I laughed, making him spear me with a surprised glance. So I finally gave in and wrote, Or maybe because I’m Sarah. Then I bit my lip and waited for the fallout.
But that explanation seemed to confuse him more than all the others.
“Huh?” he said, frowning.
I didn’t have to clarify, though. A moment later, his eyes widened. He zipped his gaze up to mine before scanning over my wheelchair.
“Holy shit,” he exploded just before an appalled expression lit his face as if he couldn’t believe he’d just said that in front of me. Guilt flooded his features as he returned his attention to my face right before he slapped his hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he muffled out and then dropped his fingers to add, “I just...I had no idea.”
I almost acted stupid and asked what he had no idea about, but I felt a little too crushed to bother. My first chance to make a friend...ruined because I’d waited too long to tell him the truth.
Lowering my gaze to my laptop, I began to type out an apology, but the familiar voice of one of the school’s most notorious beautiful, mean girls said, “Hey, you’re new here, aren’t you?”
I looked up in time to see Chloe Hilliard twist a piece of her long, platinum blonde hair around her finger as she smiled at Brandt.
“Uh, yeah,” Brandt answered, transferring his alarmed gaze to Chloe before he looked at me and then back up at her again. “I’m Brandt.”
“Chloe,” she answered with a Cheshire cat smile before she extended her hand past me to shake with him.
She never once glanced down at me, completely ignoring the fact I was sitting right there and had been talking to him. Honestly, I don’t think she even realized I was there. Brandt glanced between the two of us before hesitantly reaching out to shake with her.
Glumly realizing my moment with him was over, I slid my attention downward to hide my disappointment. The screen of my laptop blared up at me, showing off everything I’d written.
I wanted to be mad at him for turning away from me, but after the friendship we’d formed over the last few days, I was mostly just sad it was over.
With a sigh, I began to type, needing something to do to distract myself from the depressing mortification roaring through me. I knew I should probably be used to getting ignored and set aside like this, since it happened so often, but it still had the power to completely humiliate me. I’d been so hopeful about connecting with Brandt.
Pissed at Chloe, I took it out on her, typing: Chloe Hilliard, biggest skank whore in the entire middle school. And now, friend thief.
My heart raced as I typed those words. Before befriending Brandt on Facebook, I never would’ve dared say something so mean. But after reading all his inner potty-mouthed thoughts, it seemed almost...liberating. And yep, as soon as the words showed up on the screen, I felt...freer. Better.
As Chloe asked Brandt what grade he was in, I rolled my eyes over how freaking phony she sounded.
Blah, blah, blah, I typed. BTW, she’s sticking her chest out like that because her boobs just came in, and she wants all the boys to look at them.
Above me, Brandt laughed.
I looked up just as Chloe asked him, “What’s so funny?” only to realize he’d been reading what I’d been typing.
Oh, crap.
Busted.
I slapped the computer closed so Chloe couldn’t see what I’d called her. My gaze went to Brandt, begging mercy.
Instead of ratting me out, however, he tightened his lips, lifted his eyebrows and sent Chloe the worst innocent expression ever.
“Uh...nothing. Sorry.” He scratched his ear and sent me a quick glance before flashing her a bogus smile. “What’d you say again?”
She seemed momentarily uncertain before she blinked and repeated, “I, um, I just wanted to know if you’d like me to show you around, walk you to your first class, you know, stuff like that.”
“Oh.” His eyebrows lifted, but instead of thanking her and taking her up on her offer, his expression turned to a wince. “Sorry, but Sarah already agreed to do all that for me.”
“What?” Chloe asked, her smiling falling flat.
Yeah. What?
Both Chloe and I gaped at him as if he’d lost his mind. He eased a wary step back, looking at me, then back to Chloe, who’d just slapped her hands on her hips and glared.
“Sarah who?”
“Sarah...Arnosta,” he answered slowly, pointing me out.
Chloe finally looked down. Every instinct in me wanted to shy away, to lower my gaze, run and hide. But seriously...Brandt had just chosen me over her.
That felt powerful.
Instead of cowering, I lifted my chin. Victorious.
She sniffed her disgust and let out a little laugh, letting Brandt and I know she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Really?” she asked him dryly. “You want to hang out with the school freak?”