Extraordinary October. Diana Wagman

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СКАЧАТЬ went ahead of us and Trevor stopped me in the doorway. “Can I see you? Tonight?”

      It was Thursday. I didn’t know what I’d tell my parents. Plus wasn’t I supposed to play hard to get? “Yes,” I said. So much for hard to get—he’d obviously gotten me.

      “Meet me at the Stop N Shop by your house at seven.”

      “How do you know where I live?”

      He shrugged and grinned. He was so damn attractive.

      “Okay,” I said. “I’ll be there.”

      “I’ll buy you an ice cream cone.”

      He jogged off toward his next class and I turned toward mine. Green was standing in front of me.

      “What’re you looking at?” I asked.

      “Your forehead’s bleeding,” he said. “And that thing on your neck is growing.”

      I groaned. So attractive. Maybe Trevor hadn’t noticed. Yeah, right.

      I ducked into the closest restroom.

       5.

      School bathrooms are universes unto themselves. It doesn’t matter what school you’re in, public or private, anywhere in the country, they all have the same smells, sounds, and accoutrements. There is the scent of pee mixed with industrial-strength disinfectant. The toilet paper, if there is any, pulls down in a little square so thin you could read a textbook through it. It takes thirty to make a reasonable wipe. A sadist must have invented the paper towels because they’re like sandpaper, impossible to use for fixing make up, dabbing tears, or blowing your nose. Good news is you exfoliate every time you dry your hands. The tile walls make everything loud and there’s always hair in the sink and at least two toilets haven’t been flushed and in the girls’ room the sanitary products wastebaskets are always overflowing.

      The cut on my head was bubbling up with blood that was beginning to drip into my eyebrows. I found a stall with toilet paper, took about fifty squares and tried to staunch the flow. It wasn’t helping. The mark on my neck looked bumpier and bigger and redder than it had that morning. I was falling apart. The bathroom door opened.

      “Hey. Need some help?”

      Luisa. Of course.

      “That crow really did a number,” she said. “I have some tissues, real tissues, in my bag.”

      “I can do it.” The blood was saturating the toilet paper. “Yuk.” I tossed the wad into the trashcan and grabbed a paper towel. I winced as I tried to wipe up the blood with the stiff, rough paper. “I don’t know why it started bleeding now.”

      “I saw you talking to that new guy.” Luisa wet one of her tissues under the tap. “He looks kind of interesting.”

      “You think so?”

      “Yeah. Here, let me.” She pressed the tissue to my cut. The cool water was a relief. “Lean your head back,” she said.

      It made it difficult to talk, but it didn’t stop me. “I feel bad for him, you know? Having to transfer right before the end of school. I’ve been here forever and it’s hard enough for me. I don’t have any real friends—I mean.” I stopped. “Well, you know what I mean.”

      I hoped I hadn’t offended her. Here she was with her hand on my head, missing class, but she wasn’t really a friend. Even if time after time she turned up just when I needed her. That was luck, not friendship.

      “I think Trevor’s okay looking,” I went on as I stared at the ceiling. “In a rugged, you know, casual kind of way.”

      “Not as handsome as Walker,” she said.

      I straightened and looked her in the eye. “Walker is weird.”

      “I think he likes you.”

      “You do?”

      “I love this color on you.” She changed the subject. “You look great in purple.”

      I sneaked a peak into the mirror. My skin—the part that wasn’t bloody—looked kind of golden and my hair was shiny with red highlights I never noticed before.

      “Must be the light.” I waited a minute before continuing. “So, Luisa?”

      “Yes?”

      “Where do you go when you don’t come to school?” I asked. I was thinking about Trevor. “Do you go to the mall?”

      “Ugh, no.” Luisa laughed. “I go down to the L.A. River. “

      “What do you do down there?”

      “Hang out, watch the herons and the turtles. Enjoy the nature. This city has too much cement.”

      “Isn’t it dangerous? Homeless people and gangs?”

      “Never had a problem.” She turned me to face the mirror. “Look at yourself. You’re hot. And you’re smart. That’s why Walker likes you. You should give him another chance. Trust him.”

      “Once was enough.” I took the wad of bloody tissues from her. “And this is what I got for it.” I threw it away. “Thank you for helping me.”

      “That’s what I’m here for.”

      I cocked my head at her.

      “You know, I’m your basic caregiver type,” she said.

      “Well, thank you Nurse Flores.” I had stopped bleeding. In fact the cut looked much better. The scab was even gone. “You’re good at what you do.” The spot on my neck had faded as well. It was almost gone. “My neck—”

      “If you ever want to talk,” she interrupted.

      “About Walker?”

      “Or Trevor.”

      We both started laughing at that, not for any real reason, but just because. Laughing and laughing like girlfriends. Like good friends. The door to the bathroom swung open hard and Ms.Tannenbaum, the P.E. teacher, stomped in. She was not your typical P.E. teacher, she was petite and blonde and wore a ton of jewelry, but she was scary nonetheless, like a Chihuahua on steroids.

      “What are you girls doing in here? You should be in class!”

      “I was bleeding,” I said. “Luisa was helping me.” I pointed to my forehead, but the pale, pink mark did not look convincing.

      “Look,” Luisa said, and pointed to the trashcan and the bloody tissue.

      Tough little Tannenbaum raised her eyebrows. “Out,” she said.

      “It’s the truth,” I tried.

      “Uh huh.” She didn’t believe us. “Detention. Both of you. СКАЧАТЬ