* * *
So, it looks as though Josie had found a niche. She had been spending all of her time during school with that girl, Aldys, the one with the headbands and funny wardrobe. Aldys looked as though she could be absolutely beautiful if she put on contacts and dressed differently. She was quite tall and had this amazing long blonde hair, the kind most girls, including the snotty popular ones, would die for. She seemed really nice, I'd noticed; very open and honest with a dry sense of humor that most intelligent people are gifted with.
I followed Josie and Aldys to Mr. Coulson's class. He was already sitting on the edge of his desk, very casual, almost like a student himself. He smiled at Josie and Aldys as they took their seats at the front of the class�right where I would want to sit if I were a student in his class.
I found it almost too much of a coincidence that they were studying As You Like It in his class, given the fact that Josie was in disguise at South Glen, much like Rosalind was in disguise in the forest. I wondered how she felt about it.
Near the end of class, Mr. Coulson asked Josie to read a passage from the course book. She stood up nervously and began to read. Although she started out rather awkward and shy, she seemed to get more and more confident as she read along. It was obvious that she enjoyed the material. The interesting thing that I noticed, though, was the way she seemed to be speaking the words of the play almost to Mr. Coulson alone. Like she meant every word. 'Interesting,' I thought, 'I wonder if Josie has a little crush on her English teacher?' Not that I could blame her�
As she reached the end of her reading, though, it seemed as if she were lost in thought as she read. She jumped a little when the bell rang. I crossed the hall and pretended to be opening a locker as she walked out with Aldys. I followed them, listening to their conversation. They stopped, like everyone else did, when the Student Body President announced the Prom theme. Everyone cheered when they heard that it was going to be "The Millenium,"... Everyone, that was, except Josie and Aldys.
"What is it with this school and prom?" Josie asked incredulously.
"South Glen competes every year for best prom. The theme is everything, dah-ling," Aldys answered with a tilt of her glasses, sounding a bit like Zsa-Zsa Gabor.
Josie smiled, but it seemed a bit nervously.
"What are you doing tomorrow night?" Aldys asked. "My parents are going out and I have to baby sit my little sister, and I was wondering if you'd like to come over. We could go get ice cream or something."
This time Josie's smile was sincere. "I'd like that." They reached their class and walked inside. I decided to head to the office and type up my notes and work on my column, which was due on Sunday. I didn't even have a topic this week since I'd been so busy following Josie around. Usually my column was written Wednesday, edited on Thursday and on Janeane's desk by Friday. And here it was Friday afternoon and I hadn't even started!
* * *
I was typing the last few sentences I had dictated into my recorder, about Josie's plans for Saturday night, when Janeane came and stood by my cubicle.
"Hi Carrie." she greeted with a smirk.
"C'mon, Janeane, you know I hate that." I replied. "I don't call you Jan."
"I'd fire you if you did." She said lightheartedly. She leaned over my shoulder and read my computer screen. "'Ice cream with Aldys while babysitting on a Saturday night doesn't sound like my idea of an exciting evening, but then, I'm not Josie, and I'm not struggling with my second trip through high school,'" she read aloud. "I think, because it isn't something you'd do, you should follow them."
I looked up from my screen and turned to face her. "Are you serious? You want me to spend my night following her? My weekend night?"
"Just a thought."
"I'd rather not. I don't know how it would fit into my story."
"I just thought that maybe they'd swing by that old abandoned drive in that I see all the kids hanging out at when I'm heading home most weekends."
"I can tell you for a fact that Josie won't be there. I've heard of it, The Court they call it, and it's a hangout for the cool kids."
"Are you saying our Sun-Times reporter hasn't succeeded in becoming a cool kid?"
"Pretty much."
"Hmmm. Interesting." She pulled a chair from the cubicle next to mine and sat down. "I should send a reporter out there to write a little piece on it. Oh, how mad they'll be over there if there's a story in our paper on the South Glen kids when she's in there, in the trenches, failing at getting anything on paper!" She smiled brightly, and looked me in the eye. "You know I'd send you to do it, but they might recognize you."
"Yes, I know. I already thought of that. They'd have to be interviewed."
"Right, exactly. And you can't blow your cover. We can't risk that. I'll send Marxson. He's hip. They'll like him." I felt a twinge of jealousy. Frank Marxson and I were constantly in competition over the good stories. And Janeane knew this. "You understand, right, Caroline?"
"Sure. Right." I turned back to my computer. "I have to get started on my column," I said as I opened to the right program.
