Pick-me-up Read Online Free PDF Page B

one): A. friend
material B. creepy, I wish he’d leave me alone C. all I want in a
man D. a geek.”
    Katelyn screamed inside. No Fair! She was
sure she was blushing. She wondered about what she meant to him,
but she didn’t have the guts to ask him. Now, he was putting her on
the spot. He was obviously wondering about how she felt, too. She
wished she knew what he thought of her. They’d only known each
other a few days.
    When in doubt, Katelyn turned to humor. She
crouched over the phone again, beginning a joke about her history
of failing multiple choice questions, but she snapped the cover
shut quickly as Teacher Woman appeared right in front of her
desk.
    Damn, thought Katelyn, no one gets caught by
her. Now the preps in class would have something else to laugh
about.
    “Give me the phone,” Teacher Woman said
firmly, holding out her hand.
    Might as well try the standard replies,
Katelyn thought. “I was checking the time; I can’t see the clock
from here.”
    “Do you think I’m stupid?”
    Why do teachers open themselves up to
ridicule like that? Katelyn couldn’t help herself; she cocked her
head and shrugged her shoulders.
    Teacher Woman’s eyes widened for a second
before narrowing. “Give me the phone right now.”
    “I’m expecting a message from my mom,” she
said in a pleading voice. “My aunt is having surgery and she’s
supposed to let me know how it went.” Katelyn tried to make her
voice crack, but she hadn’t mastered the art, yet.
    Teacher Woman didn’t even flinch. She just
stayed set in front of her and gave her that look that teachers and
parents have mastered, one that says BS and I Have More Power Than
You all in one.
    Katelyn knew her game was up. She brought the
phone out from under the desk, flipped it over, opened the back and
removed the battery. She put the powerless phone into the teacher’s
hand and gave her a smug look.
    “Go to the office.”
    “What!?” Katelyn yelled in disbelief, “What
for?”
    The whole class had turned in their seats to
watch the altercation. Some had obedient fear in their eyes. Most
were amused, reveling in her punishment. Tommy pointed at her and
mocked a noose being hung around his neck.
    Teacher Woman tilted her chin in the air and
said, “You’re being insubordinate; you haven’t done a thing today
in class.”
    Katelyn steamed. She hated this place. She
defiantly turned back to the teacher, looked down at her desk and
pushed herself up. Almost eye level with the teacher, she said,
“Well, that makes two of us.” She heard the snickers of students
and the gasp of the teacher as she grabbed her notebook and walked
out the door, her head held high.
     

Chapter 6: In School
Suspension
    Katelyn
sat outside Mr. Gorman’s office waiting for Teacher Woman to finish
her case against her in the next room. Katelyn sat in one of the
two plastic seats bolted to a metal frame. Slouching wasn’t an
option as it blocked the narrow path from the opposite side of his
secretary’s desk to his door. She couldn’t get comfortable, so she
took to chewing her nails. Katelyn swung her knees back and forth
just to relieve some of her anger. The secretary looked up at her,
barely disguising her annoyance. Katelyn returned her gaze, but
didn’t stop swinging her knees. The secretary gave her a practiced
smile, and looked back down at her work.
    Katelyn dreaded seeing Gorman. He personally
came to her lunch table today, embarrassing her in front of her
friends. Katelyn was already being ignored by Emily anyway. Emily
and Maci had been bragging about being at some senior boy’s house
after they left the bonfire at Rollins Dam Saturday night. Maci was
making sure to be loud enough so Katelyn would hear every juicy
detail.
    Gorman had stepped up to the table and gave a
grin, surveying the whole table twice until he said, “Miss Wells,
come with me.” The rest of the students at the table relaxed at
being off the hook. A few of them glared at Katelyn for