your locker??
Gratefully, Helen ducked
into homeroom and tried to blend in
with her desk. Mr. Hergeshimer asked if she was feeling better,
and then ignored her completely as soon as she answered that she
was feeling fine. She could have kissed him for that.
Matt just waved and sat down without a word. Helen guessed
correctly that he had been threatened by Claire to act like he?d forgotten
the whole thing, but he kept trying to stop himself from
glancing over at her, so Helen knew he was still really worried. She
caught his eye and smiled warmly, and after that he seemed a little
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less preoccupied. Zach turned his head and looked out the window
as soon as he took his seat, making a big show of not looking at
her.
She made it through the rest of the morning without incident,
right up until lunch. As she walked to the cafeteria she realized too
late that she was going to pass by Lucas?s locker. She was about to
turn and go another way, which was ridiculous because that would
mean she would have to literally go around the entire school, when
she was spotted.
Gretchen and Zach noticed her as she stood wavering indecisively
in the middle of the hall. They were at their lockers, which just so
happened to be right next to Lucas?s and Jason?s. Some of the fuzz
fell off of Helen?s memory and she recalled Gretchen?s and Zach?s
petrified faces floating around in the background as she tried to
choke Lucas. It made alphabetical sense for their lockers to be together,
Brant?B, Clifford?C, Delos?D, but Helen blamed her terrible
luck for the fact that all of the most popular people in her
grade had been firsthand witnesses to her moment of utter