[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
how anyone could hate you."
"Thanks. That's sweet."
"I mean it. I know Stacy thinks just because you're shy, she can step all over you, but
that's B.S." He sets his hand on my shoulder. His touch immediately sends Shockwaves
through my system.
I look into his eyes, and I know he understands where I'm coming from. He doesn't
judge. He grips my shoulder tighter, and I will myself to touch his arm. To let him know
that I appreciate his understanding.
I want to stay like this forever, but my perfect moment is interrupted by Ms. Peters
announcing that the science teacher, Mrs. Fletcher, had her baby this morning. Then she
goes around the class asking us how our group projects are coming along. You can tell
who has started working and who hasn't. Kayla, our spokeswoman, speaks for us. "There
are definitely a lot of challenges to overcome since we have such an eclectic group, but I
think we've come up with some good ideas and I'm looking forward to our
presentation."
141
"Kiss ass much." I hear someone cough in the back.
Ms. Peters tells everyone to get to work, and we push our desks together. Kayla pulls
out a binder filled with pastel paper.
I yawn. After staying at the radio station past eleven last night, I could totally use a nap
right now.
Kayla lays out her glitter pens and scribbles frantically. Why is she always writing? We
haven't even started yet. I peer over. She's just heading the paper. If she does that for
every piece, we'll be here until the bell rings. Finally, she looks up. "Okay, I've already
been practicing with my cousin's roller skates. What about you guys?"
"I've started on my song, but I don't have anything to share yet," Gavin says.
Kayla turns to me. "And you?"
"Well, as a kid, Helen's hobbies were sailing and tobogganing." I grit my teeth.
"You own a toboggan?" Kayla asks. "You've had over a week. Couldn't you come up with
something that you can use?"
Helen worked in vaudeville as a child, but I don't want to give Kayla any ideas. There's
no way I'm standing up there blindfolded and doing any kind of singing or dancing.
"Well, she was a writer--"
"Duh." Kayla looks at me like I'm crazy.
Okay, think. What would Sweet T do in this situation? Good evening Miami, up next we
have our very first SLAM song in Braille ...
"Braille. I could write something in Braille," I offer.
142
She shuffles the pastel papers. "That's stupid. We don't know Braille."
Gavin grabs her wrist. "Relax, Tere just needs a little more time to come up with an
idea."
"But the presentation is in less than a month," Kayla protests.
Gavin looks at me. "The next time we meet, you'll have something, right?"
If I don't keel over and die first.
143
chapter FIFTEEN
I go straight to the library after school. I have to finish all my homework before I head to
the station, and my teachers have piled it on today. You'd think they could give us
seniors a break, but no.
I better come up with something for our English project. I don't want to give Kayla a
heart attack. I flip through Helen Keller's autobiography and try to get a better sense of
who she was. To get inside her head. How would she like to be remembered? Which
immediately brings me back to the question, how do I want to be remembered after I
leave Ridgeland? At this rate, I won't be remembered, but a part of me wants people to
know
144
that I at least existed. I want to carve my name in the tree and write, Tere Adams was
here.
I wonder if it's ever too late to be somebody. But then I think of Helen and how the
older she got, the more of a mark she left. She started off as a helpless mute kid and
ended up as an accomplished writer and activist. She spoke English, German, Latin, and
sign language and read Braille. She probably would've blasted everyone away at
Ridgeland. I know I have to showcase her true talents in the group presentation, but I'm
not sure how to honor her yet. I don't want to do any stupid old thing. Who am I
kidding; I'm dreading being on display in front of the whole class. And what about
Stacy? Is she going to sit there and mock me the whole time?
After staring into space for almost half an hour, the only thing I can come up with is to
have Helen spell into people's hands. I don't know if that classifies as a talent, but it's
pretty amazing that she was able to communicate that way. Hopefully, Kayla will be okay
with it. I glance at the clock and grab my stuff. If I miss this bus there's not another one
for forty minutes, and that will put me at the station after Derek's show starts.
When I reach the main hallway, there's a guy running around hugging everyone. He's
holding a piece of paper and jumping up and down. "I got in! I'm Harvard bound!"
When he's inches from my face, I step aside, but say, "Congratulations!"
He grins from ear to ear, then moves on to embrace the girl
145
behind me carrying a huge clay pot. I'm glad I added to someone's happiness, even if I
only said one word.
Of course, as soon as I open the front door, it's raining. Is this some kind of evil joke? By
the time I get to the show, I'll look like a mangy mutt. I speed-walk to the bus.
Kelly says hi to me in a normal tone when I walk into the station, and I actually call her
by her name. She'll always be Pop-Tart to me, but that's something I'll keep to myself.
Before I join Derek, I do a little freshening up in the bathroom. There's no way I can
mimic all Kelly's beauty tricks, but I manage to roll on some mascara without smudging
it. Then I run a comb through my hair and put on a little lip gloss.
Derek's already sucking down a Red Bull when I enter the studio. As usual, he's exposing
too much chest hair and he has his cowboy boots up on the console. Isn't he afraid he's
going to hit a button and screw up the whole show?
I shove my backpack over to the side and immediately start checking the commercials.
After I'm done, I ask Derek if he needs me to do anything. I figure if he sends me on
errands, I won't have to say another sentence to him all evening.
He turns around sporting a huge grin. "I knew you were waiting to pounce on me. Want
some of this, huh?" He stretches his arms out wide and wiggles his hips.
What would Sweet T say?
"Get real." You are so disgusting. I run out of the studio. Outside the door, I bump into
Jason. Some getaway.
