The Swap by Megan Shull Read Free Book Online Page B

period!” I say. (I have not gotten my period yet. This was another thing Sassy liked to point out to me all summer. “Ellie!” she’d tease. “Too bad you’re not a woman yet!”)
    Ms. Dean’s eyes light up. “Well, I can certainly understand that,” she says, smiling like we are totally in on the same girl secret, if you know what I mean, and I don’t even know what I mean!
    Suddenly I just start talking.
    Each thing I say is a bigger lie.
    â€œYeah, um,” I say. “I have the worst cramps, and well, uhhh, I have gym and it’s like—” I put my hand a little below my stomach, as if I’m suddenly an expert on menstrual cramps. “It really hurts,” I completely lie.
    It gets worse.
    Do you think I can just lie and be normal? I can feel the tears gathering in my eyes. I am such a goody-goody. It’s true. I stop talking and try and get myself together, but it’s too late to stop whatever I started.
    â€œOh! Cramps are the worst!” Ms. Dean says, like she knows exactly how I feel. Exactly how I would feel if I weren’t a big fat liar. “Poor thing!” Ms. Dean looks like she honestly feels really badly for me. “Do you think you can make it through one more hour?”
    I nod and wipe the tears and my runny nose with the back of my hand.
    â€œTry and breathe, okay?”
    I nod again.
    Ms. Dean starts walking down the hall toward the main office and motions for me to follow her.
    â€œLet’s see if we can get you a little bit more comfortable,” she says. Every so often she glances over and smiles. This only makes me feel worse.
    How am I ever going to get out of this?

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
    ..................................................................

    THE NURSE TAKES ONE LOOK at me and jumps up from her seat behind her desk. I guess it’s the blood.
    â€œHoly cats!” she says. “What happened to you?”
    She has these crazy, twinkly, bright eyes, a heap of blackish-purple hair knotted on top of her head, and she’s wearing leopard-print pajama-looking pants and top, with a stethoscope slung around her neck.
    â€œWowzers!” The nurse looks at me, eyes wide. “First day of school and we have blood!” She sounds almost excited and hands me a wet washcloth. “Here you go, hon. Come on in and sit down.”
    I sit down on the cot and take the washcloth off my nose while the nurse bends over and looks real close.
    â€œHmm,” she says, “doesn’t look broken . . .” She’s, like, an inch away from my face. She smells like flowers. “I don’t really think you need stitches, but dang!” She pauses and smiles big. “Rough day, huh?”
    I try and sit up straighter on the cot. I can’t stop shaking. I have so much adrenaline going through my body.
    â€œWhy don’t you lie back?” she tells me.
    This is a different nurse than last year. I’ve never seen her before.
    â€œI’m fine,” I tell her.
    I don’t feel fine. I’m suddenly really tired and a little bit woozy. I grip the edge of the cot with my hands and try and steady myself.
    â€œHey, so are you going to tell me what happened to your eye?” She smiles. “That doesn’t look like it’s from today.”
    â€œHockey,” I answer.
    Her eyes light up. “Hockey? Rad!”
    Her eyes are this unreal blue. She’s kind of a rocket, as Sammy would say. I watch her as she grabs an ice pack out of the mini fridge and trades me for the damp, bloody washcloth.
    â€œLooks like it might hurt a little bit?” she asks.
    I shrug, like, No. Big. Deal. It actually does hurt, though. A lot.
    The nurse bends down again and looks real close, right into my eyes.
    â€œIs your vision blurry?”
    I shake my head.
    â€œHow about double?” she asks. “Do you see two of me?”