"Yes. I need that A.S.A.P." She stood up and pushed the chair back to its rightful place. "Try not to stay too late, though. You've been working really hard, and you deserve a good night off." This was shocking, coming from her. Janeane, obviously, was a workaholic. She had been married, but that ended once she became editor and hardly had time for her husband.
"I'll try, believe me." Sometimes I believed that Janeane really did like me.
* * *
I checked my messages around eight o'clock, and was surprised to hear from Rob, the guy from the Tiki Post that made me all goofy and flustered. He left his number, so I called him back.
"Do you remember me?" he asked after I said who I was.
"Yes!" Too excited, I thought. Calm down. Take a deep breath. "How are you?"
"I'm good. I'm good," he stammered. He sounded as nervous as I felt.
"How did you get my number?" I asked. Not that I cared.
"Um..." He let out a little laugh. "I wrote down your name from that package...and�you were listed. I waited for you to call me...."
"I wanted to-" I interrupted.
"You did?"
"Yes, but I have been so busy. Work." I explained.
"But you aren't working tonight, right?"
I smiled into the phone. "No, I'm not," I lied. In reality was about 75% through, but I supposed I could just finish it in the morning.
"Would you like to go out? Maybe go see a movie?"
"Yes, I'd love to."
"Is ten o'clock OK? I can come pick you up."
"Sure, that's great." I gave him my address and said goodbye. " I smiled. I've got a date!
* * *
Rob picked me up at ten, like he promised. I was glad to see that he was wearing jeans and a nice striped shirt (could have been a Gap shirt). He smiled that infectious smile that I remembered. "Hi. You look great."
I felt a blush come onto my cheeks. "Thank you. You do too."
He let out a little laugh. "Yeah, no Hawaiian shirt tonight."
"Well, thank God for little favors, right?"
"Something like that."
"God, I am so rude! Please, come in." I opened the door wider so he could walk past me. I watched him look around admiringly. I live in a loft on the third floor of an old building, and I was thankful every day for finding it. It was open and airy, with just the bedroom and second bathroom up the small spiral staircase. I had a large kitchen with a garden window that faced east where I had spices growing, and a breakfast bar across from it. The living room had my favorite pieces of furniture, a large overstuffed deep green velvet couch that I found at a thrift store and an antique cherry wood table, decorated with candles and coffee table books on The Beatles and The Nineteenth Century. There was an entertainment center with a large screen TV a DVD player, and a stereo.
"Wow. What do you do for a living! This place must cost a fortune!"
"It's actually not too bad considering. It's pretty old, and it was such a rat hole when I bought it. I have done a lot to fix it up."
"You own this place?" He stared at me in disbelief.
"Well, I pay a mortgage. I took a loan to get it. All the apartments in this building are privately owned. This is the only loft, though."
"Nice." he walked to the window, which looked out over the building next to me.
"Not such a great view, though." I said.
"Well, nothing's perfect, right?" He smiled.
"Right."
"So, what are you, a doctor?"
I laughed. "No, I rob banks," I said with false seriousness.
"I thought so," he said with a wide smile, but playing along.
"You know, we could just hang out here, if you'd like." I said hesitantly.
"Not much of a date." he replied with a grin.
"And a movie is? We can't even talk in a movie."
"That's true."
"Look, we can order in some Chinese, mix some drinks, and get to know each other. What do you say?"
"But you got all dressed up, all nice," Rob protested.
I looked down at my outfit, a green quarter length sleeved shirt with daisies embroidered along the edges and black skirt I was wearing. "This old thing?" I joked. "I got dressed up for you. I don't care where we are while I'm wearing it."
He walked over to me and stood close. "I am so glad I got the nerve to write down your number."
I smiled. "Yeah, me too."
* * *
I woke up at noon the following day, and freaked out when I realized that it really was noon. I had stayed up until 4 a.m. talking to Rob, having the best date of my adult life. He was so incredibly sweet and funny. I couldn't care less that he hadn't gone to college or that his favorite thing to do was play baseball, or the fact that we really were very different. I got along better with him in one evening than I ever did with Jake, my last boyfriend whom I was with for two years.
I smiled at my memories of the night before as I brushed my teeth and started the shower. I had never felt like this! How could I feel this�much�after one date!? All I could think about was when I would see him again.
Until the phone rang. I ran down the stairs and grabbed the phone just as the machine picked up. It was Janeane.
