Dad insisted I go back to school today. “Just stick with your story,” he said when he dropped me off. “You were sick.” Then he sat in his truck until he saw me disappear through the front doors.
I saw Ambrose and Parvana in the foyer. “Are you okay?” Ambrose asked. “What a lousy time to get sick.”
“I feel better, thanks. How were the Provincials?”
“Awesome!” said Parvana. “We came in eighth out of thirty teams!” Then she kissed Ambrose right on the mouth, right in front of me. Get a room, I wanted to say.
I left them in their lip-lock and headed upstairs. The moment I got to the second floor, I saw Alberta and Farley leaning against my locker. I thought about turning around, but they’d already spotted me. “What happened, Henry?” Alberta asked as I approached. “We were worried.” She was wearing her zip-up sweater with the deer on the front.
“We tried calling you all weekend,” Farley added.
“Like I told Mr. Jankovich: I was sick. I think it was food poisoning. Undercooked chicken.”
Alberta and Farley shared a look. I could tell they didn’t believe me. “A girl asked after you,” Alberta said.
The vice tightened around my heart.
“She said you used to go to school together,” said Farley. “She looked disappointed when we said you’d left.”
I didn’t say anything. I just shifted a few items around in my locker.
“She asked for your address,” Farley said.
The vice tightened again. I started to see spots in front of my eyes.
“So I gave it to her,” he continued. “I didn’t know your postal code, but she can look that up.”
“You gave her my address?”
“She said she wanted to send you something.… ”
“You told her where I live?”
Farley blinked. “I hope that’s okay.”
I wanted to shout, No, it’s not okay. You stupid idiot, it is not okay! Instead, I took a deep breath. “She must have me confused with someone else. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
“But, Henry,” Alberta said, “she knew your name.”
I closed my locker door and walked away.
Much as I wanted to avoid Farley, I couldn’t. We had Math together, just before lunch. I sat far away from him, but when the bell rang, he followed me to my locker. “Henry, I’m sorry I gave that girl your address. I don’t know why it made you so angry, but I’m still sorry. I would never do anything to hurt you. You’re my best friend.”
“Tomorrow I’m going to bring in all the money we’ve made so far,” he continued.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because it’s enough to buy four tickets, with all the taxes and surcharges and stuff. And we need someone with a credit card to buy them. Maria has one that my parents gave her, but it’s only for emergencies. And you want it to be a surprise for your parents.… So I called my third cousin. He lives near Fraser and 41st. He said he’d order the tickets for us, but I have to bring him the cash first. I’ll take the bus there after school tomorrow. You can come, too, if you want.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t buy the tickets yet.”
“We have to if we want the best seats. I checked online. They’re going fast.”
I took a deep breath. “I don’t think I can go anymore.”
Farley just smiled. “Ha-ha.”
“I’m serious.”
“But you love the GWF! It’s all we’ve been talking about for months.”
I just shrugged.
“C’mon, Henry. If you don’t go, I can’t go. And we have the money. Three hundred bucks!”
“Sorry.”
Farley crossed his arms over his scrawny chest. “I’m bringing in the money anyway and ordering the tickets. You’ll change your mind. I know you will.” Then he walked away, tilting to one side.
That’s when I noticed Troy at his locker. He was flipping through a textbook. I wondered how much he’d overheard.
But he didn’t even glance my way.
In the afternoon of what was turning into the longest day of my life, I had Home Ec with Alberta.
“We’re going to make omelets. The recipe is at your cooking stations,” said Mrs. Bardus.
After Farley, Alberta was next in line for people I did not want to see. But I had no choice. We started cracking eggs.
“So,” Alberta said. “That girl. Was she your old girlfriend or something?” She looked right at me. Well, one eye did.
“Can’t you get that fixed?” I said.
“Get what fixed?”
“Your lazy eye. It’s totally creepy. Like it has a mind of its own.”
For a brief moment, both of her eyes met mine. Her nostrils flared.
Then she cracked the last egg over my head and walked out.
Farley said Jodie wants to send me something. What?? A hate letter? Dog poop? A bomb?
We have got to get out of here.
4:00 a.m.
Dad just woke me up from a nightmare. The yellow plastic tube slide one. I was shouting in my sleep.
I’m beginning to think stupid Karen might be right. The bad feelings are never going to go away.