Miss Quick

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen
Changes

Thursday rolled around. By then I had my alter ego memorized up and down. I figured that if I stayed inconspicuous and didn't get too close to anyone, my secret was safe.

I was stepping out my bedroom door when my eyes landed on the pendant with four S's. I picked it up and the yellow quadrant glowed at my touch.

I knew it was dangerous to have, but I liked the pendant. It made me feel like I was part of something bigger. I fastened it around my neck. The yellow light faded as I dropped it under my shirt and I was out the door.

When I arrived at AIGEA I went through the whole enrolling process again: I went to the office, was assigned a backpack and a locker, and got my schedule. My classes were at different times but I had the same teachers, and I still had gym and CA last in the day.

I was led out of the office by a secretary up to someone standing just outside the office door. Someone I recognized. "Ms. Alkire, this is Josh. He'll be showing you around today and accompanying you to your classes."

Josh, who had looked pained up until he saw me, now raised his eyebrows up on seeing me. It looked like he was sharing a silent comment about me with himself. His eyes twinkled.

"Hey. It's nice to meet you," he said, reaching out to shake my hand.

I couldn't stop myself from grinning. "I'm Maria."

"Well, since you two seem to be getting along, I'd better leave, have a nice day," said the secretary all on one breath. She began to turn and leave even before she was done speaking.

Josh rolled his eyes playfully and mouthed, "Bitch."

I gave him a quick small smile, choosing to ignore the silent remark, and said, "So where's my first class?" even though it was Mrs. Newman's room, which I'd gone to every day for a few months now.

"Right this way," he said, directing me by putting an arm on mine gently and moving me forward. Even though it was a little weird, a thrill shot through me at his touch and I smiled.

We arrived at Mrs. Newman's class and walked in just before the bell rang. I glanced around and groaned mentally. Science was a class I hadn't had with anyone except Evelyn, but Tara was in this class - and not only her, but Carlos too. Habitually I looked away from him, avoiding his eyes.

Josh and I sat in the back of the class and I didn't talk for the whole period. Everything felt wrong, including my new body, and I couldn't even talk to anyone about it. Mrs. Newman's perpetually cheery attitude didn't help.

***

In math, Josh winked at me three different times. In history, he sat behind me and played with my hair. I began to notice a pattern, but I wrote it off as nothing. Then after history and before English, he suggested instead of eating in the cafeteria, I meet up with him. I didn't want to, but I didn't want to be rude.

"Um, maybe, I think I have to um, talk to someone else," I said lamely.

He smirked. "Okay, Maria, let me know."

I almost corrected him calling me by the wrong name, but then I remembered. It wasn't wrong. Even so, it made me dislike him a little more. Heat coursed through me when he smirked again, but not good heat. I hated that he was flirting with someone else, even though that someone was me. The point was, he didn't know that. He was dating Ariah. And he was flirting with Maria.

After my elective class, Civil War (which was incredibly boring), was lunch. I went into the girls' bathroom and waited for a few minutes to get away from Josh.