A Graveyard of Stars

Chapter Thirteen

My fellow classmates have a field day when I come to school with cuts on my cheek. I even had one boy come up to me between classes and ask quite eagerly if I received the cuts from a "squirrel quarrel." I'm assuming it was a dare, since there was a group of boys snickering in the near distance.

"What did you say to him?" Abigail giggles after I recite the story to her.

I give her a look of uncertainty. "What am I supposed to say to something like that?"

"Okay ladies, story time is over," Mr. Lane interrupts once he has finally gathered his papers and is ready to start today's lesson. I've always liked Mr. Lane. He looks to be in his mid-fifty's and is about twenty pounds overweight. He's one of the most honest human beings I know and teaches my second favorite subject. While all the other teachers are criticizing me and disliking me for my reputation or for something as simple as the way I sit in a chair, Mr. Lane is ordering me to take notes or to pay attention. He's ruthless and mean but I respect the fact that he actually gives a shit if I get a decent grade or not. And I don't see Mr. Lane sitting in the teachers' lounge gossiping about students and picking favorites.

That's why I didn't imagine him giving my cheek a second glance, but like Will said, nothing happens the way you imagine it.

My cheek looks a lot worse than it did yesterday morning. I must've hit the ground in that tree house harder than I thought because when I woke up this morning I was greeted with a discolored cheek bone. It doesn't hurt much though. And unless I'm smiling, I can do my best to pretend it's not there.

Teachers have looked. Teaches have ignored. Mr. Lane on the other hand, looks like he's considering calling the schools counselor. I play it off like nothing's wrong because honestly, nothing is. Abigail lets me borrow a piece of paper and a red mechanical pencil. Mr. Lane starts the lesson.

"Hester and Dimondale's experience evokes the story of Adam and Eve because, in both events, sin results in ejection and suffering, but it also results in knowledge- especially, in knowledge of what it means to be human."

Mr. Lanes eyes do a regular quick sweep of the room. They reach me and hesitate. He's either worried or doesn't want to get in trouble if it turns out something is seriously wrong in my life and he didn't call someone to help stop it.

"Write this down," he orders when he turns back to the board.

Knowledge:

awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation

At the end of the class, Mr. Lane asks me to hang back.

Once the classroom has emptied out, Mr. Lane says, "This is just a precaution so don't get defensive like most teenage girls but I want to make sure everything is okay."

Even though I know he's being serious, I snort a laugh. "Being defensive is a sign of guilt."

He grins. "So is being avoidant."

I think about my Mom and my friends and assure Mr. Lane that things are good right now. Even though I can tell he's not one hundred percent content with my answer, he lets me leave. Abigail is waiting for me outside the classroom, along with Will. She lets out a huge breath of air when I emerge from the classroom. "I thought we were going to have to leave without you."

We start walking down the hallway and I chuckle. "You would've survived."

"Hey, wait up!" I hear from behind us. Turning around, I see Craig chasing us down.

"I talked to my Dad," Craig tells me as we start down the hall again. "About the internship."

"How'd it go?" I ask.