"Your column is still missing from my desk, Caroline Spenser," she said.
"I know. I'll be there in a half hour. I swear." I didn't like the faintly pleading sound I had to my voice. Apparently, neither did Janeane because she hung up. Apparently today Janeane didn't like me so much.
* * *
Monday morning I was crossing the street to the school from my car when I saw Josie getting out of her car and did a double take. She was dressed quite differently from the way she had been before. It was almost as if she had changed overnight. I wondered idly if this was due to that article about "The Court" Marxson had written. I watched as Josie straightened her shoulders, as if to give herself more confidence, and started to march toward the school She didn't get far; she was stopped by a man poking his head out of a van that was parked behind her. I watched her walk around to the other side, looking annoyed. I stayed on the side facing the street and stood ducked beneath the open driver's side window. I pretended to be fiddling with the contents in my bag. I was only catching pieces of the conversation, but from what I did get, it seemed that this was a Sun-Times guy, and he was hooking Josie up to a hidden camera.
'So this was to be her punishment for missing that scoop,' I thought wryly. 'Brilliant move, rivals,' I thought. Now they too could see what I see. And more. Which meant that I would have to work extra hard to come up with an edge on them.
I heard Josie getting out, so I walked slowly past the van. She was still facing the open side door, and I saw briefly that she was now wearing a pin shaped like tiny wings with a black center. There it was. The spy-cam.
* * *
I was standing between a break in the row of lockers, watching Josie looking at a couple kissing right in front of her locker. I've watched her do this every day. Oh, young love, right? I've noticed that every once in a while Josie looks at them with less annoyance and just a bit of what looks like jealousy.
Her appearance is taming down�her hair is less teased, her outfits a little more "hip". Still, the popular kids rebuff her every chance they get and the only person I ever see her talk to is Aldys. Well, besides Mr. Coulson, but he's a teacher, so that doesn't really count. Still, I have to admit I do like her. Under different circumstances, like if I really were a student here, I would befriend her. She seems like a really nice person. All of which makes me feel really awful that my job requires me to ruin her story.
The kissing couple walked away after Josie asked them if they could work out a schedule for equal time at the locker�which, personally, I thought was really clever. But Josie didn't go into her locker. She walked away, out of my range of sight for a second, and then back into it, holding a flier. She had this small, secret smile on her face, and walked off in a daze.
Curious, I walked over to the stairs, and saw a guy handing out the fliers. I took one and looked at it. Ozomatli at the Delloser Club tonight, it said.
'Well, I know where to find Josie tonight, and knowing that gives me enough reason to leave school for the day,' I thought, and walked through the throng of kids out to the parking lot.
* * *
It was six-thirty by the time I got home and the phone was ringing as soon as I walked into my loft. I threw my bag on the stool at the breakfast bar and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" I said, breathless.
"Hello, is Caroline there?" It was a male voice, and I knew before he said who it was.
"This is she," I replied as I sat on the kitchen floor.
"Hi, this is Rob."
"Hi!" I said excitedly, although I felt it was a lame response.
"Did you just get home from robbing banks?" he asked.
I laughed. "You got it. I got over a million today."
"Awesome! Wanna go to Vegas?"
"Maybe next week." I replied, smiling.
"All right. It's a date."
"Right."
After a miniscule pause, Rob continued, "Speaking of dates, do you have one tonight?"
"I do now." I said, forgetting all about following Josie to Delloser Hall.
"Wanna go out this time?"
"Sure, where?"
"I don't know. How about we decide as we go?"
"I like that idea." Spontaneity wasn't something I was normally known for. I was very organized. And Rob was obviously a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy. I liked that.
"OK, I'll pick you up at eight?'
"I'll be ready."
* * *
I woke up early the next morning, and went straight to the school instead of stopping into the office first. I sat myself down on the stairs near the front entrance, a place that has proven to be a good, inconspicuous spot to observe from, and pulled out my tape recorder. "I'm early for school today," I said into it. "That never happened when I really went here," Guy Perkins, (Mr. Cool) and his followers walked past me. I refused to make eye contact with him. "There's something about that kid...I can't put my finger on it...Not that it really matters. I'm not here to watch him." I looked at the door. "Where is Josie? She's never late." I looked at my watch. About twelve minutes until the first class. "Hope she's OK," I said into the recorder as she walked in.
