Page 22 of I Don't Need Your Protection

He resumes his lesson. I was taking chemistry this year as well, and sure, this class is much harder than my old one, but I can still follow.

The kids are frantically jotting down everything the teacher says. Caleb keeps his eyes on me during most of the lesson. He pretends to write some notes as well.

The bell rings.

“Remember the exam tomorrow,” Mr. Barnelli calls after the students as they rush out of the classroom.

I stop walking and Carly nearly crashes into me. “Exam?”

Raven waves her hand. “It’s a quiz. He calls all quizzes tests. It’s on yesterday and today’s lessons.”

“Oh. Will he expect me to take the quiz?”

“Yeah,” Sophie says. “He doesn’t excuseanyone. Do you need help catching up? We can study in one of our rooms after school.”

“Sure. That would be great. Thanks.”

“Of course. Oh, shoot. I have tutoring after school. We can get together after that.”

“Okay.” I pluck my phone from my backpack and scan my schedule. “What class do I have next? English with Mrs.Garcia.”

“Same,” Sophie says with a grin. “The class is right there.” She nods to the classroom across from us. “Fair warning. Mrs. Garcia has us read our essays to the class, so if public speaking isn’t your thing…”

I twist my nose. “Public speaking is definitelynotmy thing.”

Carly shrugs. “This school prepares the students for their future. Most are rich kids who will inherit their parents’ companies, so they need to pretty much be trained. That’s why there are so many business classes and foreign language classes. And considering they’ll be talking to many important business people and investors, there are a few public speaking classes.”

“But for people like us who won’t inherit companies…” Raven adds. “I mean, sure the business classes can help anyone’s future, but the speeches? Lame.”

Sophie nods in agreement. “I still haven’t recovered from my speech last week. Ugh. You know what happened? I went up to the front of the room to read my essay out loud, but then I realized I left my essay in my dorm room. I was distracted that morning because I wanted to finish the chapter in my book and I forgot to put it in my bag. So there I was, standing in front of everyone, without my essay.”

“Couldn’t you go to your room to get it?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Mrs. Garcia’s rule is if it’s not on your desk or in your backpack when the bell rings, it’s like you left it at home.”

“What happened?”

She sighs. “I remembered a lot of what I wrote and madeup the rest. Mrs. Garcia gave me a B. AB! The nerve.”

Carly giggles as she says to me, “To Sophie, a B is like an F.”

Sophie mutters under her breath how unfair the world is.

The bell rings and Sophie and I say bye to Carly and Raven and head to English. Like before, I feel Caleb nearby.

Sophie and I sit down and she continues to tell me about the book she’s reading. She’s extra excited today because it was just announced that they’ll be making a movie version of it.

“I know, I know,” she says, cheeks a little red. “I need to shut up. But Ican’t. You have no idea how much these books have changed my life. I can’t even explain it. I just feel like a happier person, you know?”

I smile. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I’d recommend the books over and over and over again. Do you like to read?”

I shrug. “Not unless I have to. I’d rather watch the movie.”

She slides down in her seat, dropping her face on her desk and releasing a heavy sigh. “In case you’re wondering, you just killed me.”

“Sorry.”