Body of Stars by Laura Walter (free ebook reader for iphone TXT) 📕

one spot. As if I could drill through to the other side if I only used enough pressure.

“Celeste?”

I looked up. Marie stood before me with her hands clasped in front of her, like she was about to pray or beg. Cassandra waited next to her.

“Hey, guys,” I whispered. “I’m sorry, you know. About what I said at my house.”

“Never mind,” Marie said quickly. “We know you’ve been through a lot.”

“And we think it’s brave that you came back,” Cassandra added.

I smiled, fighting the tears that threatened to start at this show of kindness. “I want to get my diploma.”

Cassandra nodded. “I can respect that.”

Marie put a hand on my arm. “Really, Celeste. It’s good to see you.”

I was about to say something more, maybe blurt out how relieved I was that they didn’t hate me, but the bell rang, signaling the start of class. My friends returned to their seats and, for the first time that day, I managed to pay attention to the lecture. Afterward, Marie and Cassandra waited for me and we spent a quick moment together in the hall between classes, huddled close like old times.

Throughout the rest of the morning, I floated from class to class. Most teachers treated me as though I’d never left, which I found preferable to the few who made a point of welcoming me back. By lunchtime, I felt a little better. I took my bagged lunch to my regular table, where Marie and Cassandra were already eating.

“Oh, you’re sitting here?” Cassandra asked as I sank into the chair next to her.

I looked around. The table sat four people, and we were the only three there.

“It’s just that Jonah and Anne have been sitting with us sometimes,” Marie said. Her face was red.

“You don’t want to sit with me?”

“That’s not it,” Cassandra said, but she wouldn’t look me in the eye. “We’ll pull up an extra chair when they get here.”

“This table’s too small for five.” I shoved my sandwich back into the bag. “I’ll go.”

“Celeste, stay,” Marie insisted. “Besides, it won’t be like this for long, anyway.” She glanced at Cassandra. “Cassie’s leaving us.”

I stopped gathering my things. “What do you mean?”

“I got into Laurel Haven,” Cassandra said. “I start next quarter.”

“That snobby private school across town? You’ll have to wear a uniform.”

“If I want to get into medical school, I need to be serious. I need a school that will look impressive on my transcript, not one that has a reputation.”

“A reputation,” I said slowly.

“It’s complicated,” Cassandra went on. “Think of it from the perspective of a university admission panel. Two girls from the same school taken within a few weeks of each other does not look good. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t.” She leaned over and put a hand on mine. “It’s nothing personal, Celeste.”

I pulled my hand away. “I’m sorry I’ve been such an inconvenience to you.”

My chair squealed when I pushed back from the table, and then I was hurrying through the cafeteria. I had nearly reached the exit when a boy I didn’t recognize grabbed my wrist.

“Relax,” he said as I tried to wrestle away. “I just want to see you up close.”

“Let go.” I pulled harder, but he held fast.

“It’s not like I’d be the first,” he added. He yanked me closer and put his hands on my sides, like we were dancing. One hand traveled up, stopped just by my left breast. The heel of his palm pressed there, not quite groping, not quite grabbing, but enough to show me what he could do. A suggestion of ownership, and maybe a promise of more to come.

He let go just as quickly, but I could still feel his hand on my body. I stood in front of him for a moment, sputtering. I couldn’t breathe. I’d dropped my lunch bag in the tussle, and it lay smashed at my feet. The boy’s entire lunch table—three boys, one girl—broke into laughter.

“I can’t believe you touched her,” the girl said. “You might have caught something.”

I turned and ran from the cafeteria. I wasn’t thinking, I was merely fleeing, so it came as a surprise that I headed straight for the principal’s office. I burst inside, gasping, to find Mr. Radshaw drinking a cup of coffee. He calmly set it down upon my entrance, as though he’d been expecting me.

“I can’t do this,” I burst out. I stayed by the door, holding on to the doorknob as though it were the lifeline that could save me.

“Of course not,” he said. “Those kids will make your life hell. But it was impressive that you insisted on trying. As I said, most girls don’t.”

“I wanted to graduate. I wanted to become a psychologist.” I started to cry. “It’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not. But there are other options for your diploma. You’re a smart girl, and you’ll figure something out.” He reached for the phone. “Have a seat and try to breathe. I’ll call your mother to come pick you up.”

I let go of the doorknob and came over to his desk. “I’d rather you didn’t. She was against me coming back to school in the first place.”

“Then she’ll be relieved you’re leaving.”

“Please don’t call her. It’s too embarrassing. I can walk home.”

Mr. Radshaw hesitated. “I can’t let you walk home alone in this state. But I suppose I could have my secretary drive you.”

I shook my head. “You can call someone else.”

I gave him Julia’s number.

She arrived within the half hour, time I passed sitting quietly while Mr. Radshaw worked at his desk. He gave me a book to read, some fairy tale about girls who were really birds, or maybe it was birds who were really girls; I couldn’t focus on it. When Julia finally arrived, Mr. Radshaw nodded to me.

“I wish you the best,” he said, and held out his hand for me to shake. “And you can keep that book.”

I didn’t want the book. It had a hard cover made of aged blue cloth, and it