up on what was going on； but the conversations were so disjointed that I gave
up。
Jessica didn't look up when I sat down next to her in Calculus。
〃Hey； Jess；〃 I said with put…on nonchalance。 〃How was the rest of your
weekend？〃
She looked at me with suspicious eyes。 Could she still be angry？ Or was she
just too impatient to deal
with a crazy person？
〃Super；〃 she said； turning back to her book。
〃That's good；〃 I mumbled。
The figure of speech cold shoulder seemed to have some literal truth to it。 I
could feel the warm air
blowing from the floor vents； but I was still too cold。 I took the jacket off
the back of my chair and put it
on again。
My fourth hour class got out late； and the lunch table I always sat at was
full by the time I arrived。 Mike
was there； Jessica and Angela； Conner； Tyler； Eric and Lauren。 Katie Marshall；
the redheaded junior
who lived around the corner from me； was sitting with Eric； and Austin Marks—
older brother to the boy
with the motorcycles—was next to her。 I wondered how long they'd been sitting
here； unable to
remember if this was the first day or something that was a regular habit。
I was beginning to get annoyed with myself。 I might as well have been packed
in Styrofoam peanuts
through the last semester。
No one looked up when I sat down next to Mike； even though the chair squealed
stridently against the
linoleum as I dragged it back。
I tried to catch up with the conversation。
Mike and Conner were talking sports； so I gave up on that one at once。
〃Where's Ben today？〃 Lauren was asking Angela。 I perked up； interested。 I
wondered if that meant
Angela and Ben were still together。
I barely recognized Lauren。 She'd cut off all her blond； corn…silk hair—now
she had a pixie cut so short
that the back was shaved like a boy。 What an odd thing for her to do。 I wished
I knew the reason behind
it。 Did she get gum stuck in it？ Did she sell it？ Had all the people she was
habitually nasty to caught her
behind the gym and scalped her？ I decided it wasn't fair for me to judge her
now by my former opinion。
For all I knew； she'd turned into a nice person。
〃Ben's got the stomach flu；〃 Angela said in her quiet； calm voice。 〃Hopefully
it's just some twenty…four
hour thing。 He was really sick last night。〃
Angela had changed her hair； too。 She'd grown out her layers。
〃What did you two do this weekend？〃 Jessica asked； not sounding as if she
cared about the answer。 I'd
bet that this was just an opener so she could tell her own stories。 I wondered
if she would talk about Port
Angeles with me sitting two seats away？ Was I that invisible； that no one
would feel unfortable
discussing me while I was here？
〃We were going to have a picnic Saturday； actually； but we changed our
minds；〃 Angela said。 There
was an edge to her voice that caught my interest。
Jess； not so much。 〃That's too bad；〃 she said； about to launch into her story。
But I wasn't the only one
who was paying attention。
〃What happened？〃 Lauren asked curiously。
〃Well；〃 Angela said； seeming more hesitant than usual； though she was always
reserved； 〃we drove up
north； almost to the hot springs—there's a good spot just about a mile up the
trail。 But； when we were
halfway there we saw something。〃
〃Saw something？ What？〃 Lauren's pale eyebrows pulled together。 Even Jess
seemed to be listening now。
〃I don't know；〃 Angela said。 〃We think it was a bear。 It was black； anyway；
but it seemed too big。〃
Lauren snorted。 〃Oh； not you； too！〃 Her eyes turned mocking； and I decided I
didn't need to give her the
benefit of the doubt。 Obviously her personality had not changed as much as her
hair。 〃Tyler tried to sell
me that one last week。〃
〃You're not going to see any bears that close to the resort；〃 Jessica said；
siding with Lauren。
〃Really；〃 Angela protested in a low voice； looking down at the table。 〃We did
see it。〃
Lauren snickered。 Mike was still talking to Conner； not paying attention to
the girls。
〃No； she's right；〃 I threw in impatiently。 〃We had a hiker in just Saturday
who saw the bear； too； Angela。
He said it was huge and black and just outside of town； didn't he； Mike？〃
There was a moment of silence。 Every pair of eyes at the table turned to stare
at me in shock。 The new
girl； Katie； had her mouth hanging open like she'd just witnessed an
explosion。 Nobody moved。
〃Mike？〃 I muttered； mortified。 〃Remember the guy with the bear story？〃
〃S…sure；〃 Mike stuttered after a second。 I didn't know why he was looking at
me so strangely。 I talked to
him at work； didn't I？ Did I？ I thought so
Mike recovered。 〃Yeah； there was a guy who said he saw a huge black bear right
at the
trailhead—bigger than a grizzly；〃 he confirmed。
〃Hmph。〃 Lauren turned to Jessica； her shoulders stiff； and changed the
subject。
〃Did you hear back from USC？〃 she asked。
Everyone else looked away； too； except for Mike and Angela。 Angela smiled at
me tentatively； and I
hurried to return the smile。
〃So； what did you do this weekend； Bella？〃 Mike asked； curious； but oddly
wary。
Everyone but Lauren looked back； waiting for my response。
〃Friday night； Jessica and I went to a movie in Port Angeles。 And then I spent
Saturday afternoon and
most of Sunday down at La Push。〃
The eyes flickered to Jessica and back to me。 Jess looked irritated。 I
wondered if she didn't want anyone
to know she'd gone out with me； or whether she just wanted to be the one to
tell the story。
〃What movie did you see？〃 Mike asked； starting to smile。
〃Dead End—the one with the zombies。〃 I grinned in encouragement。 Maybe some
of the damage I'd
done in these past zombie months was reparable。
〃I heard that was scary。 Did you think so？〃 Mike was eager to continue the
conversation。
〃Bella had to leave at the end； she was so freaked；〃 Jessica inserted with a
sly smile。
I nodded； trying to look embarrassed。 〃It was pretty scary。〃
Mike didn't stop asking me questions till lunch was over。 Gradually； the
others were able to start up their
own conversations again； though they still looked at me a lot。 Angela talked
mostly to Mike and me； and；
when I got up to dump my tray； she followed。
〃Thanks；〃 she said in a low voice when we were away from the table。
〃For what？〃
〃Speaking up； sticking up for me。〃
〃No problem。〃
She looked at me with concern； but not the offensive； maybe…she's…lost…it
kind。 〃Are you okay？〃
This is why I'd picked Jessica over Angela—though I'd always liked Angela
more—for the girls' night
movie。 Angela was too perceptive。
〃Not pletely；〃 I admitted。 〃But I'm a little bit better。〃
〃I'm glad；〃 she said。 〃I've missed you。〃
Lauren and Jessica strolled by us then； and I heard Lauren whisper loudly；
〃Oh； joy Bella's back。〃
Angela rolled her eyes at them； and smiled at me in encouragement。
I sighed It was like I was starting all over again。
〃What's today's date？〃 I wondered suddenly。
〃It's January nineteenth。〃
〃Hmm。〃
〃What is it？〃 Angela asked。
〃It was a year ago yesterday that I had my first day here；〃 I mused。
〃Nothing's changed much；〃 Angela muttered； looking after Lauren