Second Skin (13 page)

"Listen, thanks for the invite," I told Heidi and Adrienne as we edged our way toward the aisle. "But I can't go. Maybe another time, okay?"

"You're not coming?" Heidi asked. She looked crushed. "Really?"

"We're usually there for a couple of hours," Adrienne assured me. "In case you change your mind."

"Hey, Sam! Sam Klein!"

I turned. Tanner was standing at the edge of the field, smiling. At me.

That was all it took. The dizzy feeling was back.

"Hey," I said softly, not trusting my voice. "I heard you cheering," he said. "You're our number-one fan."

"Uh, sure am," I said.

"Listen, we have another game on Tuesday," he said, flashing me a Colgate-bright smile. "See you there?"

"Definitely."

I climbed down from the bleachers and walked into the hall, toward my locker. My Tanner high was so intense that I barely even gasped when I looked down and noticed the locker door hanging wide open.

I checked the contents, confirming that yes,

I should have felt panicked. Or furious. And I definitely should have reported the incident to the principal's office. But since I was wearing the only possession I really, truly cared about, the fuss hardly seemed worth it.

The rewrite of my life was in progress-and so far it was way more exciting than any romance novel.

I glanced around the room, at the dismantled baby carriage and cans of paint, the woodworking bench covered with tools whose names and functions I wasn't even remotely curious about, and smiled. "Not possible," I said. "I know you're good but you're not
that
good."

"Oh, Sam," Alex said, shaking his head. "You have so much to learn."

A tiny shiver ran down my spine. Bit by bit, the halls of Woodlawn were warming to me. I was definitely on the rise. But each inch I climbed seemed to add to the tension that had cropped up between Gwen and me. It had started that first afternoon in the hallway and, as far as I could tell, didn't plan on moving anytime soon.

Before I could answer her, my cell rang. Or rather, it started to sing. I reached into my bag and grabbed it.

Gwen groaned. "Will you please turn that thing off?" she said, plucking a screwdriver from the workbench. "Or at least switch it to vibrate?"

"Sorry," I muttered. "I'm not really sure how."

This was true. Sort of. Jules had switched my ringtone earlier that week ("Omigod, how can you
not
know this song? It totally changed my life-I'm so jealous you get to listen to it for the first time...") and I really didn't know how to change it back. On the other hand-and this was something I could never admit to Gwen, especially when she was holding something sharp-I kind of liked the cheesy Top Forty song Jules had chosen.

Ignoring her, I checked the screen and frowned. I didn't recognize the number but that didn't surprise me. I'd been getting so many calls lately, it was impossible to keep them all straight.

Ever since Heidi's call the week before, my phone hadn't stopped ringing. At this point, I was pretty sure I was single-handedly keeping Verizon afloat. It started in the morning with Jules's routine wake-up-what-are-you-wearing-are-you-sure-you-don't-need-a-ride call, followed by a steady stream of random invitations, check-ins and late-breaking gossip. Each time I answered, I felt a new thrill of excitement.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, sweetie! What's up?" asked a high-pitched female voice. Without waiting for a response, it continued. "Listen, I talked to everyone else and they totally agree. You have to join."

"Wait, who-"

"I mean, I can't believe it's taken this long. Pep squad needs you! I'm sure you already know this but we practice Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, so just come to the gym after final bell tomorrow. You don't need to audition or anything, isn't that great?"

I rubbed my arm, feeling the Skin underneath my cotton shirt.

My stomach curled with excitement. It would be okay. The Skin would make sure of it.

"Hey," I said into the phone. "Thanks a lot-I mean, that's really great news. But, um, who is this?"

A giggle shot straight through the receiver, piercing my ear. "Oh my god, you're too funny. It's Gina! Listen, I have to call Jules back. She wanted to tell you the news but since I'm a co-captain I totally pulled rank." Gina laughed again. "She was
so
pissed. See you tomorrow, sweetie!"

I snapped the phone shut. Gwen and Alex were staring at me.

"Who was that?" Gwen asked.

"Let me guess," Alex said, his face closed. "Tanner Mullins needs you to spot him."

Ever since I'd started attending lacrosse

But no matter how many times I explained this, Alex wouldn't stop. Obviously, he hated Tanner just because he was a jock, which was wrong on so many levels I couldn't stand it.

