Revenge of the Geek by Piper Banks Page A

neglected to tell me,”Charlie said. Her eyes darkened.
    “I’m sorry,”I said, patting her arm sympathetically.
    Charlie shrugged again. “When Phoebe saw Finn and me sitting there together, she came rushing over and made a big show of sitting on Finn’s lap and playing kissy face with him.”Charlie demonstrated, puckering her lips in a way that was more fishlike than kisslike. “The whole thing was so revolting, I had to leave immediately. Anyway, that’s when I had my epiphany.”
    “Which was?”I asked. My stomach gave a low rumble. I wished we were having this conversation over lunch—even a mediocre Geek High lunch—rather than standing in the school corridor.
    “Instead of just sitting around waiting for Finn to realize that he has feelings for me, I should use the feelings I have for him in my artwork,”Charlie said. “I’m going to do a whole series of paintings fleshing out all of the pain and longing that’s caused by unrequited love. It’s going to be very modern, very ethereal, very Chagall-inspired. I’ve already sketched out the first one.”
    She reached into her bag, pulled out a sheet of paper, and thrust it at me. On it was a pencil-drawn sketch of a girl—at least, I think it was a girl; it was a tall figure with long hair blowing behind her—with her arms wrapped around a heart. Not a heart shape, but an actual heart with lots of valves. Behind the girl, in the far-off distance, a tidal wave was swelling.
    “Very cool,”I said, handing the drawing back. “Except for the heart. That’s kind of gross.”
    “I was going to do a heart shape, but that seemed too literal. I want it to be gritty, so I used a pig’s heart instead,”Charlie explained.
    “So is this girl supposed to be you?”I asked.
    “Not necessarily. She represents all intelligent women who are overlooked in favor of dimbos,”Charlie said. She hoisted her book bag over one shoulder. “Anyway, I have to go. I need to start painting while I’m feeling inspired.”
    “Good luck,”I said.
    Charlie flashed me a pained smile. “Thanks. Sorry I’m ditching you for lunch.”
    “No worries,”I said.
    Charlie hurried off in the direction of the art room. I watched her go, wondering whether her new obsession with unrequited love was something I should worry about, before deciding that it was probably a good thing for her to express herself. Even if it was with pictures of pig hearts.
    I headed toward the cafeteria, my spirits drooping a bit. Charlie and I always ate lunch together. Sure, I had other friends at school, and could definitely find someone to eat with. But it was always awkward to stand in the doorway of the cafeteria, looking around for a spare seat while feeling like a complete loser.
    “Hi, Miranda,”Nora said, suddenly appearing beside me. “Are you going to lunch?”
    “Yes,”I said. “You, too?”
    Nora nodded. “Do you mind if I eat with you?”she asked shyly.
    “Sounds great,”I said. I smiled at Nora. “Hey, I have the same top.”
    I hadn’t noticed Nora’s blue plaid halter top with white buttons down the front when we were in lit class. I’d bought the identical shirt at the Gap when Hannah took me back-to-school shopping. I hadn’t been at all sure about the shirt—halter tops made me nervous; it seemed like there were too many things that could go wrong with them—but when I’d worn it to school a few days earlier, I’d gotten lots of compliments on it. Even better, horrible Felicity Glen had given me the stink eye, which meant that it must have looked really good on me.
    “You do?”Nora asked.
    “Yep. The Gap, right?”
    “That’s right. We must have the same taste,”Nora said.
    “Or, more accurately, you and my stepsister have the same taste,”I said. “She’s the one who picked it out. Anyway, it looks cute on you. Although you should put on a cardigan, or you’re going to get busted on a dress-code violation.”
    Nora did look nice. She was wearing the shirt