS jurisprudence, sent Sara to the principal’s office, which was just for show since Masters is tight with Sara’s dad.
As Sara stormed out of the classroom, Marcus leaned across his desk, pushed back my hair, and whispered in my ear.
"I’m trying to repay the favor, Cuz."
WHAT?! This is the thanks I get for The Dannon Incident? Since when does repaying the favor mean not talking to me for two months, then trying to make sure that no one else at Pineville High School talks to me either?
Of course, I didn’t say any of this.
Sara was sprung from the office by lunch, which was spent drilling me about Marcus.
"What the hell is going on with you and Krispy Kreme?"
"I have no idea," I said, keeping it simple.
"You’re the only one he makes these smart-ass remarks about."
"You must be working his nerves in some way," Manda chimed in. "Maybe he’s threatened because you’re an intelligent female, since he’s supposed to be the genius."
"I have no idea," I repeated, making my point and sticking to it.
"No, that’s not it," said Sara, matter-of-factly. "This started last year, before that Dreg was declared a quote genius unquote. There was that time he went off outside the principal’s office, then that other time in homeroom before spring break, remember?"
Sara never forgets anything.
"What do you want me to say? I have no idea why Marcus started doing any of this. I have no clue why he singled me out for his mind games."
This was all true. So far.
"Why would he say quote she can’t stand any of you unquote?"
"I have no idea."
Okay. That was a lie. The first of many I told throughout the remainder of lunch.
I don’t hate you guys. I haven’t done anything to provoke Marcus. I’m totally innocent in this.
Then just like that—BAM!—I had an epiphany. Marcus was right. My lies made me a bigger poseur than Miss Hyacinth Anastasia Wallace.
At that moment, I knew exactly what I needed to do.
I was snapped out of my revelation by Sara’s nasal noise.
"Jess! What’s up? You have this totally bizarre look on your face right now."
I touched my teeth with my fingers. I was smiling. A goofy, toothy, genuine