Part 5 (1/2)

”Not exactly a team player, are you, Mr. Carter?” The Sweat-man is standing right behind him now.

Ben glances at the tube again, and for five full seconds I think he's going to take it, but instead he says: ”I've already felt it.”

”Oh, really?” Sweat-man scratches his head, and I step back to avoid the flurry of flakes. ”So, how would you describe the temperature of the tube?” he asks.

Ben shrugs. ”Kind of cold.”

The Sweat-man makes his infamous game-show-buzzer sound, denoting the wrong answer. ”You really should have phoned a friend.”

”Why don't you feel it again?” I say, in an effort to play nice. I hand him the tube, just as the Sweat-man walks away. But Ben's still being all weird. His fingers linger in the air, just inches from mine. ”Take it,” I say, all but placing the tube into his hand.

He finally does. And his hand accidentally grazes mine. I feel the skin of his thumb rub against my middle finger.

The next thing I know, Ben drops the tube. It shatters on the floor. Yellow solution spills out everywhere.

Ben takes a step back, breathing hard.

”It's no big deal,” I tell him.

But he doesn't respond. He just stands there, staring at me. His dark gray eyes are wide and insistent.

”Real slick,” Sweat-man says. ”Clean it up-now.”

Ben doesn't move. So I grab a mop from the corner of the room and start to clean up the mess.

And that's when he touches me.

His hand glides down my forearm and encircles my wrist, hard, making my heart beat fast and my pulse start to race. I open my mouth to say something-to ask what he's doing, to tell him to let go-but nothing comes out.

”Shhh,” Ben says. He takes a step closer, his eyes fixed on mine. I can feel the heat of his breath on my neck.

”Hey, check it out,” I hear someone whisper.

Still, I don't look away. Because I honestly don't want to.

A smattering of giggles erupts in the cla.s.sroom, catching the attention of Sweat-man at the front of the room. He makes a beeline for our table and b.u.t.ts his sweaty self between us as Ben releases his grip on my forearm.

”Did he hurt you?” Sweat-man asks.

I shake my head, feeling a slight sting in my wrist from Ben's grip. After a few awkward moments, Sweat-man orders me to finish cleaning up, and then he orders Ben to the office.

”No,” I balk. ”It's fine. I'm fine. He was only trying to help me.” I look down at the mess on the floor.

But Ben doesn't question the order. He just collects his books, takes one last look at me, and then scurries out of the room.

14.

Even though I'm not scheduled to work at Knead today, I end up going there right after school.

I just have to get away.

Spencer, my boss, can sense my moodiness as soon as the doorbells announce my arrival.

”Here,” he says, handing me a mound of clay. ”Sculpt your way to a happier self.”

Spencer is the greatest-totally laid back and unbelievably talented. You'd never know it from his hard-as-nails exterior-complete with straggly long hair, torn up jeans, and a three-inch scar down the side of his face-but he sculpts the most feminine of figurines using the most unyielding of materials.

I take his clay-mound offering but refrain from telling him that it's not exactly unhappiness I'm dealing with right now. It's confusion. I mean, why did Ben touch me like that? Why was he being so weird in lab? And what's with all the mixed signals?

”Is it a guy?” Spencer asks, setting up the tables for tonight's pottery cla.s.s.

I nod and slip on an ap.r.o.n.

”Care to elaborate? I can give you the male perspective- free of charge, of course.”

”Maybe after I wedge,” I say, slamming the clay down on my work board.

Spencer is barely twenty-five, but he's owned this shop for a little over two years now. I first met him during my freshman year, when he was subst.i.tuting for Ms. Mazur, his supposed mentor-something he does only sparingly now that he has the shop. He told me I was a natural with the potter's wheel and asked if I wanted a job. About a year and a half later-the time it took me to convince my parents I was responsible enough to handle work and and school- I finally took him up on it. school- I finally took him up on it.

And it's been my dream job ever since.

After only three weeks of working for him, he gave me free run of the place: ”So you can work on your stuff whenever inspiration hits,” he said, dropping the shop's keys into my palm, ”be it eleven o'clock at night or three in the morning.” And, though I've yet to take him up on the generous offer to work whenever I please, I have a feeling those days are coming.

I honestly can't remember another time in my life when I felt this unhinged.

”Will you be needing something a bit stronger than that?” Spencer asks, referring to the clay. ”A little maple wood? Or some iron, maybe?”

”No,” I smile, giving my clay another good thwack against the board. ”This will do just fine.”

Spencer gives me a thumbs-up and then leaves me alone. But I'm not alone for long. Not even ten minutes later, Kimmie comes bursting through the door. ”I knew I'd find you here,” she announces.

”Is something wrong?”

She sets her design portfolio down against the table with a thud. ”I'll say something's wrong. You didn't even call me. Word is he practically took you down in chemistry.”

”Wait-what?”

”Everybody's talking about it-about him-and how he tried to maul you today.”

”Ben?”

”Was there someone else who tried to maul you?”