moment I think I might coax a chuckle out of him, but he stays quiet.
I wait for him to offer some sort of opinion. Nothing happens. âOkay,â I say. âWhat if we did, like, a game, where people have to sort themselves into the nine rings?â
Not the tiniest change in expression. Is the dude going to talk at all, or am I going to have to monologue until this project gets done?
I raise my eyebrows and ask, âWhat do you think, Matt?â
He bobs his narrow shoulders in the laziest shrug Iâve ever seen. âI mean, suggesting that everyone in our class is going to hell is a good start, I guess.â
Taken aback, I laugh. He looks almost embarrassed.
âCool,â I say. âSo letâs have a presentation poster, and a station for every circle, and we can have sheets outlining which sins are in which place.â
He lets out a mumbling noise that sounds somewhat affirmative.
âIâll message you later so we can figure out details,â I say. âAre we friends on Facebook?â
He shakes his head.
I take out my phone under the desk, open the Facebook app, and friend him. âFixed.â I squint closer at his profile picture. âWhoâs the kid in your picture?â
âMy little brother,â he says, straightening up a bit. âRussell. Heâs three.â
âCute.â
Something like a smile pulls at Mattâs mouth again, though it fades fast.
I glance at the clock. We still have a few minutes, and this guyhas the type of silence that presses and pushes, begging conversation. âSo,â I say. âYou ready for the election?â
He closes his eyes. âOh God, I forgot about that.â
âWhy are you, uh, running, then?â
âA mistake is why.â
âHuh,â I say. âItâd be hard to get Claire to change the ballot, but I could talk to her for you, if you want to withdraw.â
âWhy?â he says. âNeed something to pad your college apps?â
I blink rapidly. Was that a joke, or does he have a problem with me? âHey, excuse you.â
âI mean, itâs true,â Matt says. âIâm pretty sure the only reason student govâs starting back up is so people can put âSophomore Class Co-Secretaryâ or whatever on the Common App. I thought I was going to quit, but I donât know. I might as well run, too.â
âYou sure people are doing it for college apps?â I say. âMaybe some people want to make this school a tiny bit less awful.â
âSo thatâs why youâre running?â he asks.
âDude. First off, I donât need the sass, and second, that could a hundred percent be why.â
Matt looks up at the ceiling and lets out a chortle. The sudden urge to punch him in the larynx overwhelms me.
Not caring about things doesnât make you cool
, I want to yell. Instead, I force patience into my voice. âSo if youâre not taking it seriously, and youâre not taking yourself off the ballot, what are you going to do if you win?â
âNothing.â
âOh! Great. Because this isnât important to anyone or anything.â
âUh, apparently it is to one person.â
âYeah, my friend Claire.â My fists curl up. âWhatever. You look like youâve been hot-boxing for three days, so I bet anyone could get you off the ballot if they wanted.â
He frowns. âWait, is that a threat?â
âIt could be.â
âWell,â he says, folding his arms, âno offense, but you and Juniper Kipling arenât model citizens, either.â
âExcuse me?â
âAlcohol.â He shrugs. âIt doesnât make sense getting self-righteous about weed if you go out drinking every weekend, right?â
I could point out that I donât drink, but frankly, I donât feel obliged to defend myself against that slew of verbal diarrhea. As if this guy knows
James M. Ward, David Wise