Free Living Rough by Cristy Watson Page A

phone.” I gestured making a phone call, and she smiled again. We headed in the direction Mr. Johnson had disappeared. The hall started to fill with students. As usual, most of them seemed intent on staring. I was used to the looks. I’m not sure how Inna was handling their glares.
    Two girls from grade nine whispered and giggled as they looked our way. I moved toward them, giving them a dirty look. Before I said anything, they clammed up and took off.
    â€œTsank you,” said Inna.
    â€œHey, no problem,” I replied as I stopped by the orange doors at the end of the hall. “This is the gym. Place for exercise.” I did two jumping jacks. Inna seemed to understand. Next stop would be the cafeteria, and then I’d need to help her find her class.
    â€œPoe. Whaz up?” My only friend sauntered toward us. A book spilled from the pile in his arms onto the floor. Inna picked it up and passed it back to him. He gave her a goofy grin.
    I looked Inna over again. She was kind of pretty. As she turned my way, I felt my cheeks get warm. I looked back at my buddy and sputtered, “Ben, meet Inna. Inna, Ben.”
    â€œI like your name,” Ben said. “It’s cool. How come I haven’t seen you around before? Whose classes are you in? Are you in our grade?”
    Ben was stringing the sentences together too fast for her to keep up. He probably lost her at I like …
    â€œWhoa! Slow down,” I said. Ben looked at me then back at her.
    Inna scrunched up her eyebrows and seemed to be trying to piece together a response. “Grade? Ah…grade…ten,” she finally answered. Maybe she knew more English than I realized.
    As we headed toward the cafeteria, Ben followed a few paces behind, checking out her skirt. He gave me a thumbs-up out of Inna’s range of vision.
    â€œThis is the cafeteria, but the food is bad.” I plugged my nose.
    â€œYou giving a tour?” Ben asked.
    â€œYeah. Johnson cornered me. What could I do?”
    â€œTold ya you should come to my place before school. You get here too early. I’d say, ‘That’ll teach you,’ but this time you lucked out.” Ben chuckled as he headed to his locker.
    It was nearly time for the bell. “Can I see your schedule?” I asked Inna. She looked confused. I pointed at the paper in her hand. She passed it to me, and I scanned the sheet.
    Her first block was English in room 203. My class was across the hall, so that made it easy. I could meet her at the bell to escort her to her second block. That’s when she had science in the lab downstairs. Poor girl. She’ll never know what hit her . Science is okay, but Mr. Rich has no idea how to teach teens. Frogs he gets—students make no sense to him.
    Before lunch, Inna’s class would be gym. It seemed straightforward enough. I could handle helping her get to her classes.
    As the bell rang, a look of terror came over Inna’s face. She bolted toward the office.
    In seconds she was lost in a sea of students.

Chapter Two
    â€œInna!” I shouted over the bustle of people slamming lockers and hustling through the corridor. Usually I was in class by now. I hate halls. I hate crowds. And the crowds hate me.
    â€œHey, loser,” said Theo, a grade twelve I always avoided. “Who let you out? Cave dweller.”
    I wanted to tell him he wasn’t very original, but I was too busy trying to spot Inna. I kept walking.
    â€œI’m talking to you, loser. Didn’t you hear me?” he said, pushing me against a locker. I guess that was for effect. By now his buddies had shown up. I didn’t stand a chance against that many of them.
    Theo pushed my left shoulder, and I fell back into the locker again. I tried eye contact. He grabbed my chin and shoved me back so hard, I think my head left a dent in the metal door.
    â€œGet him, dude,” said one of his groupies.
    Like he didn’t already have