She was smiling at everyone and waving to people. "Where did this sudden confidence come from?" I wondered aloud into my recorder. "Is it possible that the cool kids accepted her last night at that show? Damn. Maybe I should have gone. If I missed that...wait a minute. Why is everyone pointing at her? Why is everyone laughing at Josie? What the hell is going on!?" I picked up my bag and followed Josie down the hall as she walked faster and faster towards the bathroom. Why was everyone giving her the "loser" symbol? I was almost to the bathroom when Mr. Cool stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
"Hi, Lily." he said, calmly, as he seems to say everything.
"Hello." I replied, trying to walk around him. He stepped in my way.
"How come I never see you in class?" He makes direct eye contact when he talks to people.
"I'm not in any of your classes." I said, again trying to go around him.
"I checked around, and you don't seem to be in anyone's class."
"No, I was lucky enough to get a schedule that didn't include classes with you or any of your snotty friends."
He narrowed his eyes. "You think they're snotty?"
"Yes. Would you excuse me?" I pushed past him and walked into the bathroom. I could hear Josie crying. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't supposed to have any contact with her at all. If I blew my cover I could lose my job. It was bad enough that that kid noticed that I wasn't ever in a class, any class. I felt so bad, but I had to walk out of the bathroom and wait. Guy was still in the hall, now talking to one of his friends but his back was to me. I leaned against the wall and waited.
A minute later Josie burst out of the bathroom and was running down the hall, still crying. My God, what had happened? I started after her, again at a distance and watched as she ran into a door as it was pushed open. Man, she went down like a ton of bricks. I started toward her in a half-panic when I saw she wasn't getting up, but I stopped short as Rob came out from the other side of the door and leaned down to assist her.
Rob!? What was he doing here!? He was talking to her like he knew her! I quickly ducked into a classroom and looked out the door. He was helping her up and walking down the hall with her. I was totally confused. I came out of the classroom and walked behind them, trying to get close enough to hear their conversation but far enough away that they didn't notice me.
Rob pulled Josie into a little corner between a wall and the stairs, so I stood at the edge of the wall where they couldn't see me.
"If I get on the South Glen Baseball team, and the right scout sees me, I'm in the minors!" Rob was enthusing.
"But you're 23 years old!" Josie exclaimed in return.
"Yeah, with a reading comprehension of a fifteen year old. Plus, I'm popular, and you want to be popular. I can recognize a cry for help when I see one."
"Hear one." Josie corrected.
"Whatever," said Rob, shaking his head.
Josie looked annoyed with Rob. She huffed and said, "That is so like you! You can't just�come in here and be popular in just one day!"
Now I was really confused. How did Rob and Josie know each other? I watched them walk away, but instead of following them, I rushed to my car. It was time for a talk with Janeane.
* * *
Twenty minutes later I was sitting in Janeane's office. She was drinking black coffee and eating a Danish while carrying on a conversation with someone on speakerphone and reading my notes. She looked at me and smiled slightly, giving me thumbs up. I meekly smiled back.
"All right, all right, Joseph, I have to go. I have Caroline Spenser in my office and I need to discuss her story with her. I will talk to you later today. And don't disappoint me." She hung up the phone and focused on my notes. "Caroline, this is some great stuff. I wish I could have you videotape this girl! She sounds like a walking disaster!" She chuckled, and took another bite of her Danish. If only she knew that the Sun-Times were videotaping her� I had left that part out.
"I'm glad you like it." I said, biting my lip. "There seems to be an unexpected complication, though."
Janeane looked up sharply. "Explain."
I took a deep breath. "Well, I met this guy a week or so ago, and--"
"If this is a 'I'm going to Vegas to get married' complication, I do not want to hear it."
I smiled. "No, it's nothing like that." I cleared my throat.
"Out with it, Caroline."
"OK, I went on a date with him last night, and it was great, but that's besides the point. The unforeseen complication is this: he enrolled in South Glen South today, and he apparently is close with Josie."
"Simple. You stop seeing him until this assignment is over. IF he really likes you, he'll be patient."
"It's not that simple. He knows Josie. He knows me! As inconspicuous I have been, I am noticed by people. Do you really think that Rob won't ever notice me?"
"Has Josie noticed you?"
"Not that I know of, but I hide from her."
"So, hide from what's-his-name."
"Rob." I thought this over. "It's too risky. To Josie, I'm just another face in the hall, you know? To Rob, I'm Caroline, the girl he took to the movies. The girl he sat up talking to for six hours. The girl he walked up three flights of stairs to her door."
"Did you invite him in?" she asked with a devilish smile.
