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But since I swore I’d tell the truth from now on, I was forced to say, “Not exactly. The truth is, I wrote this story, um, about you. But way before I had ever met you! And it’s really stupid and embarrassing, and I don’t want you to read it.”
J.P.’s eyebrows went up even MORE.
But he didn’t look mad. He looked—actually, he sort of looked like he was kind of flattered.
“You wrote a story about me, huh?” He leaned against one of the sinks. “But you don’t want me to read it. Well, I can see your dilemma. Still, I don’t think hiding them, even in the men’s room, is going to work. She’s bound to get someone to look in here, don’t you think? I mean, it’s the first place I’d look, if I were Lilly.”
The thing was, after he said it, I knew he was right. Hiding the copies in the men’s room wasn’t going to keep Lilly from finding them.
“What else can we do with them?” I wailed. “I mean, where can we put all this so she won’t find it?”
J.P. appeared to think about this for a moment. Then he straightened up and said, “Follow me,” and walked past us, back out into the hallway.
I looked at Lars. He shrugged. Then we followed J.P. out into the hall, where we found him pointing…
…at one of the recycling bins. One of the ones I’d ordered, that said PAPER, CANS, AND BATTLES on it.
My shoulders sagged with disappointment.
“She’ll totally look there,” I wailed. “I mean, it even says PAPER on it.”
“Not,” J.P. said, “if we put it all in the crusher.”
Which was when he tossed the paper towel he’d used to dry his hands into the can section of the recycling bin…
…which immediately sprang to life, and began its crushing action, smushing the paper towel to shreds.
“Voilà,” J.P. said. “Your problem is solved. Permanently.”
But as the recycling bin’s internal crushing device finally quieted down, I looked down at the stack of magazines in my arms.
And knew that I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t. As much as I hated that horrible cover, and the story I’d written beneath it, I knew I couldn’t destroy something Lilly had worked so hard on.
“Princess?” Lars shifted his armload of magazines and nodded toward the hallway clock. “The bell is about to ring.”
“I—” I looked from the pinkly glowing magazine cover to J.P.’s face, then back again. “I can’t do it. J.P., I’m sorry. But I just can’t. She would be so hurt…and she’s going through a really tough time right now. Even if she doesn’t know it.”
J.P. nodded.
“Hey,” he said. “I understand.”
“No,” I said. “I don’t think you do. My story about you is really stupid. I mean, REALLY stupid. And everyone is going to read it. And know that it’s about you. Which I admit makes ME look like the fool, not you. But people might…you know. Laugh. When they read it. And I really don’t want to hurt your feelings any more than I want to hurt Lilly’s.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about me,” J.P. said
. “I’m a loner, remember? I don’t care what other people think of me. With the exception of a select few.”
“Then…” I nodded at the pile of magazines in my arms. “If I put these back where I found them, and Lilly sells them at lunchtime, you won’t care?”
“Not a bit,” J.P. said.
And he even helped Lars and me stuff them all back into Lilly’s locker.
Then the bell rang, and everyone started pouring out into the hallway and going to their lockers, and so we had to say good-bye, or we’d have been late to our next class.
The saddest part is, Lilly will never know the sacrifice J.P. is making on her behalf. He TOTALLY likes her. It’s so OBVIOUS.
Wednesday, March 10, English
