Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Jerks and Poets juxtaposition (n) the placement of two very different words or ideas side by side to create a strong sense of contrast (but also connection) between the two The hallway after recess was a tangle of kids and coats and boots and scarves as everyone hurried to put things away before going back into the classroom. Evan took his time, arranging and rearranging his things in his cubby. As usual, Megan was one of the last to come in. When just a few students were left in the hall, Evan signaled Megan to wait by her cubby. Finally, they were alone. Evan walked up to Megan, knowing that his face was getting redder by the second. He hoped

she would think it was because it was so cold outside. "I'm sorry," he said, "for acting like a jerk the last couple of days. The guys have all been giving me a hard time, and I just wanted them to leave me alone. I wasn't trying to be mean to you." Megan nodded her head. "I've been getting teased a lot, too." She looked miserable. "I guess I've done some pretty dumb things lately. And I don't even know why I did them. Everything has felt so weird." "I know what you mean." Evan's heart was beating a mile a minute. His right hand was hooked into his back pocket, and he could feel the folded-up paper he had tucked away there. "It's just that..." Megan stopped and took a deep breath, then closed her eyes. "I like you, Evan." Evan felt his heart leap in his chest and a sudden warm glow spread through his body and radiate out the tips of his fingers. For a moment,

he wondered if he was floating above the ground. It was as if the happiness inside of him was a jet pack, lifting him gently into the air. "But I don't want to go out with you!" Megan blurted out. Whomp. The feeling of lightness vanished. Evan took half a step back, surprised. He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. There was a strange ringing in his ears, and he could feel his stomach starting to spin. "It's no fun!" Megan stared at him, looking worried and upset. The spinning in his stomach kept going and going. The ringing in his ears was louder now, and he felt like his vision was being squeezed through a thin tube. He was looking down a long tunnel at her face, which was getting farther and farther away by the second. Everything was pulling away from him. This was what he'd been waiting for. Dreading. This out-of-control feeling. "Are you okay?" asked Megan.

Evan managed to nod his head. "Are you mad?" "No." The word came out so sad and lonely that Evan wished he could come up with a few more, just to keep it company. "Then... can we be friends?" Friends. Evan felt the spinning slow down a little. "Sure. Friends," he croaked. Megan smiled. "Good. That'll be way more fun." Her face rippled into smoothness, the way the surface of a pond settles back into itself after a stone is dropped. Was it over? Evan wondered. He felt he should check his arms, his legs, his ribs, to see if he was still in one piece. Megan turned to go into the classroom. "Wait!" he said. "I have something... there's this thing... I want to show you." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out The 4-O Forum, the only copy that hadn't been destroyed

when he and Jessie had ripped up all the rest and thrown them in the Dumpster behind the school. "It's this thing... I wrote." He handed her the newspaper, folded so that his poem was in front.

Pony Girl by Evan Treski pony girl flying by always late lately in my heart vou laugh your happy laugh you smile you kindly smile you gallop past Ille standing still dumb sttuck Megan read the poem silently. Evan concentrated on her ponytail. The ringing in his ears was quieter now, and his vision had gone back to normal. Finally, Megan looked up at Evan. "Can I keep this?" Evan nodded. "But only if you swear you'll never show it to anyone, your whole life." "I swear," said Megan. She smiled. Evan and Megan stood still. He wasn't sure what to do next. They heard Mrs. Overton's voice floating out of the classroom—"Take out