Free Eleanor by Johnny Worthen

what I’ve always admired in you. Nothing fake.”
    Eleanor felt her lip tremble.
    â€œWhat did I say?” David said. “Are you okay?”
    â€œYou don’t know me,” she said. “Not at all.”
    â€œYes, I do. You’re Eleanor Anders, my oldest friend in the world. The best person in this entire God-awful state. The only reason I don’t mind coming to school.”
    â€œI’m sorry I’m a different person sometimes.”
    â€œDon’t apologize, silly,” he said. “And please don’t cry. My mom says everyone is different with everyone.”
    Eleanor glanced at the wall. “We have to get back. I promised you a B by Friday.”
    She walked away. She could feel his confused eyes follow her into the library before he came in after.
    When they were done, David again offered to walk Eleanor home.
    â€œIt’s cold,” he said, like that made company a requirement.
    â€œI’ve been cold before. I know cold. I’ll be fine.”
    â€œAre you mad at me?” he asked. “You are. You’re mad at me.”
    â€œNo,” she said. “I’m just being weird. Like usual. Ask anyone. Eleanor Anders is weird.”
    â€œI have heard rumors,” he said and then froze.
    â€œWhat?” demanded Eleanor. “What have you heard?”
    â€œJust stupid stuff,” he said. “When people in Wyoming don’t understand someone, they make up stories.”
    â€œTall tales?” Eleanor said.
    â€œExactly.”
    â€œWhat was it? Who was it?” Eleanor demanded. Her intensity made David’s eyes grow wide. Suddenly, she felt the feral urge of fight or flight. Her muscles twitched, her mouth grew dry. She turned away and made herself breathe calmly.
    â€œI’m sorry,” David said. “I’m dumb for telling you. It was Robby Guide. He said something about you being a witch or a ghost or something. It was all crap and I told him so.”
    He put his arm on her shoulder and turned her around. “It’s crap. I told him if he said anything like that again, I’d sock him.”
    â€œWhat did he say I did?”
    â€œWe don’t want to talk about this, do we?”
    â€œJust tell me. I need to know.”
    â€œHe said—this is so stupid—that in eighth grade, you were knocked out by a softball and when you came to, your eyes were different colors. Only for a minute or two. He said one of your brown eyes turned blue, and the other white. He must have been smoking dope.”
    â€œI didn’t see the ball coming. It was a foul. If I’d seen the ball coming, if anyone had warned me, it’d have never touched me.”
    â€œI used to live here, and I still don’t understand the kids in this school.”
    â€œIt doesn’t bother you that you’re seen with me?”
    â€œNo,” he said firmly. “Who’s looking anyway? Who cares?”
    Eleanor pointed across the parking lot. David squinted and held his hand over his eyes. “Who’s that?”
    â€œRussell Liddle, Tanner Nelson, and their friends. And over there”—Eleanor pointed to a car driving slowly away—“is Alexi Kerr and Crystal Tate. Barbara Pennon was there earlier.”
    â€œSo the whole class then,” he said. “No, I don’t care. I didn’t even notice them. With your eyesight, you should be on the shooting team.”
    â€œNever,” she said.
    David passed the Friday test with a solid B, beating his required B- by six points. He was thrilled. He could do the math because Eleanor had showed him the tricks, but he didn’t understand the theory behind it. Mr. Graham was quick to remind him that he still had much to do to reverse his previous scores and theory would be a major part of it. Still, he got to stay on the shooting team, and Eleanor and David cut their tutoring sessions down to twice a week so he could practice.
    David