“The boy from the alley.” She had told Nan about him in two short and stiff sentences over the weekend.
“No way!” Nan held up her phone to Mina. “Is this him? I’ve been getting texts about him ever since he walked through the school doors. My, he is cute, isn’t he?” She leaned over and looked into her locker mirror, and pressed her lips together to apply more gloss. Today she wore an Aerosmith T-shirt and bottle-cap belt, her soft blonde hair flowing in waves just past her shoulders. No matter what outfit or ensemble Nan wore, she was always beautiful.
Mina thought for a second. “I guess he is kind of cute. And if he weren’t so rude, you would probably like him.”
Nan and Mina walked toward the lunchroom, and Mina was secretly relieved to see that she was not the center of attention. Nan pulled on Mina’s jacket to lead her over to their usual table, but Mina froze when she saw Jared was already sitting there.
Mina pulled away from Nan, and went to sit by Brody and his friends, who looked at her in surprise. Nan followed glumly and sat down, too. Disappointed she didn’t get to meet the hot new guy, she was quickly appeased when Justin from the water polo team started flirting with her.
“I’m glad that you’re okay.” Brody leaned over to Mina and whispered so only she could hear. “I’ve been worried about you. I waited for you, and you never showed up. I’ve been tearing myself to pieces with worry.”
“Nothing to be worried about. See, I’m fine.” Mina gestured to her body, that she was in fact whole and in one piece.
Brody stared at her face and the faint outline of the bruise on her cheek. Her makeup had done a good job of covering up most of the yellowness, but it had started to fade. Her hand flew to her cheek reflexively when she noticed his stare.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
“Not anymore. Like I told you, I’m fine.”
“Is that why you didn’t come to school?”
“There would have been too many awkward questions. It was easier to stay home.”
Brody nodded in understanding “What did you tell your mom?”
“Nothing yet. I have nothing new to tell her.”
Brody stiffened. Mina could tell he was angry that she hadn’t told her mother. “Why not?”
“It would make her worry.”
“She should be worried. You should be worried!” He spoke in a clipped manner.
“Brody, if you’re going to start this argument again, then I’ll find somewhere else to sit.” Mina turned to get up.
“No, wait. I won’t bring it up again.” Brody reached out and grabbed her arm. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”
She licked her lips nervously. “Thanks to you. I’m sorry for the way that I acted.”
“No,” Brody interrupted. “I shouldn’t have pressured you into going to the police. I’m just glad you’re okay. I’ve been worried sick, since I had no way to call you and you didn’t come to school.”
Mina could feel Jared’s eyes studying her from across the lunchroom, so she continued to talk to Brody. For some reason this seemed to upset Jared, and she could tell even from a distance that he glowered. It was funny to see her and Nan’s usually empty table now filled with girls vying for Jared’s attention and boys trying to assess their competition. But he still managed to shoot her dark looks that made her skin crawl.
Lunch flew by, and Mina was dismayed to find that Jared was in two more of her classes. How had he managed it, when Nan couldn’t even get her schedule to follow Mina’s? Thankfully, he didn’t try to start any more conversations with her. Maybe it was because Mina kept glaring at him and holding up her textbook like it was the Great Wall of China.
It was during the last period of the day, right before the bell rang, that he finally spoke up again.
“You didn’t bring it, did you?” he asked in a whisper.
“Bring what?” Mina kept her eyes glued to the sentence she was reading, even though she had already read it ten times. She had been unable to study since he sat down.
“You know what. Tell me you brought it.” He actually looked a little panicked that she might not have it with her.
“No, I didn’t.” Mina glared at him. “I was almost attacked and killed because I had it. Im not going to carry it around with me everywhere. I wouldn’t be safe.”
Jared’s face became stiff, and his jaw clenched in anger. “You’re not safe without it.”
“What do you care? I’m not supposed to live past the end of the week, remember? Your exact words.” Thankfully, the bell rang, and Mina stood up and stomped out of the classroom, leaving an opened-mouth Jared in her wake. He called her name, but she ignored him.
She made a beeline for her locker and was actually hoping that Brody had forgiven her and was waiting by it; thankfully, he was. Mina grinned as he reached over to grab her bag from her. A girl could really get used to this, she thought. She was so preoccupied on the drive home that she didn’t even notice when Brody drove right to her front door.