Stained Read Free Page B

from the bullies or rat them out. She just looks at them accusingly, and they turn away. She’s so graceful when she does it—and beautiful. God, she’s beautiful. Beautiful and smart and kind, when you get to know her, and she loves comics as much as I do. We’d be such an amazing couple on so many levels. She could write the comics; I could do the art. And the rest of the time—well, there would be a lot of kissing involved.
    I wish Sarah could see how beautiful she is. And I wish she could see me for who I am. Because I’m right here, loving her. But she never seems to notice.

SARAH
    8:30 A.M.
    Â 
    â€œYOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY?” Charlene asks, frowning. “You look upset.”
    â€œI’m fine,” I snap.
    Charlene looks sideways at me. “Ooo-kay.” She pops a stick of gum in her mouth. “Want some?”
    I shake my head, though the cinnamon smells good. I don’t like to do anything that draws attention to my face when I’m in public if I can help it. And that includes unnecessary chewing.
    Charlene stuffs the pack of gum into her backpack, and an empty Cheetos bag and two chocolate-bar wrappers fall out. She pretends not to see them. She must have had a bad night at her dad’s.
    â€œ
You
okay?” I ask.
    â€œSure.” Charlene chomps on her gum. “My dad only called me a fat cow again last night.”
    I clench my fists. “What an a-hole!”
    Charlene lowers her voice. “He said no boy would ever want me.”
    â€œWhy do you listen to what he says? Your mom left
him!
”
    Charlene shrugs. “He’s right. I’ve never even had a date.”
    â€œYou’ll find someone; don’t worry. It just has to be the right someone.”
    â€œYou mean someone desperate enough or blind enough to date me. If only I could lose a few pounds.”
    I don’t know what to say. I want to tell her she looks just fine to me. I want to tell her she doesn’t need a guy. But I don’t want to sound like my mom. Besides, she knows the hours I’ve spent staring at models’ faces. How can I tell
her
not to obsess, when I do?
    â€œWhat does your mom say?”
    â€œThat I’ll find someone when I’m ready. She’s becoming almost as New Age cheerleader as your mom!”
    â€œShe sounds more right than your dad, though.”
    â€œWhatever.” Charlene shrugs, but her face holds pain. “At least she doesn’t mention my weight. The weekend can’t come soon enough for me.”
    She blows a bubble, and the sweet cinnamon scent makes my mouth water.
    Charlene swallows the bubble so fast she almost chokes. “Get a look at that new guy over there!” She grabs my arm. “Isn’t he hot?”
    I look. Dark hair, nice cheekbones, and great pecs, wearing only a black leather jacket over his T-shirt, even in this cold. He grins cockily at the girls flirting with him. He’s at least an eight out of ten. What makes him so attractive is the way he slouches in his jeans, an almost dangerous vibe coming off him, like he could really hurt someone if he wanted to. I don’t understand the attraction to that type, but it’s clear that I am one of the few girls who doesn’t.
    â€œIt’s pretty late in the year to transfer,” I say.
    â€œI heard he got kicked out of Central—but that’s their loss! He’s ours now.”
    I frown. “That doesn’t make him hot. Besides, he’s too full of himself. Look at him lapping up the attention.”
    â€œI’d lap him up if I could!” Charlene laughs loudly—a laugh meant to grab attention—and, sure enough, Bad Boy turns to look. His gaze lingers on Charlene, on her full belly and wide hips, her large breasts, her round, pretty face—and then he sees me. He stares at my cheek, his lips curling back.
    I can feel all the blood rushing to my cheeks. I turn to Charlene, but