Just Another Hero (The Jericho Trilogy) by Draper Sharon M

Author:Draper, Sharon M. [Draper, Sharon M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-06-11T00:00:00+00:00

ARIELLE

CHAPTER 19

TUESDAY, MARCH 1

ARIELLE, DRESSED IN A DARK BLUE BLAZER, gazed out the window at the end of the hallway at the rapidly melting snow as she waited with the other students for Miss Pringle to show up. The store where Arielle worked after school was having a March Madness clothing sale, and she knew she’d end up mopping all the March footprints off the floor before she got to go home tonight. She sighed.

Where was that woman? Probably at the cafeteria getting another cup of coffee to fill her ever-present mug.

Kids sat on the floor or leaned on a wall, checking their watches and deciding, Arielle knew, whether to skip class or not. Room 317 was unlocked, but only a few kids had bothered to go in.

Eddie Mahoney, who had ended up in this class as well, sat waiting alone at the other end of the hall. Drumming two pencils on the floor, he challenged everyone with his eyes.

Arielle thought he always looked as if he was up to something. Nothing specific, but he threw off all kinds of bad vibes. If he’d been a painting, she would have drawn him in shades of deep purple and indigo.

She shivered. Even though March had arrived, it still got really cold at night, but Chad had turned off the heat in the house. “No need for heat. It’s almost spring,” he’d announced last night. Arielle slept in a sweatshirt over her pajamas, and she still hadn’t warmed up.

Lost in thought, she was surprised to notice Osrick standing next to her. He looked scared.

“Uh, can I ask you something, Arielle?” he began, his voice high and thin.

“Sure, Osrick. What’s up?” She still wasn’t sure whether she felt more sorry for him, or suspicious of him.

“Did you ever find your iPhone?”

Arielle tilted her head sideways. “No, I didn’t. Do you have any idea what happened to it?”

“I know you think I took it, but I didn’t,” he told her.

“I never said that,” she said.

“I know, but everyone else does. And I’ve seen how you watch me.”

Arielle didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t deny it. “I, uh—”

Osrick interrupted her. “I’ve never stolen anything in my life. But even if I had, I’d never touch that model iPhone. It’s flawed. I’ve examined the specs.” He spoke with an authority that erased their mutual embarrassment.

She believed him, and she was glad about it. “Now you’re sounding more like the Wizard of Osrick we all know,” she said with real relief.

“Well, that’s one of the nicer things they call me,” he told her. His braces gleamed in the sunlight. “You buy like the usual consumer—because it’s pretty. Apple will improve the defects in future versions of the device.”

“I thought it was pretty cool for the short time I had it.”

“When they fix the glitches, maybe then I’ll buy one. I have money, you know.”

“I’m sure you do,” said Arielle, still not sure where Osrick was headed. “So what does this have to do with my phone getting stolen?”

He looked around carefully to make sure no one else could hear him.

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