J

ocks. Cheerleaders. Dorks. Overachievers. Drama geeks. Forgettables.

Cattle. They were all cattle. The bell had just wrung and already Jinx felt tired. Sophomore year had come, and there she was on the first day of the year, standing in the same hallway, seeing the same people, thinking the same thoughts.

Someone bumped into her shoulder and said, “Watch out, freak!”

Jinx smiled. Freak. That was way better than being a Forgettable. She turned around and said, “Bump into me again, and you’d better watch out.” She said it quietly, but the guy turned to look at her—a jock, for sure—a hint of fear in his eyes.

Maybe school wouldn’t be so bad. Having a reputation as someone who dabbled in the dark arts, whatever that meant, had its advantages. If they knew she was really a tech nerd, she wouldn’t garner half as much respect.

Jackson sidled up to her. “Making friends already?”

She smiled. “He started it.”

Jackson said, “That’s Travis. He’s actually a pretty nice guy. We play football together. I think he’s dating Emily.”

“Like I care.” Yep, a jock. Jinx sighed and anger traveled up her back. How could Jackson be friends with these people? “And anyway, he’s so nice, he called me a freak. Whatever. I wouldn’t want to interrupt you two playing with your balls.” She bumped her shoulder against his. “Now, to homeroom?”

“Homeroom.”

They walked side by side, people calling “hey” to Jackson every two steps. Everyone ignored Jinx—but at least it was because they were afraid of her. She scowled at everyone who looked her in the eye. She knew that Jackson probably got a lot of crap for being friends with her, but she knew he would never dump her as a friend or talk trash behind her back. Another reason he was a cut above the cattle the high school raised.

It was two minutes before the bell was due to ring, and Jackson and Jinx were four doors down from homeroom when they ran into Emily.

Her face was paler than pale and her hair dirty blonde. She ran right into Jinx and Jackson and jumped back as if she’d been electrocuted.

Jinx said, “Watch it!” at the same time that Jackson said, “Emily, are you OK?”

Emily looked up with huge blue haunted eyes, looking like a startled woodland creature.

Anger twitched in Jinx again. In middle school, Emily had called Jinx “Roberta” and looked through her like she didn’t exist. She had invited Jackson everywhere, though. Jinx’s eyes narrowed. She couldn’t say she was unhappy to see her looking like a mess.

Emily stammered, “So...sorry,” and tried to move away from them. Jackson caught her arm.

“Emily, if something’s wrong, you can tell us.”

Jinx tapped her foot. “The bell is going to ring, dingus. Come on, we have to get to homeroom.”

Emily looked back and forth between Jinx and Jackson. She shook her head. “It’s nothing. And anyway...no one can help us.”

With that, the bell rang and Emily took off down the hall.