What's Meant To Be Read Online Free PDF Page B

supposed to be monitoring lunch. I mean, I know it’s the first day of school, but come on, isn’t that why we have teachers? To, uh, monitor things like this?
    I sigh and nudge Karli away from Melissa a little. “Come on,” I tell her.
    “Trust me when I say it’s not worth the battle.”
    Melissa snorts. “What battle is that, Ashley? News flash; you lost. Take a look around, no one in this room really cares if you exist or not. You’re ugly, and if you disappeared, I highly doubt anyone would notice.”
    The words are sharp and humiliating. I know everyone in the caf has probably just heard what she said and part of me wants to run out of the room crying, and another part of me wants to slap that smug look off her face. I don’t do either though. I just laugh. I find myself laughing. The look on her face now is one of shock and annoyance but I’m laughing and I can’t help it, I just can’t stop.
    Finally, I compose myself and shrug. “You’re wrong, Melissa. I’m not ugly and I have people who care about me. But if I were ugly and if no one cared if I ever showed up at this school again, I’d still rather have either one of those things than be like you.” I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, but I don’t stop talking. “I’d rather be able to look at myself in the mirror everyday and know I’m a good person than turn out like you. You make other people’s lives miserable to make yourself feel better. And that must get really, really lonely sometimes.”
    I turn and meet Alexa’s eyes for a second before starting to walk out of the cafeteria. Melissa’s response is so loud that it echoes through the entire room. “All the makeup in the world doesn’t change the fact that you’re a freak, Ashley.”
    Its not her voice that stops me in my tracks, though. It’s the voice of the person who talks next.
    “She’s not a freak.”
    It’s a simple statement and if it had come from anyone else I wouldn’t have even stopped, but the sound of his voice makes me turn around to meet his eyes.
    Austin.
    He’s getting up from his chair now and walking around the table “And you…” he says, stopping in front of Melissa, “are so…so...God, you’re just so annoying.”
    Meliss’s mouth drops open like she can’t believe what he just said. But Austin keeps talking. “If I have to hear another stupid story about how you manage to never wear the same outfit more than once I’m going to literally go crazy.”
    A few of the boys sitting at Melissa’s table laugh and she shoots them a dirty look.
    “I don’t want to be your friend Melissa, I don’t even want to look at you.”
    “Oh,” Melissa says “but you want to be HER friend?”
    Austin turns and looks at me. “That’s the thing. I haven’t been her friend.
    Friends don’t leave one another, or ignore one another, just because of what people say. And that’s on me. But for the record, I think she looks beautiful. Even without the makeup.”
    I can’t help the warmth that comes over my body when he says it, or the smile that appears on my face. I take a step toward him “Friends do stick up for one another when someone’s hurting them though,” I tell him.
    “So we only have one problem then.” With every word out of his mouth he’s taking another step toward me. “I don’t want to be your friend. I want to be your boyfriend.”
    He’s so close to me now I can feel his breath when he talks, he smells like cinnamon and vanilla, and somewhere in the back of my mind I’m aware that the whole lunchroom is still staring at us. “Austin…”
    “Don’t,” he says. “Don’t pay attention to everyone looking at us. Only look at me, because you’re the only person I see.” And then in the middle of the cafeteria with everyone watching, Austin kisses me.
    And somewhere in the deepest part of my heart I realize that this is the best first day of school ever.