Mask of Celibacy

Chapter 18

After English class, they handed out our third quarter report cards. To my relief I got on the high honor roll with ninety percent or higher in all classes. Perfect one hundred in Latin. 

Good call there!

People murmured in the hallway as they crammed against one another to see who had made it to the honor roll. Of course, Dennis got highest honors. The guy was a freaking genius like Eric. 

In psychology class, both of us had taken IQ tests along with the rest of our class. Just for fun, of course. He had gotten one fifty-nine. I was so freaking jealous. I'd do anything for those extra fifteen points in order to become valedictorian like Eric. Then I could receive that same coveted full-ride to Holy Cross and never have to worry about student loans. 

But I held fourth place. Not first.

In the States, you either win top prize or you lose.

Still, I'd done my best. My family would be proud of me. They didn't pressure me to do well in school because they knew I did it enough for all three of us. Well, hell! Screw it! If a three-point-eight-seven-eight grade point average didn't earn me a spot at a good university with a decent aid package, nothing would.

When I closed my locker to leave for the day, I came face to face with the last person I expected.

"Hey, Perez!"

"Jack?" Furrowing my brow, I rose to my feet and slung my backpack over my shoulder. "What's up?"

"Lookin' good." He eyed me up and down, assessing my more slender frame. Or rather, my gawky, broad, emaciated one. "You start track and field or somethin'?"

Seriously? Now you decide to talk to me? Now that I'm a broad skeleton with giant boobs?

"I wish..." Heaving a heavy sigh, I leaned against the lockers. "It's stress."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?" he asked, like he genuinely cared. 

Am I in the freaking Twilight Zone or what the heck is this?

"Grandad was sick for a long time," I replied, not knowing why the words tumbled from my lips. "We thought he wouldn't make it, but then he bounced back."

"Well, that's a relief," he said, giving me a sad smile. 

"Is something wrong, Jack?" I asked, confused. 

I couldn't find anything amiss other than dark circles under his eyes. But he was acting really freaking weird. He actually gazed upon me with an emotion other than derision or wariness. 

If I didn't know better, I'd almost say he was...pleased to see me. 

Why? It couldn't be the weight loss alone. Or maybe it was, and Jack was simply the shallow ass-hat I'd always feared.

"Nah, man. It's all cool." Jack ran an awkward hand through his thick hair. "You're just... Well, I wanted to say that I think you're awesome."

"Wh-what?" I asked, stunned as though he'd hit me with a truck.

"Like it isn't easy to... Or what I mean to say is..."

His girlfriend Nicky stopped short in the hallway when she caught Jack talking to me. As she stormed over to us, a wave of guilt washed over me even though we'd done nothing wrong. 

I wasn't flirting. Neither was he. 

At least, I didn't think he was. 

Jeez, we hate each other. Of course he isn't.