 |
Right
in front
of everyone—
sending supersonic shockwaves all through me. |
|
And we just sit here,
grinning at each other like Muppets,
knees pressed together under the table,
eyes locked. |
|
Until the bell rings.
“Check, please,” I call,
snapping my fingers at an imaginary waiter.
This makes Sophie laugh. |
|
And the sound of that laugh,
and knowing that I’m the one who made it happen,
makes me feel sort of all-powerful,
indestructible, |
|
| immortal, even. |
| |
 |
| I’ll tell you what happens. |
|
Rachel and Grace creep toward us,
clutching each other’s arms
like they’re approaching an open coffin— |
|
Grace’s eyes bigger than DVDs,
Rachel’s mouth hanging open so wide
you could reach right in and perform a tonsillectomy. |
|
“Fee,” Grace hisses
through teeth clenched tighter than lockjaw,
“what are you doing?” |
|
When Sophie looks up at them,
her smile disappears,
and suddenly I feel like a man overboard. |
|
Like
if she lets go of my fingers,
I’ll drown. |
|
 |
While her eyes
dart back and forth
between her friends and me
like a pair of crazed hummingbirds. |
|
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
she finally says.
“It looks like you’re going psycho on us,”
Rachel says, with a nervous giggle. |
|
“Well, she’s not,” I hear myself say
in this surprisingly friendly voice.
“Sophie’s totally sane …
and totally amazing. |
|
At which point,
that brilliant smile of hers
blazes back on like a torch,
and I can feel my heart catching fire. |
|
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Sophie says, all nonchalant.
“I guess I forgot to introduce you guys.
Rachel,
Grace— |
|
| I’d like you to meet Robin.” |
|
 |
They gasp in unison.
“But … but …” Grace sputters,
“this … this is Murphy!” |
|
“Robin Murphy,” I say,
holding out my hand for her to shake.
“Any friend of Sophie’s is a friend of mine. |
|
But she backs away from me
like I have leprosy or something,
pulling Rachel right along with her. |
|
Rachel manages a shell-shocked smile
and mumbles, “Uh … nice meeting you.”
Then both of them turn and bolt from the cafeteria. |
|
Sophie and I
just sit here in silence,
watching them go. |
|
Then she says, “Well.
I’m glad that’s over with.”
But she doesn’t look too glad to me. |
