Out of My Mind by Pat White Read Free Book Online Page A

commandeered a table front and center. Brainless Taylor sat across from Catherine, and Greg sat next to her. Everyone was in position.
    “Look at the image on the screen,” Cooper said. “I’m going to draw intersecting lines to help you look at it in four quadrants.”
    “Like this is going to get me into the U?” Greg muttered.
    Good thing J.D. was in the back or he’d be tempted to slug the guy. Ignorant ass.
    “Another comment like that, Mr. Hoffman and you’ll be asked to leave,” Mr. Cooper said.
    “Lighten up, Coop.”
    Mr. Cooper ignored him and continued the lesson. J.D. pulled out his sketchbook and drew whatever popped into his head.
    What haunted him was that weird look on the Princess’s face in Nutrition class. It was her eyes that bothered him, startled and terrified yet distant like aliens had abducted her brain. He drew antennas sprouting from her head and smiled to himself.
    He glanced up to get her hair right. It was short and wavy, not straight, blond and perfect like it used to be.
    Catherine stood and went up front to pick out chalk. She tipped her head to the side, studying something on the wall. He despised her yet was fascinated by her at the same time. It made no sense.
    What in life did?
    Did it make sense that his mom randomly disappeared without saying good-bye, or that J.D. wasn’t home on the one day that Billy needed him the most?
    “Wow, who did this?” Catherine’s awestruck voice carried across the room.
    She was eyeing one of J.D.’s pencil drawings, the one of a doe standing in the middle of the street. A hunter aimed his rifle from the bordering forest while oncoming traffic barreled down on her from the opposite direction.
    Coop glanced up at J.D. “That’s actually—”
    J.D. shook his head.
    “One of my former students drew that,” Coop said, with a questioning curl of his eyebrows.
    “It’s amazing.” She sounded breathless, like she was having a religious experience or something.
    The arrogant Princess had connected to J.D.’s work? Not possible.
    “It’s as if the deer is caught between two worlds,” she said.
    J.D.’s pulse raced. How could she, of all people, understand the meaning of his work?
    “That’s one interpretation,” Coop said.
    “It’s so…hopeless. She has to make a choice and neither one is all that great.”
    Just like J.D. Should he run or should he stay? Both options sucked.
    J.D. closed his sketchbook and bolted from the classroom. He’d hang out in the commons and copy notes for the Princess. When Art class ended he’d hand her the notes and forget about her.
    At least until tomorrow.
     
    * * *
     
    I’m a little off, but not because of my messed up brain. The look on the doe’s face pulls me into another world. I feel her pain, her hopelessness.
    I can relate.
    As class continues, I realize neither Taylor nor Greg seem to notice the shift in my mood. A good thing. I’m not sure I could articulate the sudden darkness, especially to them. I have a feeling the old Catherine was rarely depressed or sad.
    With a sigh, I glance at the wall clock and realize there are only a few minutes left in art class and then I’m done. I made it through my first day without a major crisis! Well, other than the note-taking criminal issue. I’m determined to turn that around somehow, either have him reassigned to another community service project, or get him fired.
    In which case, he could be sent to jail. Tempting.
    The bell rings. I am so ready to be out of school. I want to go home, lock myself in my room and blast my iPod. Then I remember I have to show up at Cheer.
    “I need to get something from my car,” Taylor says. “I’ll meet you in the locker room.”
    “Okay.” The locker room, where everyone will change for practice.
    Everyone but me.
    I grab my backpack and head out. Greg walks beside me. “There’s a party this weekend at Andrew’s. You coming?”
    “Is that an invitation?” I smile, glancing at the floor.
    Oh, my