Free Between These Lines (A Young Adult Novel) by Jennifer Murgia Page B

her
eyebrows, confused at my reasoning.
    “No,
the grade’s not important.”
    “Then
what is?”
    Mrs.
Cognetti stood at the board and I sat up straighter so she could see me. I
shrugged, hoping Tara would just drop it, but I sighed to myself anyway,
murmuring just beneath my breath, “I think Chase is.”

 

 
 
 
    Chapter Thirteen
    Chase

 
    I was
going to have to revoke my promise to Evie about being at Jake’s party. As I
saw it, there was no way I could get out of the deal—the one arranged by
Shane. Evie would have to understand that I didn’t want to be at the party in the
first place. I wasn’t one of them. Would never be one of them. I was only going
for her, because she asked me, and well . . . things change.
    Truth
was, I wasn’t all that afraid of Evie knowing about me. The little I told her
last night, about my parents, about the accident, felt so good — like
coming clean. I was sure in time, when the moment was right, if that moment
ever came , I would tell her about my scars. I would show her if I had to,
but not because I wanted her to feel sorry for me. I wanted to show her because
as much as I hated them, they were a part of me. The real me. If it appalled
her like Shane had so pleasantly predicted, well I guess that was a chance I
was willing to take.
    I
stood outside English Lit and pictured her at her seat. Shane had me so angry
this morning that I needed time to come to my senses and calm down, causing me
to skip Social Communications. Something I’d never done before.
    Evie
was quietly smoothing her hair with her fingers as I approached her row. She
didn’t know that I knew about the mark on her cheek, and I felt myself tense
with hidden rage at the thought of Shane’s hand coming into contact with her
smooth skin. I wanted everyone else to disappear so I could take her into my
arms and hold her, but I had to play it her way for now, and pretend I had no
idea what was behind the blonde locks she so earnestly played with.
    She
tilted her head, careful not to let the length of her hair move too quickly out
of place so that I would see. If that happened—if I saw—I would never
take my seat.
    By
the time I got to her row and stood in front of her desk, I realized nothing
could make me move and walk the few steps I needed to get to the back of the
row. My feet wouldn’t budge. I searched for the mark beneath her hair, to see it
for myself, but I couldn’t get past her eyes. I couldn’t get past how sweet and
gentle and amazing she was, even though the deepest part of me knew Shane had
done this to her—and that was the part that was killing me.
    Voices
whispered around us—how odd I looked standing there without saying a
word, staring at her. She looked back at me, her eyes filled with fear, then
worry, but then they quickly softened and her hands settled on top of her desk,
as if giving up the battle to hide her face. As if it wasn’t really worth it. I
smiled back and finally, my feet were able to move, leading me to the rows
behind her where I belonged.
    Professor
Coleman broke us up into our study groups, and she and I moved to the back of
the room.
    “Where’s
Tara?” I asked.
    “Orthodontist.
She’s coming back after lunch.”
    “Great.
I’ll be sure to throw a party for her.”
    Evie
giggled, ‘though it looked like moving her face was an effort.
    I
pulled the timeline from my folder and slid it across the table to her.
    “What’s
this?”
    “It’s
a timeline.”
    “I
can see that, but why did you do one? I was going to do it for us.” She
appeared reluctant to lift her head more than a few inches, and peered up at me
through her lashes. I wondered if her neck was beginning to hurt her with all
the concealment she seemed intent to follow through with.
    “Do
you have one finished?” I wasn’t trying to prove anything by asking, I simply
wanted to confirm the fears brewing in the pit of my stomach since this
morning. “I had some extra