Now You See It... by Vivian Vande Velde Read Free Book Online Page B

matters.
    "Hi, Julian," Anna said.
    Let her be teasing,
I hoped.
    I turned around, and there he was.
    "Hi, everybody," Julian said. "How're you doing, Wendy?"
    My friends all wore that
ooo-a-boy
expression that we should have outgrown after first grade.
    When, before, had Julian ever approached a tableful of girls and tried to strike up a conversation? Fortunately, we weren't the only ones there: Besides the five of us, five ninth graders had taken over the other half of the table, and they'd unrolled a huge posterboard chart that they were frantically writing on, coloring in, and gluing stuff to, all at a level of frenzy that indicated they needed to have it finished by next period, if not sooner. With their stuff spread out, there was obviously no way for Julian to squeeze in.
    Which didn't stop Lisa from glancing around as though searching for a nearby stray chair which she could invite him to pull up. I brought my foot down hard on hers.
    "Hi, Julian," I answered, about two beats after all the others had already said hi, and at just about the same time Lisa cried, "Ow!" Then, since he'd asked and might use my not answering as an excuse to hang around, I said, "I'm feeling much better."
    Fortunately, though he'd glanced at Lisa at her
outcry, he didn't inquire into the state of her well-being.
    I was smiling and nodding like an idiot, but he wasn't moving on. I added, "Thanks." Then, indicating the others, I said, "Support group." What did it take for this guy to catch a hint? "
Girls
support group." I was still smiling like someone without a brain in her head, and nodding like one of those bobble-head dashboard ornaments.
    Lisa was scowling and rubbing her foot, and the others—even the ones I wasn't within kicking range of—had caught on not to say anything. They just grinned at Julian, not looking that much more intelligent than me.
    "Okay," he finally said. "Good. Well ... see you."
    "See you," we all chanted, except for Lisa, who was still sulking.
    He finally carried his tray over to the guys he usually sat with.
    "What was that all about?" Shelley asked. "I thought you liked the looks of him."
    "I changed my mind," I explained, sounding sharper than I'd intended.
    Shelley raised her eyebrows at me.
    Nancy Jean said, "He's not bad. We wouldn't make fun of you if you liked him."
    Anna said, "Not the way we would if you liked ... say..." She paused as though to consider, but finished in a tone of self-satisfied glee: "Nicholas Bonafini!"
    "Nicholas Bonafini was
hot
in kindergarten," I protested over their laughter. Anna and Nancy Jean and Lisa had gone to a different elementary school and had never seen him in his prime. I added, "And that's the last time I share
anything
private with any of you."
    We were all laughing, even Lisa now that she'd gotten sidetracked from my—as far as she could tell—unwarranted attack on her toes. And I knew they were good and faithful friends and that they would not treat any serious mental disorder on my part as lightly as they would treat a kindergarten crush on a guy who hadn't aged gracefully.
    But I couldn't tell them about what I'd been seeing. I couldn't have any of them try on the glasses to see if they worked for everyone, or just me.
    Because I was suddenly afraid of Julian York and Tiffanie Mills. They knew I knew their secret. Well, obviously not all of it, but certainly what had to be an important part of it. Having my friends put on those secret-revealing glasses might put them in danger, too.
    I might not have the nerve to talk back to a teacher, but I'm not such a coward that I'd endanger my friends.

    N EITHER J ULIAN nor Tiffanie made any further attempts to talk to me that afternoon. Of course, that could have been because I kept myself surrounded by people.
    Or it could have meant, I realized as I got on the bus to go home and noticed Julian—sitting in the back, casually reading a paperback—that they could afford to wait. Julian lived only one street over