Quince Clash Read Free Page B

sensing something was up.
    Fabi tried to smile. “Yeah, it’s cool.”
    â€œAren’t you going to eat?” Alexis motioned at the french fries, chili cheese dog, bag of cookies, and soda on her tray. Fabi had left her lunch tray at the counter.
    â€œI lost my appetite.”
    â€œHey.” Milo joined them, holding two lunch trays. “You left this,” he said, offering her the tray with green peas and milk. Milo was so considerate, she thought, looking at the food he got for her.
    â€œWhat happened?” Alexis demanded. She glanced back at the line and noticed Melodee with her gang.
    â€œIt was nothing.” Fabi just wanted to end the conversation.
    â€œDon’t let her get under your skin,” Alexis said, trying to sound braver than she actually was. “Melodee is a psycho loser who is just jealous because she has zero personality. The only reason she has friends is because they’re all scared of her.” Alexis had experienced Melodee’s wrath firsthand when she dated Dex — who was Melodee’s ex-boyfriend.
    Fabi sighed heavily. “You’re right. She’s not even that pretty up close, you know? With that little beak nose of hers that she always has in the air like she smells caca or something, and those beady eyes all smudged over with charcoal eye shadow like a raccoon!”
    â€œTotally!” Alexis laughed.
    Trash-talking about Melodee felt good. Melodee thought she was so tough, but she was just a bully. “You should have heard her in the lunch line,” Fabi said, nodding to Milo for confirmation. “She was all talking about her quinceañera, how big it’s going to be, how much of her parents’ money she’s going to spend. The girl is a serious poseur. She’s not even Mexican!”
    A coughing sound made Fabi look over her shoulder. Her breath caught and she swallowed. Melodee Stanton was standing right behind her. Melodee’s pulled-back blonde hair and smoky eye shadow made her piercing gray eyes look especially evil. Fabi wanted to curl into a ball and roll away. Melodee was making a big foul face. Her lunch tray was pressed against her hip. The chatter in the lunchroom died down to an eerie silence. Everyone stopped to listen.
    â€œSo, Fatty apparently does have a spine after all,” Melodee said.
    Fabi looked around, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.
    â€œWhat? Don’t look away. You were talking smack behind my back. Now what? You’ve lost your tongue? You got something to tell me? Tell it to my face.”
    â€œAh, I’m sorry,” Fabi began, getting up to explain that it was all just a joke.
    â€œYou’re sorry? I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m sorry for saving your sorry-ass cousin. This is the thanks I get. Forget you’re sorry .” Melodee pushed the tray into Fabi, trying to rile her up.
    Alexis scurried around the table. “Get your stinky hands off my sister,” she cried.
    Melodee laughed. “Oh, how cute,” she said to her crew. “Little sister has to stick up for poor Fatty.”
    One of Melodee’s crew cheered, “Yeah, Melodee, you tell her.”
    â€œOh, shut up!” Alexis snapped.
    â€œAlexis, stop,” Fabi said, trying to keep her sister out of it. “Milo, help me,” she said as she pulled her sister away. But she also knew Alexis had just as much right to be mad at Melodee.
    Melodee sneered. “Yeah, Milo, hold back your loser girlfriend’s sister before she gets hurt.” She turned back to Fabi. “So when did you become Ms. Quinceañera Expert, huh?” Her friends chuckled at Melodee’s joke. “Oh, wait, I forgot. You’re already fifteen and didn’t have a quinceañera. Couldn’t afford it, could you? It must suck to be poor.”
    â€œThat’s not true!” cried Alexis.
    â€œOh, no,” Melodee said, pressing her pinky fingertip to her mouth