Escape from Nimbus

Chapter 2

Wally didn't try to talk me out of my theory, but he didn't look like he believed me either. Or maybe he just didn't want to, I don't know. Either way, his face seemed to close off, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He leaned back in his chair slowly, thoughtfully, avoiding my eyes, hands clenched into tight fists. I waited, but when he continued to sit there without saying anything I stood and stalked from the cafeteria, my anger returning. If Wally wasn't going to support me, then no one would.

I passed Phoenix and her posse of friends in the hall. I was hoping to avoid them, but Phoenix waved and said, too clearly for me to ignore.

"Hello, Marissa."

I stopped, turned, and looked right into her eyes.

"My name is Kasia."

"Oh." Phoenix said, looking startled by my vehemence and backing away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Her friends began whispering and glancing at me, their expressions dark. I felt so sick of everyone at the moment that I met their looks boldly and with added fire. Now I'd scared all of them.

"Just leave me alone." I snapped, and spun away, hurrying down the hall.

"Kasia, wait!"

Phoenix was following me!

"What?" I demanded.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, honest! I just want to be friends...."

"Why? Why do you suddenly want to be friends with me? I've been here for seven years, and you've never even spoken to me."

"I know. I'm sorry. I just....." She trailed off and shrugged. "Lately, you've intrigued me. You're different."

"I find that offensive."

"I don't mean it offensively. Different can be a good thing. You don't enjoy the same topics of conversation that everyone else does, and your grades have gotten worse and worse over the past few months. You used to be the fifth smartest person in class."

"How is having bad grades a good thing?"

"Not good...different. Your grades are so bad, they're off the chart. Even Samantha Raine, the dumbest girl in class, gets 85% on her tests. How come yours are so bad all of a sudden?"

"None of your business!" I shouted and ran. She didn't follow me again. I slammed the door to my room when I finally reached it, and then sat on the bed, panting slightly. I knew Phoenix wasn't trying to be mean. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that someone's grades being so low in a school where the worst grade is a high B could be a very interesting topic of conversation. Especially when that student had been a straight A+ student for so long. But I couldn't tell her why my grades were so bad, and that made me so angry.....

Everything seemed to make me angry lately.

I worked out, as usual, but my heart wasn't in it, and I quit halfway through. Flopping languidly on my bed, I rested, enjoying the ache in my muscles. Disappointment at Wally's apparent disregard of my fears for Edward Silver filled my stomach, and I gritted my teeth. I had been sure that Wally, of all people, would have at least tried to soothe my fears. I would have preferred that to his brooding silence and unreadable look.

I didn't go to supper. I figured I wouldn't be missed by the teachers. Kids skipped supper all the time, going to bed early or studying for a test. Instead, after I'd showered and prepared for bed, I took out my Thought Book and began writing things down. It was relaxing, putting all of my thoughts down on paper. Watching the angry words form under my pen and sit bold and clear on the page. When I was done, I was almost startled at how much I'd written, and my wrist and fingers hurt. As I skimmed over my work, I decided Miss Ederton couldn't read this. She'd have to pry the book from my cold, dead fingers before I ever let her read out of my book again. The Thought Book was an escape for me, a way to express myself without offending anyone. And she couldn't....wouldn't....read it.