Trust And Hope

Chapter 8

I breathed a sigh of relief and walked back in. I could feel Sierra's hard stare and Jazmine's bug-eyed look.

I sat down and bit down hard on my nail. I did not need school problems. I seriously did not need this added to my pile. At least school would be over for the year at the end of the day.

"Dang," Jazmine said as we headed toward English. "You really got it." She smirked at me so I knew she was joking.

I rolled my eyes at my best friend. "What-ever."

"I'm so glad sixth grade is over after today," Sierra said.

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me about it."

"Ms. McDonald was never my favorite teacher," Jazmine said, shrugging.

"Same," Sierra and I punctuated.

"Jinx!" Sierra said, giggling. She was the only one who giggled in our friend group. Come to think of it, she was the only one who did anything girly like that between the three of us.

"Hi guys," Ally said as she walked up. For once, she didn't have her little ensemble with her.

Hi," we muttered, speeding up our pace a little.

Ally, obviously not getting the hint, or ignoring it, sped up with us and kept talking.

"What?" Ally asked, speeding up with us.

"Nothing," I said simply, rounding a corner toward the English classroom with Jazmine and Sierra close behind me. I was so glad we had the same English period.

"What's going on?" Ally asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," I said.

"Really?" Ally asked. "Because it sure seems like something to me."

"It's nothing, alright?"

"Are you sure?" Ally asked. "You can talk to me, you know."

I paused. I-" I stopped. If I said anything, it probably wouldn't turn out very well. So I shut my mouth. I looked at Jazmine who shook her head slightly. Then I shook my head at Ally.

"Never mind," I said and continued walking. "Forget I said anything."

"If you told Sierra and Jazmine why can't you tell me?" Ally asked.

"Because you wouldn't get it," I said calmly.

"Well can you tell me too so we'll all know?" Ally asked.

The girl could not back off!

"No," I said, turning into the Social Studies classroom.

"Why?"

"Because you don't need to know," Jazmine snapped for me.

"Did you tell Jazmine and Sierra?" Ally asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Then how can you think that it's fair that you told Jazmine and Sierra and not me?" Ally asked.

"Fair isn't everyone getting the same. Fair is everyone gets what they need to succeed," I quoted Eva. "It's my business, not yours. I have a right to decide who I want to tell and who I don't." I sat down at my desk and stared directly into her eyes. "Stop trying to get me to tell you something I don't want to."

Ally shook her head. "Fine. Don't tell me."

"Fine," I said. "I won't." I wasn't falling for the guilt trip tactic. I had fallen for that one too many times.

"You're not being fair!" Ally said, her voice rising. She wasn't giving up, was she?

"Life isn't fair," Sierra said.

"Can you please tell me?" Ally asked.

"No," I said, my voice still patient. "Sorry."

Ally sighed. "Sadie, what if you were in my place?"

"I'm not," I said, stopping in my tracks to stare at her. "I'm not the prettiest girl in school. I'm not the most popular. I don't have a near-perfect family. Let me ask you this. What if you were in my place?" My voice was calm and measured, my attitude still patient.

Ally didn't answer the question. She just shook her head.

"I can't take you," she said, her words radiating hostility.

"Well, we can't take you," Sierra replied.

"We can't be friends anymore," Ally said.

"Since when were we friends?" Jazmine asked.

"I can't, guys," Ally said dramatically. "I just can't."

"We never asked you to," I said.

"What did I do to you?" Ally asked.

"Gee, I wonder," Sierra said.

"I'm sorry," Ally said. "I can't... I just- I can't."

"Well neither can we," I said. "You just butted in with us so what makes you think we ever could?"

"Good," Ally snapped harshly at us. She turned on her heel and stomped out, drama queen style.

Jazmine shook her head. "Wow. Ally Jensen is so rude."

"Tell me about it," Sierra rolled her eyes up into her head.

"I never pegged her for that rude though," I said.

"Well, I guess she is," Jazmine said, shaking her head.

I was never really friends with Ally and I was kind of glad Miss Nosy Drama Queen didn't want to be my friend.

"What did we even do?" Sierra asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

Sierra shrugged. "Oh well."

"I'm kind of glad she's off our backs," Jazmine said.

"Tell me about it," Sierra rolled her eyes.

"Roll call!" Mr. Carr called.

We turned toward him and I promptly forgot about Ally Jensen and whatever problems she had with us.