How To Break Up With An Alien by Magan Vernon Page A

Alex has always been one of our best and brightest students."
    Her gray bun was pulled so tight at the back of her head that I swore it looked like she had Botox. Her face didn't even move when she looked from the folder and back up at us.
    I flinched. I was ready for it, suspension, washing whiteboards after school, or whatever. I figured my permanent record really didn't matter anymore. Northern Arizona had already accepted me and I didn't think they could take it back.
    "But." Miss Murphy smacked her big, cracked lips together. "You are lucky that this is your first offense and no one actually saw you attack Miss James. It's more of a word versus word in this situation."
    My mom's eyes practically bugged out of her head and I'm sure mine were doing the same thing. Word versus word? Where the heck did she come up with that one? That defense wouldn't even stand up in one of those TV court shows.
    "Besides." Miss Murphy stood up, smiling. "We wouldn't want our first student going to Columbia to end up with a blemish on her permanent record."
     
    ***
     
    Mom and I were both surprised when we walked out of Miss Murphy's office. Her, because I got excused from fighting, and me, because Brody was waiting for me outside the office door.
    "Well hello, Brody." There was mom's romance writer voice.
    "Hi, Mrs. Smith." He waved with one hand and tugged at the sleeves of his Carhart jacket with the other.
    "Alright, Alex, I will see you tonight after work." Mom gave me a small smile and then turned to head out the front doors.
    "So, sorry about all that crap with Gemma."
    I looked back at Brody. He was shuffling his feet back and forth and scratching at the back of his neck. What the heck was this?
    "Uh, yeah, it's cool." I looked up at the fluorescent lights of the ceiling and back down. Talk about awkward.
    "She just has pent up rage or something since she can't play rugby and lost her scholarship."
    "Oh." I really didn't care what his excuse was for her. I was just ready to get out of there.
    "But I want to make it up to you anyway. Can we grab a slice of pizza tonight at Anna's?"
    Huh?
    "Uh, well, I work until seven," I stammered, searching for an excuse. Was he hitting on me? Was this how a guy asked a girl on a date? I'd never been on a real date before, unless you counted girl dates or the time one of my middle school boyfriends sat next to me during a school field trip to the zoo.
    "Great, well we can meet there at around seven thirty and then maybe you could help me with our English homework?" He smiled
    I nodded. "Okay, cool. Yeah, I can do that.
    Dodged a bullet on that one . How could I be so stupid to think that Brody was trying to ask me out? At least I knew he was using me for my mind... I think .

Chapter 18
     
    "Since you are ditching me all weekend for the dance, you want to go see a movie or something after work tonight?" Simone stood over the sink, cleaning out one of the milk heating containers and placing it back on the counter.
    I shook my head. "I actually have plans to meet Brody at Anna's Pizza after work."
    "WHAT?"
    I almost spilled cocoa powder all over the counter, instead of in its container. "It's just to talk about English homework." I slid the few flakes back into the canister and placed it back in its spot next to the syrups.
    "Something is telling me you aren't sharing the whole truth," Simone teased, waving her finger in my face.
    "Simone, he is just a friend. I'm still with Ace, even if we are fighting." Crap . I knew as soon as the words left my mouth I shouldn't have said them.
    "So, you get in a fight with your boyfriend and let the sexy farmer take you out for dinner?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
    "What?" I swatted Simone playfully on the arm with a towel. "No, not like that at all. I got in a little bit of a tussle with Brody's ex at school and he wanted to make it up to me while getting some homework help."
    "Whoa." Simone held her hands up. "Back it up here. So, you beat up on little miss