Claire's Song Read Online Free Page B

and well, crazy isn't too far of a leap.
                Ryder nods and turns back in his seat, facing the front. He pulls a guitar pick from his pocket and starts to turn it over nervously in his hands. Back and forth, back and forth, and I find myself mesmerized by the simple movement. What's even more fascinating is how peaceful he seems. The normally rigid set of his shoulders is relaxed and his face is calm. I'm about to ask him something, anything, because he makes me want to make a fool out of myself, when the teacher begins to speak.
                "I'm dividing you all up into pairs for this poetry project," Mrs. Weathersby says. She moves her trendy thick glasses into her pale blonde hair as she looks down at a clipboard. She can’t be older than twenty-five, and is the youngest teacher we have, one of the few that actually enjoys what she does.
                A collective groan comes from the class. Panic seizes my chest as I look around. I don't want to be paired up with any of these people. Just when things can't get any worse, Lindy comes into class. Her gaze zeroes in on me instantly and then she slides it back to the teacher as she hands her a note.
                "Seriously, Lindy? Get to class on time. Yesterday you stood at the door and then just left. Now today you're late. Do better," Mrs. Weathersby snaps. I like this teacher more already.
                Lindy says nothing as she sits her designer purse on her desk and pretends to be a contrite student. My hands start to sweat and I can feel the nasty overbearing sense of anxiety come over me, followed by dizziness. I used to be able to handle her because of Jamie. He always had my back, so Lindy left me alone because she wanted him. She never realized that Jamie was far from interested in her. But once he died, I became fair game again, but with a vengeance.
    "Anyway, it's either do this in pairs or do an essay, so you have your choice," Mrs. Weathersby continues. Everyone is silent and she takes that as a collective agreement that we want the pair work over the writing. Me, I would rather write.
                "You will be working on a very simple poem, one that I think you will like. Alfred Noyes' The Highwayman. You'll find everything required in this packet," she holds up a thick stack of stapled papers. "You can work anywhere you want during my class period as long as you check in with me first and tell me where you'll be. The due date is on there as well. Now for the pairs." She goes down the list naming pair after pair, and I feel like I can breathe again once she's called out Lindy's name and mine’s not paired with it. Then she gets to Ryder's name.            
    "Ryder Andrews, you'll be paired with Claire Watkins."
                I hear nothing else. I turn slowly to meet Ryder's worried gaze. He looks at me like I'm trouble and I have to fight back the urge to laugh. But then again, maybe I am. Maybe he's heard the rumors about Jamie, about me. But I've heard the rumors about him too and know they're just that: rumors.
                "Now go forth and conquer, my dears," Mrs. Weathersby smiles as she passes the packets out and people start filing out of the room.
                I stare at my fingernails. I wait for him to make the first move. I hear the guitar pick as it drops on his desk and I can hear him scoop it back up. Mrs. Weathersby offers me a small smile and then cuts her eyes to Ryder and nods her head toward him. She's trying to help, but I want to disappear. Of all the people to be paired with, it's the guy that confuses me, that confuses everything.
                I take a deep breath and steady myself. "I don't want to fail. I don't know about you, but I want to go to college and get out this place as fast as I can. Let's go to the quad." I stand up, snatching the packet from his desk, and refusing to look at him. Mrs.