caught in the middle

Adam slammed her locker hard. She was steamed. So furious. She was having trouble with that homophobe again, Bianca.

And to think she'd had the hots for her, learning that dance number. Now she hated her guts. The bitch wanted to beat her up. She'd made fun of her in the bathroom. Wasn't she a boy? Maybe she was a boy that needed to be beat up. Adam didn't want to tell her brother. She just wanted to fade into the wall paper around her. But she stood out like a sore thumb. Why did everyone have to be so hard on her?

After all, she was just a boy trapped in a girl's body.

"Are you all right?" There went Clare being her urgent care persona, making over her. Adam didn't want Clare touching her. Hadn't she already stole her best friend Eli?

"JUST DON"T!" Adam edged away.

"OK. Sorry." She looked at Clare who looked all sad.

"What's wrong?" Adam gave Clare a serious look as he held on to his backpack.

"You know." She hugged herself.

"What did he do this time?" Eli always left her aloof. Of course, Adam sometimes met Eli after school down by the river and smoked pot and had long talks. He was not a jerk then. He was just being Eli. The Eli that Adam liked to hang out with.

"Its like I'm not even here." Clare leaned against her locker.

"What if we could change that." Adam wondered why he hadn't thought of it sooner. "How about I take you out?"

"Me?" Clare winced.

"You know, just to pull his chain." Adam grinned. It felt like the best idea ever.

"Really?" Clare looked at her serious.

Adam wanted to kiss Clare right now, but he didn't want it to be too soon.