Girl, Unstrung by Claire Handscombe

Author:Claire Handscombe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CH Books
Published: 2020-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

Thirty-One

The next day I stop by my locker before homeroom again, which is turning out to be a mistake when it comes to the whole Getting Through High School thing. Tim’s there, waiting for me, leaning against my locker so I can’t get to it without, at the very least, acknowledging him and asking him to move. He’s wearing a red and blue plaid button-down and, damn it, he looks good.

“I googled Madison Harper,” he says.

I chew on my spearmint gum a couple times before I answer him. “That’s nice for you.” What does he want, congratulations on deploying a basic literacy skill?

“She was in that show with your dad last year.”

I nod toward my locker so he knows to get out of the way. “Yes.”

“I never watched it,” he says.

“Too bad,” I say. I move the combination lock to the right code. “If you had, maybe it’d still be on the air. My dad was really disappointed when they cancelled it.” I’m just spit-balling here. I have no idea if dad even cared.

“Clara, I’m trying to tell you I didn’t know who Madison Harper was.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” I say, pulling out the book I need. “Everyone knows who Madison Harper is.”

“Everyone in your world, maybe,” Tim says, shaking the hair from his eyes.

“We live in the same world, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

He laughs. “No. We really don’t. You live in the glamorous Hollywood world. I live in the nerdy Scrabble world. I don’t even have time for TV.”

I spin round and face him as I shut my locker and move the combination lock back. “I know for a fact that’s not true. You told my dad you were a big fan. At Student Arts Showcase in the fall? Someone who doesn’t watch TV doesn’t go up to my dad and say that.” Does he think I’m some kind of imbecile?

“I watched The Classroom. Everybody watched The Classroom. Even people who don’t watch TV watched The Classroom.”

Seriously, people are obsessed with that show. I should really get around to watching it sometime.

“You could have spoken to me at my own recital,” I say.

“You’re terrifying,” he says.

That is ridiculous. I laugh. “Yet here you are, talking to me right now.”

“I’ve grown a lot in the last few months. I’m very proud of myself.” I laugh again. I forgot how easily he can make me do that. “In fact, I’ve grown so much that I’m not afraid to tell you this.” He is a little afraid, though, because he can’t quite look me in the eye. “I didn’t want to talk to you in front of your parents because I didn’t want them to see how much I liked you.”

“Huh?” I know what all those words mean but they don’t seem to make sense in that order.

“You heard me,” he says. He’s looking right at me now.

The bell rings. We’re going to be late, and I can’t afford to get yelled at for that two days in a row. Tim picks up his backpack and leaves.

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