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Angeline laughed. It was the funniest joke she’d ever heard.
Gary turned around in delight. “You’re back!” he declared.
“So are you!” said Angeline.
“I’ve always been here,” said Gary.
“You’re back to me,” said Angeline.
Gary was flabbergasted. “When, what—” He didn’t know what to say first. “What did Mrs. Hardlick say? Is she being mean to you?”
“I figured it out,” said Angeline. “All I have to do is answer every question wrong, and everybody likes me.”
“Gee,” said Gary. “I do that all the time and nobody likes me.”
“I like you,” said Angeline.
Gary smiled at her. His eyes were misty. He liked her, too.
“Do you have any new jokes?” she asked him. He cried.
Seventeen
Different Directions
As Angeline walked back to class, Judy Martin was standing in the doorway. “What’s the matter, Freak?” Judy teased. “You missed a couple of problems.”
“I don’t know,” Angeline mumbled.
“How did it feel?” Judy continued. “Was that the first time you ever missed one? What was it like?”
“I don’t know,” Angeline said again.
“You don’t know!” declared Judy. “I guess you’re just not so smart anymore, are you?”
Philip Korbin butted in. “Yeah, Judy,” he said. “She’s almost as dumb as you.”
“Shut up.”
Christy Mathewson once again came to her rescue. “She’s missed a week of school,” she said. “It will just take her awhile to catch up.” She walked with Angeline to her seat.
“You knew the correct answers, didn’t you?” Christy asked her when they were alone.
“I don’t know,” said Angeline.
“You shouldn’t give the wrong answers when you know they’re wrong,” said Christy. “That’s just like lying.”
“No talking!” declared Mrs. Hardlick. “The bell has rung.”
Christy quickly and quietly took her seat.
Mrs. Hardlick told them to get out their history books. It wasn’t like Christy had said, thought Angeline. She wasn’t lying. She only gave the wrong answers because that way Mrs. Hardlick wouldn’t hate her. It had seemed like such a good idea. Now, Christy made her feel bad about it.
“Who invented the cotton gin?” asked Mrs. Hardlick.
Angeline glanced over at Christy, then looked straight at Mrs. Hardlick. She raised her hand.
“Yes, Angeline?” said Mrs. Hardlick.
