It's Only Temporary by Sally Warner Page A

front of her, their toes turned out as usual. Kee looked troubled, staring down at the scuffed gymnasium floor as if there were a message hidden there.
    â€œSo, you think you’re, like, this really hot artist, huh?” Aaron asked Skye, sneering. “Making us lose the game.”
    â€œYou are so gonna get it,” Taylor told Skye, and she smiled – though it was not a pretty sight.

    Skye could not think of what to say, because–how had they known so quickly that she was the one who had done those drawings? And how had she made them lose the game?
    And, most important of all, how was she “
gonna get it?
”
    â€œSkye’s drawings are great,” Pip said, trying to defend her. “They looked more like you guys than your team photos did, that’s for sure.”
    â€œShut up, pansy,” Aaron said, not looking at him.
    â€œStop
saying
that,” Amanda told him, but this time she could barely squeak out her objection, she was so scared.
    â€œI was talking to Skye-chick, here,” Aaron said. “We got something to show her.”
    Melissa nudged Taylor. They looked excited, and they both stared at Skye with hungry eyes.
    â€œWhat?” Skye asked, in spite of herself.
    â€œC’mon,” Aaron said, laughing. “It’s over by the clock. Come see for yourself!”
    â€œAnd bring your pathetic little posse,” Melissa added.
    The two groups shuffled over toward the big wall clock, threading their way through the mob of laughing, dancing kids, who seemed oblivious to this new drama that was unfolding. “At least we’re in a public place,” Pip muttered.
    â€œYeah,” Amanda squeaked. “He can’t actually
hurt
Skye. But I wish I’d stayed home,” she added softly. “I’m scared!”
    â€œSkye’s the one who should be scared,” Matteo pointed out, sounding matter-of-fact – and even a little relieved, Skye thought. Not that she blamed Matteo for feeling that way.
    â€œUp there,” Aaron said. “Whaddya think, Skye-chick? How do you like it?”
    Skye forced herself to raise her eyes to where Aaron was pointing.
    High above her head, drawings of Pip, Amanda, Matteo, Jamila, and Maddy were taped to the wall.
    They weren’t anywhere near the worst ones of them she had done. In fact, they were kind of okay. But–
    â€œSkye did those,” a surprised Amanda announced to no one in particular.
    â€œYeah, and there are plenty more where they camefrom,” Aaron said in a threatening way, as if reading Skye’s thoughts. “Skye knows what I mean. Just wait.”
    Kee cleared his throat; he looked embarrassed, Skye thought dully.
    â€œThe custodian let us into the art room after the game,” Cord said, grinning. “Aaron told him he’d left something important in there.”
    â€œToo bad about that lame-o retarded brother of yours back in Mexico,” Aaron said, watching Skye closely to see – and enjoy – her reaction.
    They had her sketchbook.
    Dear Scott, You can go to bed now, because I am safe and sound back at Gran’s house, and the dance is over. I hate those guys, too, even Kee–more than ever, in fact, because somehow, they got into the art activities room after the game to find out who did those drawings of them, and they took something of mine that I accidentally left there. (Oops.)
    Love, Skye

19
After the Dance
    â€œO o
ps
.”
    That was putting it mildly, Skye thought dully the morning after the dance as she lay in bed, pretending to be asleep long past the time Gran usually roused her. Skye was almost more miserable than she had been in herentire life. This was right up there with that phone call after Scott’s accident.

    Back then, she had been miserable mixed with angry, Skye confessed silently.
    This was something else altogether. This was miserable mixed with – what?
    Embarrassment. Dread.
Loss
.
    Skye