146 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
how anyone could hate you."
"Thanks. That's sweet."
"I mean it. I know Stacy thinks just because you're shy, she can step all over you, but
that's B.S." He sets his hand on my shoulder. His touch immediately sends Shockwaves
through my system.
I look into his eyes, and I know he understands where I'm coming from. He doesn't
judge. He grips my shoulder tighter, and I will myself to touch his arm. To let him know
that I appreciate his understanding.
I want to stay like this forever, but my perfect moment is interrupted by Ms. Peters
announcing that the science teacher, Mrs. Fletcher, had her baby this morning. Then she
goes around the class asking us how our group projects are coming along. You can tell
who has started working and who hasn't. Kayla, our spokeswoman, speaks for us. "There
are definitely a lot of challenges to overcome since we have such an eclectic group, but I
think we've come up with some good ideas and I'm looking forward to our
presentation."
141
"Kiss ass much." I hear someone cough in the back.
Ms. Peters tells everyone to get to work, and we push our desks together. Kayla pulls
out a binder filled with pastel paper.
I yawn. After staying at the radio station past eleven last night, I could totally use a nap
right now.
Kayla lays out her glitter pens and scribbles frantically. Why is she always writing? We
haven't even started yet. I peer over. She's just heading the paper. If she does that for
every piece, we'll be here until the bell rings. Finally, she looks up. "Okay, I've already
been practicing with my cousin's roller skates. What about you guys?"
"I've started on my song, but I don't have anything to share yet," Gavin says.
Kayla turns to me. "And you?"
"Well, as a kid, Helen's hobbies were sailing and tobogganing." I grit my teeth.
"You own a toboggan?" Kayla asks. "You've had over a week. Couldn't you come up with
something that you can use?"
Helen worked in vaudeville as a child, but I don't want to give Kayla any ideas. There's
no way I'm standing up there blindfolded and doing any kind of singing or dancing.
"Well, she was a writer--"
"Duh." Kayla looks at me like I'm crazy.
Okay, think. What would Sweet T do in this situation? Good evening Miami, up next we
have our very first SLAM song in Braille ...
"Braille. I could write something in Braille," I offer.
142
She shuffles the pastel papers. "That's stupid. We don't know Braille."
Gavin grabs her wrist. "Relax, Tere just needs a little more time to come up with an
idea."
"But the presentation is in less than a month," Kayla protests.
Gavin looks at me. "The next time we meet, you'll have something, right?"
If I don't keel over and die first.
143
chapter FIFTEEN
I go straight to the library after school. I have to finish all my homework before I head to
the station, and my teachers have piled it on today. You'd think they could give us
seniors a break, but no.
I better come up with something for our English project. I don't want to give Kayla a
heart attack. I flip through Helen Keller's autobiography and try to get a better sense of
who she was. To get inside her head. How would she like to be remembered? Which
immediately brings me back to the question, how do I want to be remembered after I
leave Ridgeland? At this rate, I won't be remembered, but a part of me wants people to
know
144
that I at least existed. I want to carve my name in the tree and write, Tere Adams was
here.
I wonder if it's ever too late to be somebody. But then I think of Helen and how the
older she got, the more of a mark she left. She started off as a helpless mute kid and
ended up as an accomplished writer and activist. She spoke English, German, Latin, and
sign language and read Braille. She probably would've blasted everyone away at
Ridgeland. I know I have to showcase her true talents in the group presentation, but I'm
not sure how to honor her yet. I don't want to do any stupid old thing. Who am I
kidding; I'm dreading being on display in front of the whole class. And what about
Stacy? Is she going to sit there and mock me the whole time?
After staring into space for almost half an hour, the only thing I can come up with is to
have Helen spell into people's hands. I don't know if that classifies as a talent, but it's
pretty amazing that she was able to communicate that way. Hopefully, Kayla will be okay
with it. I glance at the clock and grab my stuff. If I miss this bus there's not another one
for forty minutes, and that will put me at the station after Derek's show starts.
When I reach the main hallway, there's a guy running around hugging everyone. He's
holding a piece of paper and jumping up and down. "I got in! I'm Harvard bound!"
When he's inches from my face, I step aside, but say, "Congratulations!"
He grins from ear to ear, then moves on to embrace the girl
145
behind me carrying a huge clay pot. I'm glad I added to someone's happiness, even if I
only said one word.
Of course, as soon as I open the front door, it's raining. Is this some kind of evil joke? By
the time I get to the show, I'll look like a mangy mutt. I speed-walk to the bus.
Kelly says hi to me in a normal tone when I walk into the station, and I actually call her
by her name. She'll always be Pop-Tart to me, but that's something I'll keep to myself.
Before I join Derek, I do a little freshening up in the bathroom. There's no way I can
mimic all Kelly's beauty tricks, but I manage to roll on some mascara without smudging
it. Then I run a comb through my hair and put on a little lip gloss.
Derek's already sucking down a Red Bull when I enter the studio. As usual, he's exposing
too much chest hair and he has his cowboy boots up on the console. Isn't he afraid he's
going to hit a button and screw up the whole show?
I shove my backpack over to the side and immediately start checking the commercials.
After I'm done, I ask Derek if he needs me to do anything. I figure if he sends me on
errands, I won't have to say another sentence to him all evening.
He turns around sporting a huge grin. "I knew you were waiting to pounce on me. Want
some of this, huh?" He stretches his arms out wide and wiggles his hips.
What would Sweet T say?
"Get real." You are so disgusting. I run out of the studio. Outside the door, I bump into
Jason. Some getaway.
146 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]