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“You sat next to her?! I can’t believe she didn’t spontaneously combust,” Ralph guffawed and I wanted to reach up and smack the back ofhishead.
“Did I…ever make fun of her? To her face?” I asked, afraid of the answer.
He shook his head. “Could’ve embarrassed her but she’s a sweet kid. Sophomore.”
“Why do we call her Mouse? Does everyone call her that?” It wasn’t flattering to be nicknamed after a rodent. “What’s her real name, anyway?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone else calls her that. We started because you said she was small and undetectable, and it just stuck. Far as I know, that nickname is just between us.”
At least the old Dex had the decency to keep his asshole ways between him and Ralph.
We stopped in front of my locker, and I checked the combination again before turning the lock until it opened.
“I don’t want to call her that anymore,” I told Ralph as I grabbed my shit from the locker. He helped me shove my books into my bookbag and when I glanced at him, he shrugged.
“Fine with me,” he answered, helping me put my backpack on.
“I don’t want to count anymore, either,” I announced as we started to head outside and to my car.
“Hey, if you like it, I love it,” he told me, smiling at me as people stared at us.
Ralph always mentioned how popular I was, and I was starting to think it was for all the wrong reasons.
Dexter
I was slammingmy locker shut, one crutch under my arm, when I noticed her.
I could now see why we called her Mouse. She scared the shit out of me, having crept up on me without a sound.
“Hey,” I said, my voice wavering with uncertainty. “What’s up?”
“Hi,” she offered, looking around. Her eyes went to my knee before they looked at my face. “Um, I talked to your friend.”
My friend?
I tried not to groan as I thought about Ralph’s promise to help me.
“Ralph?” I asked.
When she nodded, I groaned and her cheeks flushed at the sound.
“What’d he say?” I asked, but she shook her head.
“Nothing. It—it’s nothing.”
When she tried to walk away, I stopped her by holding my arm out. “What’s your name?” It felt shitty that I didn’t even know that.
What kind of person was Dex?
A fucking prick.
“Rachel. My name is Rachel.” Her voice sounded uneasy.
I didn’t know what led her to be as cautious as she was, but I didn’t want her to feel like I was going to hurt her or something.
“Rachel,” I started, leaning against my crutch, “did he tell you to come talk to me?”
She nodded and I looked past her, noticing the man in question at the end of the hall—a big goofy grin on his face.
