Girl on the Other Side by Deborah Kerbel Read Free Book Online Page B

right away,” I reply, before turning on my heel and hurrying into the supply room at the back of the store.
    I re-emerge a minute later with the box of little brown stir sticks in my hands. But I almost drop it when I see what’s waiting for me at the front of the shop.
    â€œOh God!” I gasp.
    Three of the most vicious piranhas from my school are lining up at the counter for coffee. Luckily, I spot them before they spot me. There’s still time to run. I turn back to the supply room to hide out until they’re gone. But Mike sees me and thwarts my escape.
    â€œLet’s go, Froggett,” he snarls, pointing a stubby finger toward the counter. “I need you at the front now!”
    â€œBut … but …”
    â€œMove it! We’re starting to get lined up here.”
    Big ape! I want to yell. But, of course, I don’t. Instead, with a wave of nervous cramps seizing my stomach muscles, I limp up to the cash register where Madison is taking orders and, as inconspicuously as possible, refill the stir-stick dispenser. That’s when I hear the piranhas order their coffees. A cold shiver runs up my spine at the sound of their voices. I know it’s them without even looking. They sound confident and careless and there’s an underlying laughter behind their words — like they’re sneering at the world.
    â€œThree large decaf non-fat lattes — Lor, will you give me a hand with the steamer, please?” asks Madison.
    I nod, afraid to speak in case the piranhas recognize my voice. I start up the steamer. It hisses and sputters — like a python with respiratory failure. As I help prepare the coffees, I lower my face, let my hair hang down as a kind of curly red veil and pray they won’t notice me. But that just makes Madison suspicious. She knows me so well.
    â€œHey, something wrong, Lora?” she asks, peering at me as she punches the orders into the cash register. I ignore her and concentrate on keeping my head down and pouring foamy milk into the trio of paper cups. I can feel a cold sweat break out across my body as I top off the last one. It’s almost over. Please God, just let them take their coffees and go!
    And then I hear it. One of the twin piranhas recognizes me. I can’t tell if it’s Brandi or Dylan, but it doesn’t really matter, anyway.
    â€œLook, Frog-face works here.”
    My heart sinks into my shoes but I keep pouring, pretending not to hear.
    Oh please, not here! Please God, just make them go away!
    While the other twin laughs and says something mean about my clothes, I slump my shoulders down and curl my chin into my chest, trying to make myself smaller, smaller, smaller.
    Please God, just let me disappear!
    â€œAt least we can’t see her Payless Shoes from this side of the counter,” another voice says.
    A small fire of shame starts burning inside my chest. It burns so badly I think I might faint from the pain. The fire quickly spreads to my face, making my eyes tear from the heat.
    A second later, the sound of pennies hitting glass clatters in my ears.
    â€œHere,” sneers the head piranha, “… just a little something extra, so you can splurge on your next trip to Value Village.”
    Oh God, I hate them … I hate them … I hate them … I hate them …
    I peer up and watch through my hair as they saunter away with their coffees. And then I see Madison. She looks furious and her face is turning as red as mine feels — making for an interesting contrast with her bright green hair. It’s probably taking all of her willpower not to say something to those girls. But she knows as well as I do that Mike will fire her on the spot for being rude to a customer. As soon as the last person in line has been served, she turns to me and begins demanding some answers.
    â€œWhy on earth did you let them talk to you like that, Lora?”
    I shrug and stare at the stack of paper filters