Free The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab Page A

later, I felt another tap on my shoulder.
    “What?” I asked with a little glare.
    “My name is Pawel,” he said, extending a hand for me to shake.
    I took it and smiled, feeling a little guilty for snapping at him. “Caro,” I said.
    “Cool.” He dropped my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

    “You know, flirting with New Boy only works if your ex is actually there to witness it,” Erin said as we walked toward physics class, post-lunch.
    “Erin, keep your voice down,” I hissed. “I wasn’t flirtingwith him. He just asked me why Madame was spitting about Impressionism, and I told him.”
    “He shook your hand,” Erin pointed out.
    “Yeah, and it was totally hot,” I said sarcastically.
    “You don’t have to get defensive,” Erin said. “It’s a good strategy. I’m just pointing out that in order for it to be effective, Derek’s going to have to see you flirting with New Boy.”
    “Okay, again, I wasn’t flirting, and also, his name is not New Boy,” I said.
    “Yeah, but it’s weird and foreign and instead of saying it wrong, I think I’ll just call him New Boy,” Erin said. “He is new, right?” Even Erin, who was highly social, didn’t know everyone at our school, which was huge, the size of a small university.
    “I think so,” I said. “He’s on the AP track.”
    “Hmm, interesting.”
    “For now. I think he might try to have some of his classes changed. He didn’t seem thrilled about French IV’s culture component.”
    “Wuss,” Erin said. “Well, whatever. And you were flirting—I saw that smile.”
    “He’s cute,” I said. “And I think his eyes are green, which is rare.” I knew they were green; I noticed it right away. How could I not, with his face inches from mine?
    “He is cute,” Erin agreed. “Funny name, though.”
    “I think it’s Polish,” I said.
    “Maybe I’ll just call him Polish Boy instead,” Erin said. “So where were you this weekend? I didn’t see you at all.”
    “You saw me Friday,” I pointed out.
    “Well, yeah, but not after that.”
    “I told you, I had a family thing.”
    “Oh, yeah. How’d that go?”
    “Fine, I guess.”
    “What was the nature of this ‘thing’?” Erin was such a busybody, always in everybody’s lives, sniffing out rumors and gossip like a truffle pig.
    “No big deal. We just went into the city for a while.”
    Erin narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Why?”
    “I’d rather not talk about it right now, all right?” I rubbed my forehead. “I’ve got a headache.”
    “Want some aspirin?” Erin asked, riffling through her purse. She always carried a bottle of aspirin, because she got headaches a lot. Reb said it was all that gossip putting pressure on her brain.
    “No, thanks, it’ll go away on its own,” I said.
    “Caffeine,” Erin prescribed. “You need caffeine.”
    “It’s too late to go to the vending machine now,” I said.
    “Suit yourself,” Erin said.
    “Hey, French Girl!” Erin and I both turned, not really because we thought we were being called, but because it was a bizarre way to address someone. Plus, the person said it pretty loud, startling us.
    As Pawel approached, it was clear he’d been talking to me. “Hey, wait up,” he said.
    “Did you just call me French Girl?” I asked.
    “Yeah,” he admitted, looking sheepish. “I forgot your name. I have a terrible memory.”
    “That’s okay, we’ve been calling you New Boy,” Erin told him, smiling flirtatiously. The girl was incorrigible.
    “She’s been calling you that,” I said. “My name is Caro.”
    “That’s right!” He snapped his fingers. “I knew it was something weird.”
    “Says the guy named Paulo,” Erin said, rolling her eyes.
    “Pawel,” Pawel and I said. We looked at each other and he laughed. “Jinx,” he said.
    “Whatever. You two go ahead and talk amongst yourselves. I refuse to be late to physics.” Erin patted my shoulder and took off.
    “Erin,” I said, gesturing at my retreating