with that. In fact, I waited for everyone to filter out before approaching Franklin.
“India, great job today. I’m delighted you did all the reading before joining us. Tobias Rochester is a competitive school. Sometimes it’s hard for new students coming from a less competitive environment to keep up with us.”
I thought that was an extremely diplomatic way to put it and knew my smile said so.
I pulled out one of the leaflets Ms. Llewellyn had put in my packet. “I see that you are the faculty member that oversees the school newspaper.”
“Yes. Usually it would be an English teacher but I minored in journalism so...” He shrugged modestly, as if to say, Here I am.
“Great. Well, I was coeditor of my paper back in Arroyo Grande. I was hoping that there might be a place for me on this paper.”
“Oh. Well, you know, we’ve got most of the team together already because we’re a few weeks into the school year...however, we are looking for a book reviewer. I know a critic isn’t a journalist but is that something you might be interested in?”
“Yes.” I nodded eagerly. “I love books. And really, I just want to be part of the team on the paper. It’s a start, right?”
“Definitely. We do have a couple of other students interested. However, I always choose those who have potential to bring more to the paper over time. So why don’t you email me some of the work you’ve done on your previous paper if you can?”
“I can do that.”
He chuckled at my eagerness. “Great. My email is on the intraweb. Send it to me ASAP.”
“I will. Thanks, Mr. Franklin.”
“You’re welcome, India.”
There was a little skip in my step as I left his class. I was hopeful that things were looking up.
* * *
That thought was quickly dashed when I wandered into the cafeteria for lunch period.
Tobias Rochester was a much smaller school than my last, which made the cafeteria drama much more pronounced. And today’s drama? Me. New Girl.
No one had made any friendly overtures yet and I was still receiving weird looks. Everyone was gaping at me: disgust in some cases and curiosity in others.
The disgust was worrying.
As I strode to the lunch line to be served, I searched for and eventually found Eloise sitting at a table smack-bang in the middle of the room. Of course she’d want to be in the center of it all.
Bryce and Charlotte sat on either side of her, and Finn, Gabe and Joshua sat opposite them. The girls saw me and immediately looked away. Bryce said something and whatever it was made the boys glance over their shoulders in my direction. Finn and Joshua quickly looked away but Gabe grinned over at me and started to get up.
Bryce snapped something at him. He threw a fry at her with a chuckle and she turned a dark shade so red I thought her head was about to explode with all the blood rushing into it.
As Gabe made his way toward me I braced myself, not sure what kind of greeting to expect from him.
“You made it,” he said, wearing an expression of amusement.
I didn’t detect any meanness in him. “Yup.”
“Well, you look great.”
“Should you be over here complimenting me?”
“Are you talking about Bryce?” He chuckled. “She should know by now that I’m not one of her cliquey bitches. I talk to whoever I want. And Elle hasn’t said you’re off-limits and we all know Elle’s the one really in charge.”
Huh, that was interesting. I would have thought for certain Eloise would have called for me to be ostracized by her friends.
As if he saw the thought in my eyes, Gabe shook his head. “Elle’s a good girl.”
Hmm, I wasn’t sure I believed that.
“So you’re being nice to me?”
He laughed at my suspicious tone. “Believe it or not, yes.”
“Okay.” I shrugged, still not one hundred percent sure of his motives. Although to be fair he was cool to me when we first met, too. “So if you’re really trying to be nice...maybe you could tell me why everyone is looking at me so strangely?”
“Ah.” He suddenly looked sheepish. Guilty even. “Yes, about that.” He stepped toward me, lowering his voice. “Look, when your mom and her dad started dating Eloise didn’t exactly like Hayley. She thought it was strange that as time went on Hayley never once brought you with her or let her dad go visit you. She said she was afraid you might be in rehab or something.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. “I might have told someone else that you were in rehab and, before I knew it, it was all over the school. But it was weeks ago,” he said defensively. “I thought they would have forgotten it by now.”
My eyes bugged out, my anger simmering beneath the surface. “Everyone thinks I was in rehab?”
“Yeah. I am really sorry.”
I gave a huff of disbelief, trying to gauge his sincerity. He did seem genuinely embarrassed by the rumor he’d spread. “Are you going to tell people it’s a lie?”
“Eloise overheard a few seniors talking about it this morning and she told them it wasn’t true.”
Hmm. Probably didn’t want the rumor to hurt her reputation. “Then why are people still looking at me funny?”
“It’ll take time for it to die down. Sitting with us would help,” Gabe offered.
Was he nuts? I gave him a look that clearly questioned as much and he laughed.
“I’m asking you to.”
“I’m not welcome.”
“Okay, if you say so. You know where I am if you change your mind.” He winked suggestively and backed off.
I shook my head at his flirtation, feeling a teensy bit better knowing there was a student at this school that didn’t hate me, even if he accidentally spread a stupid rumor about me. As I was reaching for my tray of food, I heard Gabe call my name loudly.
I turned and stepped out of line to find him halfway between me and Eloise’s table. Everyone was looking at us.
“You look remarkably good for a recovering drug addict.”
I should have been mortified, but instead I felt a renewed resolve within me to not let these people think they could embarrass me or force me to duck my head and hide from their curiosity and judgment. I grinned at Gabe’s mockery of the student body for believing his stupid lie and called, “Thanks, dipshit.”
His laughter rang out around the room, and I found myself chuckling. I looked