"That's really not relevant. My point is that Rob knows me from outside the school. He'll ask why I'm there, and if I tell him, he'll tell Josie. I told you, they seemed awfully close."
"All right. I've got a solution. I will give you petty cash, since this will actually be considered an undercover prop. Do you know where Hair Fantasy is, on Charles Street?"
I nodded.
"Good. Go get yourself a wig. Something drastically not you. If anyone at school asks, you dyed your hair."
"A wig?" I repeated dumbly.
"Have you seen the wigs they have in Hair Fantasy? Honey, they look like real hair! These are top quality. I'm talking Cher and Whitney Houston wigs! No one will ever suspect that you are wearing it."
"A wig."
* * *
When I got home that afternoon, there were two messages on my machine. I pressed play and went into the kitchen and started making some food. "Caroline, this is Rob. I, uh, just wanted to let you know that I had a great time last night. I really want to talk to you...call me when you get home, OK?" Beep. Message two was from my sister. I stared at the machine. Rob had called. I was a little surprised after seeing him at school today. I picked up the phone and dialed. After greeting each other, I asked what he needed to talk to me about. "It sounded important." I said.
"Well, I told you that my sister works at a newspaper, right?" he began.
"Yes." I replied.
"Well, she's doing this undercover assignment at a high school, and...well, she wasn't very cool in high school the first time. She was really geeky, actually. I mean, you couldn't imagine it. If you think of every dork and put them all together, that was Josie. And the sad thing is is that she's so smart and funny in her own way...she was just so unsure of herself. So, now she is on this undercover thing and it's like she's repeating it all over again, you know? So, I decided to enroll and help her out. Help her be popular. And I guess that will help her with her job."
So that was their relationship! No wonder they seemed so close. I hadn't even thought to ask Rob his last name on our date the night before, so I had no way of even remotely thinking that Josie could possibly be the sister at the newspaper that he had talked about when I saw them talking today. This was quickly becoming the most complicated and twisted assignment I had ever been a part of. "You enrolled in high school?"
He laughed. "Yeah. I just made a fake ID and enrolled." He laughed again. "When I was in high school I was popular and I played baseball, which I told you is like the only thing I do good. And I was thinking last night after talking to my sister that if I enrolled it could benefit both of us. I can get on a team again. And this time I can try for the minors, or even the majors!"
"What if you get caught?" I asked, intrigued by his plan.
Rob snorted. "Who's going to tell on me? Josie? She'd never do that."
"Wow, Rob. You're a little crazy," I said.
"So, you don't like me anymore, because now I'm a 23 year old high school senior?" He said it with a smile in his voice, but I could tell he was nervous.
"No, I still like you. I just think you're weird." I laughed a little.
"Well, yeah, I am weird."
"As long as we agree."
"I wanted to tell you because�because I really like you. I've had a lot of fun with you, more fun than I've had in a while. And you're really smart; probably the smartest person I know besides my sister."
Again, he caused me to be speechless. I was smiling, unable to say a word. Finally, I managed to say "Thank you," quietly.
"You're welcome." he replied, softly. "But I have to tell you something."
"OK."
"Since I'm supposed to be a high school seventeen year old...I have to act like it, you know?"
"Sure."
He took a deep breath. "I hope you understand..."
"Understand what?"
"Well, I had no problem impressing all the popular kids today. They, like, accepted me immediately just like I told Josie they would. So, this girl started, um...hanging on me, flirting...and I went with it because...it's all part of the act, I swear. I don't want to really date this girl...I want to date you. But for appearances...so that I don't blow my cover or my sister's...I have to go with it, you know?"
"Pretend to date a high school girl?" I asked. I hadn't even considered that aspect in all the scenarios I'd gone through in my head. I wasn't prepared for the intense feeling of jealousy that I felt in the pit of my stomach.
"Yeah." He replied. This time I took a deep breath. "Caroline?"
"Yes?"
"I completely understand if you don't want to see me anymore. I won't like it...but I'll understand."
"I don't want to stop seeing you, Rob. I haven't has so much fun with a guy in my life! And that was only two dates. I want there to be more dates."
"Me too. What should we do, then?"
"I guess we should just be open about this. I mean really open. If you start to like her...that will really change things. If you kiss her it will change things."
"It will be all appearance�I promise. I'll even tell Josie about you and this Tracy situation so she can keep an eye on me."
A little bit of panic sunk in. "You don't have to do that, Rob� Really. I trust you. Until you give me a reason not to."
