Free The Islanders by Katherine Applegate Page A

you’re saying you don’t want to go out with me?”
    â€œI guess that sums it up,” Nina said.
    John’s face instantly turned angry. “You think because your dad is rich I’m not cool enough for you?” he demanded, his voice rising. “Or is it because Zoey’s your real boyfriend?”
    He turned and walked away. Nina watched him go for a second, extremely reluctant to have to face her friends, who had, without any doubt, heard John’s parting shot.
    She drew a deep, steadying breath and turned back to them, sliding heavily into her seat. She covered her eyes with one hand. “What was it we were saying about guys being jerks?”
    â€œI used to think he was a nice guy,” Zoey said angrily.
    â€œHe is a nice guy,” Nina said flatly. The edginess and panic were gone now, replaced by disgust for the way she had handled things. “He just thought I was trying to embarrass him, I guess.”
    â€œHey, if he wants to ask you out, he’s got to accept the possibility the answer will be no,” Aisha said.
    â€œOr the absolute certainty,” Claire said.
    Nina dug her fork viciously into the Polynesian Surprise. “Look, can we just drop it? John’s cool; it was my fault.”
    â€œIt was not your fault,” Aisha said, outraged. “Tell her, Zoey.”
    â€œHe had no right to dump on you,” Zoey agreed.
    â€œI could have said yes and then he wouldn’t have said that, all right? So it’s my fault, too,” Nina said. She twisted the fork and bit her lip. She felt like pounding something. Screw the principal she wanted a cigarette. She began digging in her purse.
    â€œI can’t believe I’m hearing this prefeminist blame the woman b.s. from you, Nina,” Aisha said. “What are you going to tell me next? That it was your fault because you lured him on with your short skirt?”
    â€œI’m not wearing a skirt,” Nina muttered, still looking for her cigarettes.
    â€œThat’s just an example of the kind of crap you’re saying,” Aisha ranted, waving her hand dismissively. “Hamster Boy there had no reason to say that. Or drag Zoey into it.”
    â€œSorry,” Nina told Zoey.
    â€œYou’re hopeless,” Aisha said. “She’s hopeless. It’s a good thing you don’t date, Nina. I mean, God, you’d be thinking it was your fault if you didn’t want to do the old in-out on the first date. You have the right to say no without some guy calling you names.”
    â€œDamn it, can we just drop this!” Nina’s sudden explosion silenced everyone within twenty feet.
    â€œGet a grip, Nina,” Claire said quietly.
    Nina was on her feet. Her chair fell over backward, clattering noisily. “You get a damned grip, Claire. It’s nobody’s business, all right? I don’t tell any of you what to do, so just leave me alone. It’s not . . . It’s my problem. Okay?”
    â€œOkay, Nina,” Zoey said, in the kind of cautious voice people use to talk to lunatics and vicious dogs. “Come on, we didn’t mean to upset you.”
    â€œI’m not upset,” Nina said, suddenly feeling empty and deflated. “I’m. . .” She raised her hands helplessly. “I’ll see you guys on the ferry.”
    She turned and walked away, fighting the tears until she could find some private place to let them fall.

EIGHT
    CLAIRE HAD BROUGHT A CHANGE of clothing to wear to the football game that night. Extracurricular activities were always difficult for island kids, given the inflexible ferry schedule. Games started at six thirty, which meant she would have had to take the four o’ clock home, arriving at four twenty-five, run to her house, shower, change, then run back and catch the five ten returning to the mainland. Rather than getting forty-five rushed minutes on the island, she usually brought extra clothes over with