Page 7 of Kingpin

“Okay, well I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow then,” he says.

“Okay. Talk to you tomorrow.”

We walk into our respective classes and I ignore Maggie and Lisa as I take my seat. I feel their eyes burning into me.

“Why were you talking to him so long, Alannah?” Maggie inquires.

“Because I wanted to,” I say, instantly feeling frustrated.

“Nobody really talks to him, though. He’s so big and weird-looking,” Maggie says.

Lisa jumps in. “And he’s mean. He’s beaten up, like, four people already this year. I’m surprised he didn’t try to eat you.”

“No, he didn’t try to eat me, Lisa, and he didn’t beat me up, either,” I snap. “If he’s mean to you guys, it’s probably because you call him Ugly Dominic and ignore him all the time. He’s nice to me, and that’s all that matters. So, I don’t care what you guys say.”

And that’s the last of it. Maggie and Lisa glare at me for a second longer, but they don’t say anything else. Mr. Bishop steps to the front of the class and starts talking about something that happened a long time ago, and I smile to myself because I feel like I actually made a new friend today.