The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth - Alexandra Robbins [124]
Jessica, the Future Farmers of America student who had run against Whitney for class treasurer, looked up from her banner. “Well, it’s true. The same little group runs it every year and you guys are intimidating to the rest of the grade.” She left to refill her paint cup.
The preps looked at each other. “What is she talking about?” one asked.
“Yeah, because we’re so scary,” Chip said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“We’re not intimidating,” said Bianca.
The teacher looked at the populars as if to say “duh.” “Uh, yes you are,” she said. “You guys scare the rest of your grade away from being involved in Class War, since you run the show. Not everyone gets your sarcasm, and some people get offended.”
Bianca grew defensive. “I am not fucking scary,” she said to the teacher. “People are just pussies.”
As usual, the teacher didn’t bat an eye at Bianca’s language because Bianca was a prep, and preps could say what they pleased. “You’re bossy,” the teacher said.
“I just like things done in a certain way, that’s all. I don’t scare people,” Bianca sniffed. “That’s so stupid.”
The rest of the preps remained quiet. I need to make an even bigger effort than I realized to get away from that reputation, Whitney thought. And I only have three months to do it. She had her work cut out for her. Even the wannabes weren’t sucking up to Whitney like they used to.
Whitney had a small lunch period attended mostly by preps, band kids, and freshmen. One day, she sat at the band kids’ table, where she was surprised that they acted as if it were natural for someone from another clique to join them. They chatted about Spirit Week; it was Costume Day. Whitney took pictures of Shay (the frizzy-haired band kid she used to ignore) and Shay’s friend Grace in costume. When the band kids left the lunchroom, Whitney rejoined the preps. The group stopped whispering as soon as Whitney sat down. Bobby looked at her pointedly, glanced at the empty band table, looked at Whitney again, and snorted.
That afternoon, Whitney overheard the honor society advisor telling an administrator that Fern, whose family didn’t have a car, had no way to get to the honor society’s induction ceremony. I should help her, Whitney thought. Anyone else would tell the whole world Fern doesn’t have a car.
The next day, Whitney approached Fern in Spanish class. “Hey, Fern, do you need a ride to the honor society thing tonight?” Whitney asked. Chelsea shot her a perplexed look.
Fern looked stunned, then nodded and smiled broadly.
“My mom knows where you live so she’ll give me directions. Can I have your number in case I get lost?”
Fern wrote down her number and handed it to Whitney. Whitney turned to Grace, a neighbor. “Grace, you need a ride too?”
“Sure, Whitney!”
“Okay, I’ll get you after Fern,” said Whitney, making the quick decision to go out of her way to pick Grace up last so she wouldn’t see that Fern lived in a broken-down apartment building. Whitney assumed that Fern would be more comfortable if fewer people saw her neighborhood.
On the ride to the ceremony, Whitney made small talk with Fern while Grace sang along with the radio. “Do you like Riverland?”
“I’m afraid to like it too much because I’m leaving soon.”
“I know what you mean.”
“I have a hard time making friends. So I don’t want to put the effort in when there’s only half a school year left, because it takes a lot of effort for me to make friends.”
“Yeah,” Whitney agreed. “I’m starting to drift away from my friends, so saying good-bye will be easier.” Whitney thought to herself that she was grateful she had friends, even if they were mean.
WHITNEY WAS HANGING OUT with Luke when Steph texted her. Steph sometimes hung out with the preps, even though she often told Whitney how much she hated them. She had transferred to Riverland from a school that the preps called “mad ghetto” because of its diversity.