Free Shock by Francine Pascal Page B

one.
    â€œGaia!” Jake stood and chased after her, dusting himself off as he went. “I was just kidding. Would you stop?”
    â€œWhat do you want?” she snapped.
    â€œI was just—jeez! Come on, Gaia, don’t you think it’s kind of funny that you literally ran into me in a totally different part of town?”
    Gaia stood for a moment, glaring at him.
    â€œHa ha,” she finally said. “Can I leave now?”
    â€œNo!” Jake scratched his head and looked at her curiously. “Are you okay? I mean, you’re not exactly the friendliest person on a normal day, but you’re acting really weird.”
    â€œWhy, because I don’t want to sit and chat with you?”
    â€œNo. Because you literally just knocked me over and you didn’t even say excuse me. You’re such a weirdo!”
    Jake was still laughing, and it was making Gaia feel strange. Besides, the word weirdo was echoing in her head in a way it never had before. Ed’s fault. He’d made that crack about how she couldn’t be part of anything. Okay, so he hadn’t actually made that crack; Gaia had just inferred it from the way he was looking at her. But it still snowballed with Jake’s current crack enough to make Gaia stop herself from storming off.
    â€œSorry,” she said. “I was in a hurry.”
    â€œWell, will you slow down?” he asked. “At least long enough so I can save face with Mrs. Ong and her lady friends?”
    Gaia looked over and saw the small crowd of still gently swaying t’ai chi people. A few of them, though they still had expressions of serene distraction, were peeking over between moves. Jake waved at them, like he was trying to be a little less embarrassed.
    â€œYou’re friends with these old people?” Gaia blurted out.
    â€œWell, I come down here sometimes just to watch them do their thing,” he said. “Karate isn’t the only stuff I do. The guy who teaches me said I should be familiar with yoga, t’ai chi, and whatever else I can scare up.” He looked back at the swaying figures. “I keep wanting to join in, but I feel funny.”
    â€œYeah, so would I,” Gaia told him. “You’d kind of stick out. You’re about two feet taller than any of them, for one thing.”
    â€œBut they keep saying I should join in. I think if I had a partner, I’d feel a little better.” He peered at her. She glared back.
    â€œNo,” she said.
    â€œI didn’t ask yet,” he objected.
    â€œFine, ask.”
    â€œWill you come do some t’ai chi with me and the old people so I won’t feel so self-conscious?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œGaia!” Jake shook his head.
    Is this guy just relentlessly amused by every stupid thing that happens on the planet? Gaia wondered. Just what is so goddamn funny?
    â€œCome on. Have you ever tried it?”
    â€œWhen I was a kid,” Gaia admitted. “And I did some yoga, too. But karate’s more my style. I’m not really into deep inner calm.”
    â€œTrust me, neither is Mrs. Ong,” Jake said. “The first time I met her, she was throwing a fish at someone.”
    Gaia laughed in spite of herself. She had to admit, the willowy movements of the serene oldsters looked very cool. Plus they all seemed to be absolutely free of the kind of anger and frustration that was turning her stomach into a bucket of acid.
    â€œI suppose it could make me a better fighter,” she admitted.
    â€œSure. Focus and whatnot,” Jake agreed. “Help you stay cool in a hot situation, reducing that panic response most people get in the middle of a fight. Fear’s a killer, you know.”
    â€œI’ve heard that,” Gaia said.
    â€œCome on,” Jake wheedled, dropping his messenger bag at his feet. “I’ve always wanted to try this. We’re so far from school, nobody will spot us.”
    People from school