Trent by Daniel Parker

Author:Daniel Parker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2000-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

HAIKU FROM A SECRET ADMIRER

BY TINA VASQUEZ

If you know I’m here,

Please give me a sign: a glance.

Or smile, if you can.

Wow, he thought. That was pretty cool. But maybe he just thought he liked it because it was so short. No…it had a mysterious, anonymous kind of vibe—and it appealed to him. It reminded him a little of song lyrics, only the words didn’t rhyme.

“You know, that’s really neat,” he said. “It says a lot without having to say much at all. I mean, it’s like, you can tell that the girl in the poem is totally in love with this guy, and she’s hopeful, too. And you sort of get the feeling that she might have a chance, but the guy can’t do anything….” Suddenly he felt stupid. He had no idea what he was talking about. How could he know what she meant? He looked up. “Wait. This is a girl talking, right? I mean, I just assumed—” He stopped himself.

Tina’s face had turned a fiery red.

“I’m sorry, am I totally embarrassing you?”

“Uh…no.” She fumbled for her book bag. Her chair screeched on the floor. “It’s, uh, I just remembered I have to call my mom.” She jumped up and hurried out of the classroom, clumsily struggling to gather her unzipped book bag in her arms. “Go ahead and borrow my book. I’ll see you later—”

The door slammed behind her.

“Hey, wait!” Trent called, baffled.

But Tina’s muted footsteps were already clattering down the hall.

He frowned. Now, that was weird. One second they were discussing haikus; the next, she was bolting. Maybe she was playing a prank on him—trying to get him back for yesterday. Well, she’d succeeded. He couldn’t help but feel a little gypped, too. She was his tutor, right? It was her job to stay with him and help him learn, especially since he was really starting to appreciate this poetry stuff. He felt like he’d cleared away some cobwebs and rediscovered a long-forgotten part of his brain: a part that desperately needed an oil change and tune-up. And Tina was the brain mechanic. Or something like that. (He wasn’t the poet; she was.) His eyes fell back to the page.

Oh, jeez.

He slapped his forehead and groaned. Man. He could be thick sometimes, couldn’t he?

The poem was about him.

Obviously. And by allowing him to read it, Tina had accidentally announced that she had been in love with him. At least at one time. No wonder she took off. He slumped back in his chair and laughed miserably. To make matters worse, he’d pretty much told her that she had a decent shot with him—by talking in the third person about the “guy” in the poem.

Of course, that was exactly what Laurie wanted him to do….

His smile faded.

Why did he feel so terrible all of a sudden?

This was supposed to happen. Laurie’s plan was working.

But it wasn’t as if Tina were sneaking around behind Laurie’s back. Yesterday Laurie had practically encouraged her to make a move on Trent. Besides, as far as Tina knew, he and Laurie were finished.

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