Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers

Author:Meagan Brothers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Published: 2012-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

Will Anything Happen?

I’d been assigned to a counselor at school, Mr. Briggs. Monday was my first meeting with him, and I felt a little weird about it. But I was feeling a little weird about a lot of things all of a sudden.

“So, how’s things, John?” Briggs sat back in his chair, relaxed. He seemed like the classic guidance counselor, trying to be hip with the kids. He even had blond highlights in his hair.

“Not bad. It’s Johnny, by the way.”

“Johnny. Right, sorry.” He made a note on a clipboard in his lap. He read over my file. “So. Been drinking lately?” Wow, right to the point.

“No.”

“And how’s that working out for you?”

“I fall down a lot less.”

He chuckled and grabbed a handful of cashews from a bowl on his desk. “Cashew?” he offered.

“No, thanks. You know, you don’t have to try to impress me with how cool and casual you are, or whatever.”

“I’m not out to impress you, John. I’m out to stuff myself silly with cashews, and if I can make you comfortable in the meantime, that’s just extra. Now, back to your drinking problem.”

“Well …” This was a little weird. He honestly didn’t seem to give a damn. “I just haven’t been drinking. I’ve been keeping it on the straight and narrow. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“How d’you manage it?”

“Manage what?”

“I mean, I don’t even have the willpower to make myself stop eating these cashews. How do you keep yourself from drinking?”

“I think about girls,” I said bluntly. He laughed.

“That’s new. Girls in general or one girl in particular?” I thought of Debbie. And Maria.

“One or two in particular.”

“Right.” He nodded and popped another cashew. “You came to us from Florida, I see. How do you like it here?”

“It blows.”

“Don’t hold back, John.”

“Sorry. It’s just different. It’s so … claustrophobic up here. I mean, not just the landscape. It’s like everybody’s been here forever. They all know each other and each other’s parents. It’s weird. People were more laid-back in Florida. Everybody was just … cool, you know? I had a lot of friends; we all hung out and partied. It didn’t matter if your parents had money or whatever. I guess it’s just a different vibe.”

“You would’ve had to give up the party lifestyle anyway, though. Correct?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So how’s the school treating you?”

“Badly,” I said, and he smirked. “It doesn’t matter, though. I think high school is just supposed to suck.”

“Not necessarily. What’s so awful about it?”

I thought about Brian Quinn and his buddies. And thought that they’d probably kick my ass for real if I ratted them out. “Oh, you know, the usual,” I told him, nonchalant.

“Crap food, crap teachers, bigger guys beating you up after school?” He neatly arched an eyebrow at me.

“Something like that, yeah.” I breathed tightly. He looked at me coolly. I cleared my throat and glared back at him.

“How did you end up here, John?”

“I came up the stairs and took a left at the nurse’s station.

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