Page 6 (1/2)
Carrie glances at Janie, then picks up another dish and wipes it with the towel "Not really"
Janie concentrates on the food, but her storoard "You want to talk about it?"
Carrie is silent for a long time "Not really No," she says finally AND PICKS UP SPEED
August 30, 2004
It is the first day of school Janie and Carrie are juniors They wait for the bus on the corner of their street A handful of other high school kids stand with them Sonore the freshmen
The bus is late Luckily for Cabel Strumheller, the bus is later than he is Janie and Carrie know Cabel--he’s been trouble in school since ninth grade Janie doesn’t remember hirade He was often late Always looked stoned Now, he looks about six inches taller than he did in the spring His blue-black hair hangs in greasy ringlets in front of his eyes, and he walks with shoulders curved, as if he wereshort He stands away froarette
Janie catches his eye by accident, so she nods hello He looks down at the ground quickly Blows srinds it into the gravel Carrie pokes Janie in the ribs "Lookie, it’s your boyfriend"
Janie rolls her eyes "Be nice"
Carrie observes hi "Well His pox-face cleared up over the summer Or maybe the new fancy ’do hides it"
"Stop," hisses Janie She’s giggling, and feeling bad about it But she’s looking at hi by his clothes "He’s just a loner And quiet"
"A stoner, maybe, who has a boner for you"
Janie narrows her eyes, and her face grows sober
"Carrie, stop it I’lances at Cabel His jeans are too short She knohat it’s like to be teased for not having cool clothes and stuff She feels herself wanting to defend him
"He probably has shitty welfare parents, like me"
Carrie is quiet "I’ with her?"
She shrugs and thinks about it for a minute "I dunno ’Cause she’s rich"
Finally the bus coh the school is less than five miles away, because of all the stops Juniors like Janie and Carrie are considered by the unwritten bus rules to be upperclassmen So they sit near the back Cabel passes by and falls into the seat behind theainst her back She peers through the crack between her seat back and theCabel’s chin is propped up by his hand His eyes are closed, nearly hidden beneath his greasy curls
"Fuck," Janie mutters under her breath
Thankfully, Cabel Strumheller doesn’t dream