English class was suddenly fraught with tension. She
was there, sitting in the front row, chatting casually with Parsons.
Josh slid into a seat a few rows back. Just ignore her. Just think
English. He took out the poem he'd worked on last period. Cindy
turned around and smiled at him. Josh jumped up to sharpen his
pencil. Why was this so hard?
Parsons was trying to settle the class and Josh
waited patiently. Last night's assignment had been to write a poem.
She asked for volunteers to share and Cindy's hand shot up. Her
elbow dimpled when she raised her hand. Parsons called on her and
Josh watched the corner of her mouth as she read. Lips shaping
each word. Air moving slowly in and out. . . . Oh, no! She was
reading about the sunlight in the trees. And the mark of Zorro. Panic
caught Josh and tightened every muscle. He stared at his desk. His
poem stared back. His poem about sunlight in the trees. How could he
be so stupid?
Cindy finished and turned slightly toward Josh. He
focussed hard on his desk, praying that Parsons would not call on him.
But the more he hoped, the more certain he became that she
would. Casually, very slowly, he slipped his poem into his notebook
and pulled out a book of poetry.
"Josh. Do you have a poem to share?"
"Sure, Ms. Parsons. I've got a book of poems by
Sylvia Plath. Shall I read one?"
"Oh, Josh. You are supposed to have a poem of your
own. Did you do last night's homework?"
"Uh, no. No, I guess I didn't. Sorry." Someone was
waving at him from the hall. Some girl. What was going on? Cindy
raised her hand.
"Yes, Cindy?"
"May I go to the bathroom?"
"Will you wait until everyone has read?"
"Yeah, well, like I can't wait. I gotta, well, you know. . . ."
Parsons could never say no. Josh watched Cindy go out
the door. Oh, yeah. That was Cindy's friend, waving in the hall.
Nothing to do with him. Three more girls were out there. Didn't
Parsons have a clue?
More students read their poems. They all seemed to
be about love. Must be something in the drinking water. Josh tried
to listen, but he wondered mostly where Cindy had gone. What
were they talking about? Another girl walked in and handed a note
to Parsons. Kathy. Ha. He knew her name and he knew she worked
in the office. And she smiled at him. Now why would she smile at
him, unless. . . .
"Josh. Mr. Latvis would like to see you in his office.
Right away."
"Okay. Should I take my stuff?"
"You'd better. You never know."
Never know? He knew. He knew it was trouble.
Something they thought he'd done. They never got him for the things he
did do, just for the things they thought he'd done. But maybe it
averaged out.
Kathy was by the water fountain, waiting for him.
"You're in big trouble this time!"
"What for? What's that old man want this time?"
"Not him, lover boy." Someone cupped a hand over
Josh's mouth. Two more people grabbed his arms and pulled him
backwards. "Time for some wild sex!"
Josh was dragged into the girls' bathroom. He was
too surprised to resist. When they had spun him around, his mouth
was uncovered, but his arms were still trapped by his sides.
Cindy Carlson stared back at him.
But Cindy was also being held. He recognized the girl
with the ring in her nose. And the other one he'd seen around. Who
was behind him? He tried to turn but someone slapped his head.
"Just nice and easy. Just look straight ahead."
"This is him, Cindy. This is the guy you have wild sex
with every Saturday night."
"I, I never. . . ."
"It's all over school. Ain't that right, Josh? Wild sex
every Saturday night." Two hands grabbed Josh's head and pushed
him forward until he was inches in front of Cindy. She gasped. And
then they pushed him further. He felt her lips. And he felt her fear.
"Stop it!" He tried to pull back but his scream was
muffled. He twisted and pulled one arm away. Suddenly, the five girls
were laughing. And then they were out the door, running down the
hall. One of them turned as she left. "Wild sex. Every Saturday night!"
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