Free Big is Beautiful by Kelly Martin Page A

liked the confused look she had on her face.

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    I didn't even watch the buses leave today. After my last class, I headed down the long hallway to Geometry. Determined, I had a purpose. I wouldn't let my mom or Ms. Bennett down. I'd learn the Pythagorean Theorem and congruent triangles if it was the last thing I did. At this rate, it might be. Ms. Bennett would be there to help, so even if Matt was still on Kendra mode, I'd learn something.
    Matt.
    What in the world had been up with him in the cafeteria? Why had he stared me down like a three-headed dog? It made no sense. One didn't go from Kendra to a person like me in a day.
    Not even slowing down when I got to the classroom, I barged in like I owned the place. Ms. Bennett would understand.
    Only Ms. Bennett wasn't there.
    Just Matt.
    Good ole reliably strange Matt.
    I turned to the right, but the back lights were off like normal. I turned to the left, but the clutter free desk had no papers, books, or purses on it. No. This was not good. She'd promised.
    "Ms. Bennett had to leave." Matt faced me, but didn't get out of his desk.
    Of course she did. "Why? Is she sick?"
    "Her mom is. Hospital called. Ambulance had to take her to the emergency room."
    "Oh no." My fingers automatically went to my lips and I walked to Matt in two paces. "Is her mom all right? Can we do anything?"
    "Ms. Bennett said she fell. They think she broke her hip."
    "Oh." I sank into my seat and shook my head. "I hate that."
    "Me too. She gave me the work we need to get finished today. She said you had a very big important test tomorrow and, in her words, I couldn't let you mess it up."
    "That would be nice." I had the biggest tugging on my heart for Ms. Bennett and her mom. Normally, I would pray about situations like hers right when I found out. With Matt, I felt uneasy praying in front of him. What if he thought I was an even bigger loser that I was?
    "What's wrong?" How did he always know when something ate at me?
    The word nothing was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't get it out. Something was wrong and I needed to deal with it. "I think I need to pray."
    "Pray?"
    "For Ms. Bennett and her mom." And here came the ramble. "Look, I know you might think it's stupid, but Ms. Bennett is my favorite teacher and I hate that she's hurting and I'd really like to help, but I can't help. Not really, and I just want… I feel like I need to pray since I can't do anything else—"
    "Hold on." He held out his hands to stop me. Unlike Ms. Bennett's petite ones I'd seen earlier, Matt's were big and looked rough. For a split second, I imagined them caressing my face, the rough edges leaving warm trails where they touched.
    Stop. It. Now.
    "Pray if you need to. I won't stop you."
    "You won't be… offended… or anything?"
    "Why would I be offended? I go to church, ya know?"
    No, I didn't know, but even the most faithful of church-goers had a hard time praying in front of others at times. Without another word, he laced his fingers together on his geometry book and lowered his head. Seconds ticked by and I just sat there. He actually meant for me to pray… out loud… in front of him…
    Oh my…
    "I can pray if you don't feel comfortable." Touching a live wire wouldn't have shocked me more.
    "Sure. Okay. If you want."
    "Well, I don't want, but one of us has to be brave." He flashed a dimple and bowed his head again. Slightly embarrassed, I did the same.
    "God, thank you for today. Thank you for being with us, taking care of us, and bringing us together."
    Hold the phone… we were 'together'? He meant in special tutoring terms, of course.
    "But God, we are worried about Ms. Bennett and her mom. Please make sure she's all right and comfort her family. Let her mom's hip not be broken as badly as the doctors think. Heal her. We ask this in Jesus's name. Amen."
    "Amen." I croaked out, in awe of his prayer. I never in a million years thought I'd be praying with a guy at school.
    He took a deep