Ashley Cooper's Arc

Chapter 5 of 37

Monday, Ashley walked the halls of President Pete Bacon Memorial High with the note folded in her pocket. She had read it a hundred times. The handwriting was round and careful, but it gave no name. She needed to know who wrote it. But she had no clue where to start, and guessing wrong meant asking the wrong boy and looking like a fool in front of everyone. She found Peggy Morrison in the library, buried behind three books. Peggy was the girl Ashley had never spoken to, the one with thick glasses and braces who always knew things. If anyone could match handwriting, it was Peggy. "I need help," Ashley said, sliding the note across the table. Peggy pushed her glasses up and read it. Her eyes went wide. "Someone wrote you this? And you don't know who?" "That's the problem." Peggy studied the loops and curves. "The 'y' tails hook left. I've graded enough peer papers to know this one." She stood, waving Ashley after her. "Come on." They found the boy in the gym doorway, sinking free throws alone. Mike Henderson. He wore his red jacket, mustache above that same easy grin. He was the boy who had high-fived her bone hand in front of the whole school, the one who slipped the note into her locker vent in the first place. Ashley's stomach dropped. "Mike. Did you write this?" Mike caught the ball and held it. His ears went red, the same as at the mall fountain. "I found it in your locker. I told you that." "Peggy says the handwriting is yours." Mike looked at Peggy. Peggy nodded, arms crossed. He set the ball down slow. "Okay," he said. "Yeah. I wrote it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't want to hand it to you and watch your face. So I hid it. Then I got scared you'd never find it, so I told you where it was." Ashley's throat went tight. "You cheered for my arm. In front of everyone." "Because it's part of you," Mike said. "I meant every word on that paper. I love your skeleton arm. I love all of it." He looked at his sneakers. "You were busy chasing Tyler. I figured I didn't have a shot." Ashley rolled her sleeve past her elbow. The bones caught the gym light. She held her hand out to him, palm up, the way you offer a real hand. Mike stared. Then he took it, bone fingers in his warm ones, and grinned. "So it wasn't a guess," Peggy said, satisfied, and walked back to her books. Ashley held on. For the first time, a boy knew the truth and stayed. But her chest tightened with a new worry. She had asked her question loud, in an open doorway. And down the hall, watching them hold hands, stood Tyler Marsh.