Slant by Laura Williams

Author:Laura Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Milkweed Editions
Published: 2011-11-03T00:00:00+00:00

eight

“Are you going to the Fall Frolic?” Julie asks me. It’s Monday and we are standing in the cafeteria, about to get in line. It’s fish patties or ham sandwiches, so no one is rushing to eat. People are lining up at the ticket table to buy tickets to the dance.

“I doubt it,” I say. “Are you?”

“I was thinking about asking Danny Sidowicz,” Julie says.

“What?” I grab her arm and turn her to face me. “Danny? The one who snorts when he laughs?”

“It’s cute when he does that,” Julie says, blushing. “He sits next to me in French and helps me out.”

I shake my head. “He barely comes up to your shoulder.”

“I like short guys,” she says.

“Like you have a choice.You’re the tallest one in this school.” I think she’s even taller than most of the teachers, but I don’t say that out loud.

“Why don’t you ask Sean?” Julie says, ignoring my last comment.

“No way.” It’s my turn to blush.

“I think he likes you.”

“Yeah, that’s why he called me slant?” I still haven’t washed my jeans, just in case.

“I told you, he probably thinks you like that nickname.”

“Okay, whatever.” That’s what I say when I want to end a conversation. But Julie knows me too well.

“It’s not like you’ve ever told anyone to shut up about it.” Sometimes Julie is like a dog with a juicy bone.

“Nice weather we’re having,” I say.

“You’re just too chicken.You have to speak up for yourself, you know, Lauren.”

“Did you hear that the Jersey Devils won another game?”

“I told you about the Devils, like you care about hockey, and you’re only changing the topic because you know I’m right, and I’m only letting you change the topic because I know you know I’m right.” With that she gets in line so she can pick through the salad bar and hardly eat any of it anyway.

“Whatever,” I grumble behind her. I have to get in the last word even if she doesn’t hear me.

Everyone is talking about the Fall Frolic. For three days in a row, I linger at the end of math, wondering if Sean will wave to me or wave to Mr. Driggs and I can just pretend he is waving to me. But he hasn’t waved to either of us by Wednesday. The dance is less than two weeks away and I: a) can’t get Sean’s attention, and b) can’t get up the nerve to ask him to the dance. Either way it looks like I’ll be sitting home alone that Friday night, especially if my soon-to-be ex–best friend asks Danny out. But no wonder she has guts—she’s tall, blonde, and beautiful. I’d be braver too, if I looked like Julie. I may as well face it, no one wants to go to a dance with someone nicknamed slant.

“For homework,” Mr. Driggs’s voice drones on, “finish the even-numbered problems on page seventy-five.”

I flip to the back of the textbook. There are over four hundred pages! Math is going to drag on and on this year.

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