"You are so cool. I have never known a girl like you, ever. I want you to meet my sister. I think you two will totally get along."
Oh God, no. "Um, maybe after all this high school stuff is done with..."
"Why? Let's just go have lunch with her this weekend. She's cool. You'll like her," he said in his most convincing voice.
"I'm sure I will." If he only knew that I already liked his sister!
"Then what's the problem? C'mon, please?"
This was a problem. God, how did this get so complicated!? If I went to lunch and met Josie...what if she recognized me? I'd be through. But I couldn't think of an excuse that sounded realistic to give Rob, so I agreed.
"Great! It'll be fine, I swear."
'Yeah,' I thought, 'real fine when I'm out of a job.'
* * *
I was staring at my reflection in my rear view mirror. This was not a narcissistic stare by any means; this was fear. I had done as Janeane told me and purchased a wig-a short, blonde wig. It was hell trying to get all of my real hair into the damn thing this morning, let me tell you. I have never had short hair in my life. The shortest my hair has been is three inches below the shoulder, and that's about four inches shorter than it is now. This blonde wig ended about an inch below my jaw. Now, don't get me wrong, it did look real, and natural, but it was a shock to see it on my head, with my blue eyes peering out from beneath the wispy bangs. "A little Monroe-ish. Think of it that way." I said aloud to my reflection.
I put on my favorite lipstick and clear lip-gloss over that, grabbed my bag and headed for school. I noticed Mr. Coulson walking ahead of me. If I wasn't on assignment, and I wasn't interested in Rob, I would totally go and hit on that man, I thought. Good Lord, he was almost perfect. Just to test the new hair, (and to see if he remembered me from our previous encounter), I sped up. Just as I was about to pass him, I let my bag fall deliberately so that all the books would fall out. Manipulative, I know.
"Oh, man!" I said as I knelt down and started putting a math book back in the bag. Mr. Coulson kneeled down as well, helping me gather up my books. What a gentleman.
"Here, let me help you." he said, as he handed me his stack.
"Thank you." I smiled and took them from him, placing them into my bag again.
He was looking at me with curiosity. "You aren't in any of my classes, are you?"
"Unfortunately not," I replied truthfully.
He sort of squinted at me as if he were trying to place me. "You look familiar..."
I shrugged noncommittally. " I'm a student, you've probably seen me around."
He studied my face carefully, and I made my first real eye contact with him. What amazing green eyes he had! I fought the urge to sigh and wondered if he had any idea how very attractive he was. I smiled at him.
Suddenly it seemed as if he'd figured it out. "Was your hair longer?" he asked suddenly.
"Yes," I verified. "And black."
"Right. I remember," he nodded as he spoke. "You were waiting for someone in front of my class. Yeah, I have seen you around campus...Wow! Quite a change! The hair, I mean," he clarified and gave me his sexy, crooked, slightly embarrassed smile.
I went a little weak in the knees and looked away to collect my wits. All of my books were back in the bag. With his assistance, I stood up and pulled the bag onto my shoulder. Then I answered, "I needed a change."
I noticed his gaze had drifted from my eyes to just beyond my head and a little light seemed to turn on behind his eyes. Then, a little preoccupied, he replied, "Yeah, sometimes all of us do."
I turned around and followed his gaze and saw Josie walking up the front stairs. Just as I turned around, I noticed her pull her gaze away from Mr. Coulson and me as if she had been staring at us. Her head drooped like a wilting flower and she bit her lower lip as she rushed on up the stairs. Confused, I looked back at Mr. Coulson, and he had the strangest look of disappointment on his face.
Suddenly, I got this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach�the same feeling I get every time my gut is zoning in on something important. There was something in the way that both of their faces lit up when they saw each other, the way that hers fell when she saw him talking to me and the way his fell when he saw her reaction.
I had thought it was possible that Josie liked Mr. Coulson�after all, who wouldn't? But I wondered for the first time if it was possible that Mr. Coulson was also attracted to Josie. It seemed pretty unlikely, but� The feeling in my gut told me that I was on to something there.
"I should get to class," I said, coming out of my musings and back into the present. "Thank you for helping me with my books."
He looked down at me, almost startled, as if he'd forgotten I was there. "Oh�sure, no problem," he replied, And, giving one last glance at the staircase where Josie had last been, he turned to head off toward his class.
I rushed off and ran to follow Josie. I had to somehow get more information about this!
* * *