Part 23 (1/2)
”Kristen!” he shouted.
She jumped but remained silent.
”At the very least, you are facing a suspension for this stunt,” Mr. Myner said. ”So you'd better start talking before it gets worse.”
”No, please don't,” Kristen pleaded. ”I only came because I wanted to learn and I couldn't afford the fifteen hundred dollars.”
”Oh, this story is good enough to drive Oprah to binge eat.” Merri-Lee turned to Mr. Myner and pressed her palms together like she was about to start praying. ”Please, let me get my crew.”
A look of utter disgust washed over his face. ”I refuse to dignify that request with a response.”
Merri-Lee smiled flirtatiously and tickled him under his ribs. ”Isn't that that a response?” She giggled at her own cleverness. a response?” She giggled at her own cleverness.
Mr. Myner batted her hand away and turned to Kristen. ”What you did was wrong on so many levels-”
”Please, Mr. Myner.” Kristen started crying openly. ”If I get suspended, I'll lose my scholars.h.i.+p and my parents will-”
”You should have thought of that before.” He unclipped his cell phone from the side of his Levi's. ”Princ.i.p.al Burns,” he said, and the phone dialed her number automatically.
”This is so unfair!” Kristen pushed past Mr. Myner and ran out the door.
Mr. Myner snapped his phone shut. ”Get back here, Ms. Gregory.”
”I'll get her.” Ma.s.sie raced after her friend without a second thought.
”No, you won't,” Mr. Myner barked. ”Get back here.”
”Ma.s.sie, come back,” Claire shouted. ”You're gonna get in trouble.”
”That's right-she is,” Mr. Myner confirmed. ”Big trouble.”
”I'll get her.” Claire hurried outside.
”Oh puh-lease,” Alicia hollered. ”Like they'll ever listen to you you. Don't worry, Mr. Myner, I'll find them. They'll listen to me me way before they'll ever listen to Kuh-laire. Be right back.” way before they'll ever listen to Kuh-laire. Be right back.”
Ma.s.sie leaned up against her birch tree and waited for Claire and Alicia to catch up. But Alicia didn't see her and was screaming, ”Ma.s.sie, stop! Ma.s.sie, stop!” over and over again until she and Claire found Ma.s.sie behind the cabin.
”Hurry.” Ma.s.sie wasn't sure what her plan was. All she knew was that her best friends needed her help.
”We have to go back,” Claire panted. ”Or Mr. Myner will kill us.”
”Do what you want, but I'm not going to abandon my friends in their time of need,” Ma.s.sie said.
”Given.” Alicia smirked.
Claire started chewing on her thumbnail and looked back at the cabin.
”Dylan? Kristen?” Ma.s.sie shouted toward the forbidden trails that were a few feet away. ”Are you back there?”
”Ma.s.sie?” Dylan whisper-yelled. ”Is this a trap?”
”No, this isn't a trap. Puh-lease!” Ma.s.sie looked genuinely offended by the suggestion.
”Who's with you?” Kristen called.
”It's me, Alicia, and maybe Claire,” Ma.s.sie said. ”If she doesn't run back to Mr. Myner.”
Claire took her nail out of her mouth and folded her arms across her chest. She was in.
”Tell me where you are,” Ma.s.sie snapped. ”Before he finds us.”
”Bear Claw Trail,” Kristen said.
”We're on our way.”
”Wait.” Claire gripped Ma.s.sie by the shoulder. ”If we go back there unsupervised, we'll get expelled. Mr. Myner told us that on the first day, remember?”
Ma.s.sie glared at her. ”What's he gonna do? Expel all all of us? Puh-lease. We're the most popular girls in the entire grade. The school would be so lame without us and he totally knows that.” of us? Puh-lease. We're the most popular girls in the entire grade. The school would be so lame without us and he totally knows that.”
”I know but-”
”Just leave, then,” Alicia snapped. ”No one wants you here anyway.”
Claire gave Alicia the dirtiest look she possibly could. Then she pushed through them and led the way up Bear Claw Trail.
Kristen and Dylan were sitting together on a fallen log a few yards away. Both of their faces were streaked with mascara and eyeliner. Ma.s.sie wanted to make fun of them but decided it was probably better to wait.
”Pickles,” Merri-Lee called from the head of the trail.
”Gir-rls?” Mr. Myner joined in. ”Let's talk about this.”
”Hurry,” Kristen mouthed. ”This way.”
”How do you you know?” Ma.s.sie whispered. know?” Ma.s.sie whispered.
”I memorized the trail maps.” Kristen touched her index finger to her lips then signaled for them to hurry.
They followed Kristen deep into the woods for what seemed like twenty minutes without saying a word. Finally, they stopped to give Alicia a chance to catch up. She was holding her b.o.o.bs to keep them from bouncing as she hurried toward them.
”Where are we?” Alicia looked around. ”The trail ended ages ago.”
Tall bare trees surrounded them on all sides. Even though they had no leaves, they still managed to block the sky. The ground was covered in fallen branches, dead leaves, and patches of thick moss that reminded Ma.s.sie of the putting green at OCD. She felt insulated by nature. On one hand it felt cozy and coc.o.o.nlike and on the other it felt like she was in a coffin, about to be buried alive.
”Uh.” Kristen ran her fingers through her short blond hair.
”Whaddaya mean, uhhhh uhhhh?” Alicia asked.
”Just give me a minute.” Kristen held up a finger. ”I can totally figure this out.”