Chapter 4: The Punching Hall of Fame, Part 1

By the time lunch rolled around, I could barely keep my eyes open, and my head ached like it had been rammed into a brick wall. Would the school nurse let me go home if I complained? Probably not.

I got a tray of food - mashed potatoes with gravy and some type of meat, if it could be called that - which only managed to turn my stomach. Standing at the front of the cafeteria, I scanned the crowd in search of Abby.

We'd had every class together - I had classes with the same twelve people all morning - so I knew we had lunch together, too, but she was currently MIA.

I found an empty table near the windows with a clear view of the hallway. A girl from one of my classes came over and stood across from me, a friendly but nervous smile on her heart-shaped face.

"Um, would you like to sit with me?" She pointed to a table across the room. "I'm waiting for a few other friends, but they're cool."

Considering Abby still hadn't shown her face, I couldn't ignore the only other invitation I had. "Sure, thanks." I grabbed my food and followed her to a table where we both sat.

She crunched on a carrot stick. "Chloe, right?"

I glanced away, embarrassed. "Yeah. Um, sorry, but I don't remember your name."

She laughed. "Ellie."

I looked back at her, and she continued to crunch away on her carrot, reminding me a lot of the bunny Mom had gotten me when I was seven. It had been the Easter right after Dad left us. At that time, I'd still believed he'd come back, but Mom had known better. The bunny had been her way of giving me something new to love, something to keep me occupied.

I'd named him Frank, after my father, which in hindsight, was a really stupid name for a girl. Much like my father, the bunny hadn't hung around very long. Two weeks after I'd gotten her, she'd managed to get out of her cage. There was a theme in my life with the things I loved.

I tore my gaze from her and shuffled the food around on my tray. Four more people sat at the table, and while I recognized their faces from classes, I couldn't recall any names. I searched for Abby again, but she still wasn't around.

"Chloe, this is Nick, Luke, Tonya, and Gina. Guys, this is Chloe," Ellie said.

"Oh, yeah, you're the new girl who's been sitting in the back of every class." Gina pointed, her round, cherubic cheeks turning a soft shade of pink.

"Wait, didn't you punch that new guy in the face this morning?" Nick's eyes widened, and if I wasn't mistaken, that was pride shining through in his expression.

"Oh my God. I heard about that," Tonya said. Short, black curls framed her face. "He tried to ask you out, and you hauled off and punched him."

"No, he grabbed her butt," Luke said as if it were a known fact not up for debate. He gave a quick shake of his head, causing his shaggy blond hair to fall over his hazel eyes.

"What?" I gasped. "No. That's not how it happened at all." News spread fast at this school, but apparently, rumors spread even faster. "It was an accident."

I explained the events of that morning. With any luck, my new friends would help me set the rumor mill straight.

"Yeah, that's not what people are saying. Not even close." Ellie laughed. "The gossip is reaching epidemic levels."

"Welcome to Keene Central School." Luke grinned. "Although, I have no idea why anyone would want to come here."

Gina elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a dirty look.

An awkward silence fell over the table. It was no one's business why I was here, but from the way they were all looking at me, they wanted to know. I wasn't about to tell a group of strangers that I was a murderer. Talk about social outcast.

I twisted the top off my water bottle and took a long drink. When I set it down, I caught Trent staring at me from across the cafeteria where he sat with his brother. He kept looking at my face, then above my head, then back to my face. Was my hair sticking up? I self-consciously smoothed my hands over my head and down my hair, but he still didn't look away. Didn't he realize it was rude to stare?

"Do you play any sports?" Tonya was asking me.

I returned my attention to my new friends. "No, I'm not much of a team player," I admitted.

It hadn't been for a lack of trying, though. Mom had put me in every group activity and sport she could find in an effort to socialize me. It never worked out.

"Too bad. We could really use someone on the softball team," Tonya said, her shoulders slumping with disappointment.

"Sorry," I said.

"Don't be," Nick said. "Our teams suck."

My gaze wandered back over to the table in the corner. Trent laughed at something his brother said. As if he could sense me watching, he turned slightly.

A longing tugged at my chest, so severe that my entire body ached. I swallowed hard and took several deep breaths to calm my suddenly racing heart.

The bell rang. I gathered my stuff and headed for the door.

"What class do you have next?" Ellie asked.

I fumbled to get my schedule out of my backpack. "World History. Room two-nineteen."

"Hey, that's my class, too. I'll walk with you," she said.

I wasn't surprised she was in the same class again. "Great."

Ellie talked the entire way about anything that popped into her mind, but I was only half listening.

"So, hey, let's exchange numbers, and you can totally call or text me if you need help catching up on anything. I'm sure it's overwhelming to start here so late in the year, and I'm happy to do whatever I can to help."

All I'd heard was "exchange numbers" before my mind started racing. "Oh, um, I don't have a phone."

Seriously, what teenager didn't have a cell phone these days? Then again, after what had happened, I wasn't sure I ever wanted to have another one.