The Education of Hailey Kendrick - Eileen Cook [39]
I ticked off scrambled eggs and toast and pulled out my math homework to go over my answers one more time. My grades had gone up lately because I’d had way more time to do homework, without needing to spend time talking to anyone. Isolation has its advantages. Kelsie sat down and waved away the server. She never eats breakfast. Or to be more precise, she never eats her own breakfast. Kelsie picked the strawberry off my toast plate and popped it into her mouth.
“So how come I have to hear from someone else that you’re assigned to clean with some sort of hunky man model?”
“What?”
“If I had known they hired cute townies to clean, I would have taken an interest in dust long before now.” Kelsie looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to us. “Is he the one from that night?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, he is not the one.”
“You’re going to want to bail on breakfast, by the way.”
“Why?”
“Trust me. Make yourself scarce.” Kelsie took a piece of my toast and wrinkled up her nose. “I hate this whole grain stuff. The nuts get in my teeth.”
“Then, get your own toast.” I grabbed the piece back. “Why should I leave?”
“I can take time to explain things, or later we can talk about how next time you should listen to me,” Kelsie said, pointing a pink nail in my face.
I opened my mouth to argue the point, but there was a rustle at the front of the room and Joel hopped up onto one of the tables.
“Too late,” Kelsie groaned.
Joel clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “As the student council president I would like to call a town meeting.”
I raised an eyebrow at Kelsie, who gave me a look that said I should have made a run for it when I had the chance. Town meetings are an Evesham tradition. If someone has a gripe—ranging from someone playing their music too loud (or playing music someone else can’t stand) to the need for more organic veggies for the salad bar—then we are supposed to talk it out over one of our meals. It’s supposed to remind us of how we would have talked over issues with our families over a dinner table. The truth is most of Evesham’s students didn’t have family dinners, unless you count sitting down with your nanny over fish sticks while your parents go to some fancy fund-raiser.
Joel nodded to one of the tables, and I saw Mandy Gallaway get up. She pulled her uniform skirt down and paused long enough to make sure everyone was watching her walk to the front of the room.
“Uh-oh,” I said softly under my breath.
Kelsie grabbed the last piece of my toast. “File this experience under, ‘Next time I will pay attention to my best friend when she gives me advice.’”
“I wanted to bring up the issue of having to be on restriction.” Mandy looked around the room. “I think it’s unfair that we’re all on lockdown when only one person did something wrong.”
There were a few grumbles from other people in the cafeteria. I stared down at my eggs so I didn’t have to meet anyone’s eyes. Did they think this was my idea? If Mandy wanted to go into town and flash a nipple or her thong at a random photographer, it was fine by me. If they wanted to gripe, they should take it up with Winston.
“Hailey, can you come up here and join us while we talk this out?” Joel asked.
I looked up from my eggs, my stomach flipping over. I pointed a finger at my chest, on the off chance that Joel had another Hailey in mind. He nodded, and Mandy crossed her arms over her chest with a smirk. With everyone’s eyes on me, I figured bolting from the room was out. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and walked slowly to the front.
“Dean Winston imposed restriction on all of us as a way to demonstrate how we’re connected. What impacts one of us impacts