Free Bethany Caleb by Kate Spofford Page B

by your selfishness,” Genn said.
    Bethany looked at Chester and Genn and realized she was no longer part of the conversation. She turned back to the packet they were all supposed to be reading, listening to Genn and Chester’s argument in the background. “The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia centered around the Tiber river,” she read.
    “You’re the biggest hypocrite I’ve ever met,” Chester said.
    “Oh, really?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Really?”
    “Yeah, really.”
    “Hey, class, let’s quiet down please,” came Mr. Quinn’s voice from the front of the room. Bethany hunched over her reading. The general talking decreased marginally. Chester and Genn had stopped talking. Bethany tried again to read. “The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia centered around the Tiber river. They contributed one of the earliest forms of writing, called cuniform.”
    “So, Bethany,” Genn said loudly and pointedly. “Are you going to put some paintings in the art show too?”
    Bethany half-turned so she could see Genn’s face. Genn was leaning forward. Bethany tried to read Genn’s facial expression, but it appeared Genn only wanted to ignore Chester. “What art show?” Bethany asked.
    “The one James is going to be in. It’s like some contest at the college.”
    Bethany turned back to her reading. “I never heard about any art contest.” She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Somehow she had fallen into one of Genn’s traps.
    “That’s weird,” Genn said. “I know Mr. Beck talked to James about it weeks ago.”
    The muscles in Bethany’s jaw clenched again. Genn didn’t sound like she thought that was weird at all. She sounded like she had something to do with James not talking to Bethany. Bethany chose not to reply to Genn’s statement.
    After a full minute of silence, Genn finally said, “Looks like the two of you treat your friends the same way.”
    Neither Bethany nor Chester answered.
    When the bell finally rang, Bethany grabbed her bag and took off. One more class, she told herself. Just one more class.
    “Don’t forget tonight’s homework,” Mr. Quinn said over the noise of chairs scraping back. “Read chapter five and answer the study questions at the end–”
     

Chapter Fifteen
     
    James was waiting outside the door. Bethany saw him and stopped short, then sidestepped him and continued walking.
    “Hey, Bethany,” she heard him say as she passed.
    She did not return the greeting.
    She heard him say, “Hey, Genn,” then, “Hey, wait.” She wondered if Genn was ignoring him too.
    And then he grabbed her arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
    She kept walking, though he slowed her down. “Like you’d care anyway,” she said, pulling her arm out of his grip.
    “I do care, wait up,” James said. “Bethany, come on, don’t be like this.”
    “I think Genn’s calling you,” Bethany said. She started up the crowded stairwell.
    “Bethany, stop, come on.”
    At the top of the stairs, James managed to push her off to the side where no one was walking. “What is wrong?”
    Bethany stared at the dog collar James was wearing. She had given that to him at some point during their relationship. “I don’t know, maybe you should tell me.”
    James exhaled. “Bethany, I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’re mad at me, just say why.”
    “Leave me alone,” Bethany said.
    Behind James, Genn was making her way up the stairs. “James! What are you doing?”
    “Why are you mad at me?” James asked Bethany.
    Bethany looked away from James and his girlfriend, down the hall at the thinning crowd.
    “Just leave her alone,” Genn said. “She’s sulking about the art show she’s not in.”
    “What?”
    “Remember?”
    “Oh, shit.”
    Bethany glanced at James.
    “Beth, I’m sorry,” he said. “I was supposed to tell you.”
    Bethany looked back down the hall. At the far end, she could see Shannon and her disciples clustered together. Something else to look forward to,