My cheeks turned bright red. "Shut up. It was Gina Yonas."

"Who's that?" Alex asked. Was it my imagination or did he look relieved?

"Gina Yonas?" Gwen cut in before I had a chance to answer. "Since when do you even know Miss Pep?"

I shrugged. "I know her. We have PE together."

"Okay, let me rephrase," Gwen said slowly, placing a hand on her hip. A glint of challenge flickered across her face. "Since when does Gina Yonas know you?"

Gwen had a point. Gina Yonas and I had played

"I mean it, Sam," Gwen pushed. "Will you please tell us what's going on?"

I blinked. "Nothing. I mean, she wants me to join pep squad. It's really not a big deal. I don't even know-"

Gwen flashed me a serious cut-the-crap look. "Oh, please. Like you haven't noticed you're Woodlawn's 'flavah of the month'? I find that really hard to believe."

"I'm s-sorry," I stammered as heat rushed into my cheeks. "I don't know-"

"Leave her alone," Alex cut in. He turned to Gwen. "Why do you care so much anyway?"

Gwen's face closed. "I don't. It's just weird, that's all."

I stared at my feet and tried to send Alex a telepathic thanks.

"So," Gwen said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. "Are you gonna join?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Pep squad, dummy. Are you gonna go all A-W-E-S-O-M-E on us?"

Even though I knew she was being sarcastic, Gwen's words caused a little flutter kick in my stomach. I was excited. I couldn't help it.

"I'm thinking about it," I mumbled. I glanced between Alex and Gwen. "Will you guys hate me?"

Alex smiled. "Do what you want." He looked at Gwen, his face hard. "Right?"

Gwen rolled her eyes again. "Whatever." She turned to me. "If you want to explore the world of the barely-there skirt, be my guest." She scooped her bag off the floor. "Listen, I gotta get dinner ready. I'll talk to you guys later."

Watching her go, I felt a pang of anxiety followed swiftly by annoyance. Maybe I was a cheat and a thief, but did Gwen have to be so judgmental? It wasn't like I was making her join pep squad with me. Why did she care what I did? She had her cooking. Alex had his cars. Couldn't I have something too?

And why were my friends the only two people in school who seemed completely impervious to the Skin? The rest of Woodlawn thought I could do no wrong.

"I don't know why she's so mad," I muttered.

Alex lowered the fiberglass to the workbench and grabbed a pair of safety goggles. "You know Gwen. She lives to get riled up about this stuff. She'll calm down."

"I guess," I said.

He looked at me. "Seriously, Sam, if you want to do this, you should." He smiled. "I'll even go to your first game."

"Thanks," I said. I tried to picture Alex crammed into the bleachers, hooting with the rest of the fans, but my brain refused to cooperate. I guess some things are just too weird, even for the imagination.

Twenty minutes later, I was walking home from Alex's house when my backpack started singing. I reached in and grabbed my cell phone. It was Gwen.

"Look, about before," she said as soon as I answered. "I was way too harsh. Just because I have no interest in pep squad, I know. you think that stuff's important, so I'm happy for you. Really. I hope all your dreams come true, even if they are so painfully
High School Musical."

"Uh, thanks," I said, knowing this was the

"Seriously, Sam," Gwen continued. "I hope you get to do all the things you've been talking about forever. Like go to Spring Fling and win the crown or ribbon or wand-or whatever stupid, sexist trinket they dispense as a symbol of a girl's total self-worth. I really do."

"As long as you're not mad," I said.

"I'm not. I guess I'm just surprised. I mean, you realize this totally blows my high school theory."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're amazing," Gwen explained. I could hear her clanging pots around in the background. "I've always known it. And we both know Alex does too. I just can't believe all those idiot A-listers are finally wising up."

"Uh, thanks," I said. "But just 'cause I'm joining pep squad or hanging out with new people...that doesn't make, I mean, nothing has to change, right? Not with us."

"Oh, I'm not worried," Gwen said, maybe a little too quickly. She'd started to pound something and her voice was choppy and breathless. "I was never worried about that."

My other line beeped.

"I should go," I said. "Thanks for calling. I'll talk to you tomorrow."