as clearly as I did. Don't even bother trying to deny it," the gap-toothed girl said.
Starley's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I saw. I just didn't think anyone else did."
"Finally. Someone else can see things the way I can," the girl said. She offered Starley a stick of gum. "I'm Rue. Rue Zimmer. And you are?"
"Starley Duchesne," Starley said, taking the gum.
"Wait 'til you meet his wife. She teaches English," Rue said.
Maybe things wouldn't be so horrible after all, Starley thought. She sat up a little straighter in her seat and doodled pitchforks and batwings in the margins of her notebook.
"I recognize most of you, but I do see a new face," Mr. Peterson said. His beady black eyes bored into Starley, and she squirmed in her seat. He picked up a clipboard and skimmed through the names. "Starley. How do you pronounce your last name, Starley?"
Starley felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Dew Shen."
"Ah. A French name, oui?"
Starley couldn't find her voice, so she merely nodded. Thankfully, his attention on her was short-lived, and he quickly went on to the day's lessons.
Just before the bell rang, Rue leaned into Starley's space. "Let me see your schedule."
Starley pulled the folded paper from her pocket and handed it to Rue.
"Sweet! We have practically all of the same classes," Rue said. She refolded the paper and gave it back. "Something told me this was going to be a great year. You'll get to see Mrs. P. next period."
After class, Rue tagged along as Starley went to her locker. They filed into the English classroom and Starley nearly swallowed her gum when she saw Mrs. Peterson. Someone had to be playing some sort of a joke on her.
There in all of her white-feathered glory stood an angel. Wings, halo, the whole nine yards. "You've got to be kidding me," Starley muttered.
"I know, right. What are the odds?" Rue giggled. "They say opposites attract."
Rue and Starley went their separate ways after English class but made plans to meet up in the cafeteria at lunchtime. Without Rue by her side, Starley shrank back into her usual shy self and kept her eyes on her feet as she went to her next class. That's when she ran into him . Literally.
"Hey! Stop trying to grope me," the boy said.
Starley's face turned bright red for the umpteenth time that morning. "Sorry," she murmured.
He laughed and bumped his shoulder against hers. "It's okay. I'm only playin' with ya."
Before Starley could recover and think up a witty comeback, he was gone. She didn't have any idea what his name was, but she was glad that he had at least appeared normal. Actually, he was better than normal; he just might have been the cutest boy she'd ever seen.
Maybe Rue had been right about this being a good year.
Starley saw him again during lunch period. He walked by the table where she sat with Rue.
"Hey, Zimmer," he said. "Introduce me to your friend."
Rue got that deer in the headlights look and shifted her attention from him to Starley and back to him. "Uh, this is Starley Duchesne. Starley, meet Beau Byrd. God's gift to teenage girls everywhere."
Beau stuck out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Starley Duchesne."
Starley shook his hand. "You too."
He gave her a mega-watt grin and sauntered off.
Rue gaped at Starley. "Not even one full day and you've already got the hottest boy in school hitting on you."
"Shut up. He was not hitting on me. He was just being polite," Starley said quietly.
"Oh huh-uh. Beau Byrd does not do polite without a good reason, my fair-haired friend. Beau Byrd doesn't do anything without an ulterior motive," Rue said.
"Well, at least he doesn't have any horns," Starley admitted as she stared after the blonde Adonis. "Or feathers."
"Maybe not, but trust me, I'm pretty sure I saw fangs," Rue whispered.
Starley laughed. "Fangs? You mean like a vampire or something?"
"No. Fangs as in canines. Wolf in sheep's clothing, that one," Rue said. "You do not want to go there. Like father, like
Starley's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I saw. I just didn't think anyone else did."
"Finally. Someone else can see things the way I can," the girl said. She offered Starley a stick of gum. "I'm Rue. Rue Zimmer. And you are?"
"Starley Duchesne," Starley said, taking the gum.
"Wait 'til you meet his wife. She teaches English," Rue said.
Maybe things wouldn't be so horrible after all, Starley thought. She sat up a little straighter in her seat and doodled pitchforks and batwings in the margins of her notebook.
"I recognize most of you, but I do see a new face," Mr. Peterson said. His beady black eyes bored into Starley, and she squirmed in her seat. He picked up a clipboard and skimmed through the names. "Starley. How do you pronounce your last name, Starley?"
Starley felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Dew Shen."
"Ah. A French name, oui?"
Starley couldn't find her voice, so she merely nodded. Thankfully, his attention on her was short-lived, and he quickly went on to the day's lessons.
Just before the bell rang, Rue leaned into Starley's space. "Let me see your schedule."
Starley pulled the folded paper from her pocket and handed it to Rue.
"Sweet! We have practically all of the same classes," Rue said. She refolded the paper and gave it back. "Something told me this was going to be a great year. You'll get to see Mrs. P. next period."
After class, Rue tagged along as Starley went to her locker. They filed into the English classroom and Starley nearly swallowed her gum when she saw Mrs. Peterson. Someone had to be playing some sort of a joke on her.
There in all of her white-feathered glory stood an angel. Wings, halo, the whole nine yards. "You've got to be kidding me," Starley muttered.
"I know, right. What are the odds?" Rue giggled. "They say opposites attract."
Rue and Starley went their separate ways after English class but made plans to meet up in the cafeteria at lunchtime. Without Rue by her side, Starley shrank back into her usual shy self and kept her eyes on her feet as she went to her next class. That's when she ran into him . Literally.
"Hey! Stop trying to grope me," the boy said.
Starley's face turned bright red for the umpteenth time that morning. "Sorry," she murmured.
He laughed and bumped his shoulder against hers. "It's okay. I'm only playin' with ya."
Before Starley could recover and think up a witty comeback, he was gone. She didn't have any idea what his name was, but she was glad that he had at least appeared normal. Actually, he was better than normal; he just might have been the cutest boy she'd ever seen.
Maybe Rue had been right about this being a good year.
Starley saw him again during lunch period. He walked by the table where she sat with Rue.
"Hey, Zimmer," he said. "Introduce me to your friend."
Rue got that deer in the headlights look and shifted her attention from him to Starley and back to him. "Uh, this is Starley Duchesne. Starley, meet Beau Byrd. God's gift to teenage girls everywhere."
Beau stuck out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Starley Duchesne."
Starley shook his hand. "You too."
He gave her a mega-watt grin and sauntered off.
Rue gaped at Starley. "Not even one full day and you've already got the hottest boy in school hitting on you."
"Shut up. He was not hitting on me. He was just being polite," Starley said quietly.
"Oh huh-uh. Beau Byrd does not do polite without a good reason, my fair-haired friend. Beau Byrd doesn't do anything without an ulterior motive," Rue said.
"Well, at least he doesn't have any horns," Starley admitted as she stared after the blonde Adonis. "Or feathers."
"Maybe not, but trust me, I'm pretty sure I saw fangs," Rue whispered.
Starley laughed. "Fangs? You mean like a vampire or something?"
"No. Fangs as in canines. Wolf in sheep's clothing, that one," Rue said. "You do not want to go there. Like father, like
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