Kaitlyn Starling's Arc

Chapter 2 of 5

The next morning, Kaitlyn walked into math class ready to practice face jokes. She never got the chance. Two boys were already shouting over the times-table chart. One was Mason Rivera, her best friend, a fourth grader who filmed videos in the school hallways and always kept Cheeto dust on his fingers. The other was Wei Zhang, the transfer student in a yellow hoodie who folded his arms like he wanted to win everything. "Kaitlyn likes ME," Mason said. "She laughs at my videos. That's proof, honestly." "She looked at me first," Wei snapped. "That means more." Kaitlyn stopped in the doorway. Both boys pointed at her. The whole room turned to stare. She felt her charming smile freeze on her face. This was not adoring. This was a mess, and it was about her. "I never said either of you," Kaitlyn started. But her voice got buried under theirs. Mason slammed his backpack on a desk. A blue bunny keychain swung from the zipper. "Say it's me. Just say it." "Say it's me," Wei said louder. The student teacher rushed in. Miss Suksamran wore a brown corduroy dress and a soft, cheerful smile, but her eyes went wide and tight the second she heard the yelling. She hated arguments. She clapped once, sharp. "Stop. Stop right now." Her voice shook a little. "We do not fight in my class." The boys kept going. Wei called Mason a fake. Mason called Wei a copycat. Kaitlyn's stomach twisted. Every kid was watching her, and none of them were smiling. So Kaitlyn did the only thing she knew. She jumped onto her chair. "HEY!" she shouted. Both boys shut up. She pointed at herself, then made the silliest face she had. She crossed her eyes, puffed her cheeks, and pretended to fall over the desk like a dropped puppet. A laugh cracked from the back row. Then two more. Miss Suksamran covered her mouth. Even Wei snorted before he could stop himself. "You want the truth?" Kaitlyn said, still balanced on the chair. "Neither of you. I don't have a crush on anybody in this class." She looked straight at both boys. "But you're both being goofy, and goofy is my favorite thing. So sit down before I do a worse face." The class roared. Mason grinned despite himself. Wei uncrossed his arms. "Off the chair, please," Miss Suksamran said, but she was laughing too. Kaitlyn hopped down. She had done it. She'd turned a fight into a laugh, and the whole room loved her for it. Her smile came back real this time. Then she saw Mason's face. He wasn't laughing anymore. He looked hurt, quiet, like she'd used his best friend feelings for a joke. He grabbed his backpack and moved two seats away without a word. Kaitlyn had won the class. But she had just told her best friend, in front of everyone, that he was only funny to her. And now he wouldn't look at her either.