You by Charles Benoit Read Free Book Online Page A

asked another question and she said, “No, he goes to Midlands.” The way she said it and the way her mom laughed when she heard it made you wish you could take the call back.
    â€œAnd I wish you wouldn’t slouch like that when I’m talking to you. Sit up straight, why don’t you? Is that how you would sit in a job interview, all slouched over like that? And did you ever pick up an application from the grocery store like I asked? It seems like that HELP WANTED sign is up every other week. You could have had that job if you had gone over the first time I told you. And how many times have I told you that you have to write up a résumé? Why did I bother buying that program for the computer if you’re not going to use it? I’m telling you, Kyle, I am done talking to you about these things.”
    You wish.
    Â 
    N aturally, that Zack kid is in your English class.
    He’s sitting two rows over, but there’s nobody in the seat between you, so you have a clear view of him. He’s wearing jeans and sneakers, new, but neither in what could be referred to as the adolescent fashion of the day.
    And he’s wearing a lime green sport coat.
    It looks ridiculous, especially with the yellow shirt underneath, yet it fits so well that you realize that it’s not something his father outgrew. He’s kicked back, all slumped down, his legs stretched out, his feet crossed at the ankles way up under Megan’s seat. He’s got the front cover of Romeo and Juliet curled around to the back, the book propped up on the edge of his desk, and for some reason he’s laughing.
    Ms. Casey wants you all to read Act II, Scene 1 silently to yourselves while she takes attendance or does whatever she does with her grade book every day before class. Nobody really reads when she saysthis, since you all know she’s going to go back and have you read it as a class anyway. But it’s Zack’s first day and he can be forgiven for doing what he was told. It’s the laughing part that has everyone, even Ms. Casey, glancing over at him.
    â€œIt’s Zack, right?” Ms. Casey says, looking at him then at the paper in her hand, so it’s obvious that she knows that’s his name.
    He looks up from his book, his laugh dying to an open-mouth smile. “No, it’s Zack McDade . Right’s just my nature.” He gives a little wave and goes back to reading, the chuckling laugh starting up with the first line.
    Ms. Casey closes her eyes and sighs and for once you can relate. She pauses a half beat longer than usual and even the nerdy kids are peeking over to see what she’ll do. “Zack, we’re reading silently to ourselves, so that means no distracting—”
    â€œSorry. Can’t be done.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œNo problem, apology accepted,” he says, and keeps on reading.
    A line crossed, her tone shifts. “Mr. McDade.”
    He looks up and now everybody is watching. “Yes?”
    â€œWe are reading silently to ourselves. Do you know what that means?”
    He tilts the book down and looks up at the ceiling, one hand coming up to his chin, like he’s pondering the question. “Well,” he says, drawing the word out with a growl, “since we can’t very well read silently to each other, I’m assuming—and this is just a guess, so jump in if I’m way off base here—that you want us to consume Act Two, Scene One without verbalizing the words or the content therein.”
    Ms. Casey gives him an icy stare.
    â€œWell then,” he continues, “it seems we have a problem.”
    Her stare drops a few more degrees.
    â€œMs. Casey, as much as I’d like to comply withyour quite reasonable request, it is scientifically impossible to read Act Two, Scene One of Romeo and Juliet without laughing. It simply cannot be done.” He sits up and gets this excited look on his face, flipping a page back