Read Along Came Jordan for Free Online Page B

She walked out slower than an injured cat.
    I stood and faced him, wondering what this was all about.
    "It's not going to happen, Emili," Jordan announced, his voice as firm as any candidate for office.
    "What?"
    "You and me."
    " What? "
    "You and me." He pointed back and forth between us. "It's not going to happen."
    My mouth clamped shut, annoyance edging its way into my tightened jaw. I managed to ask, "What are you talking about?"
    "This plan of yours. You know, you and me becoming an item."
    "Plan of mine , huh? Aren't you the smartest person ever?"
    Jordan's brow wrinkled. I could see a surprised look of uncertainty hover over his face as he shuffled his feet and glanced around the empty room.
    "For your information, I have no plans involving you."
    "But Sally and Margo both told me. They said—"
    "Did they, now?" I interrupted.
    Jordan rustled the papers he was holding. He coughed and edged toward the hallway, his eyes darting around as if looking for an escape. "I wanted to avoid any misunderstanding, because I'm not available."
    I followed him to the door, closing in until I was a whisper away. I leaned in, my breath tight. Heat surged across my face, and I rose to my toes. "I'm not available either, so if you want to rejoice, feel free."
    I sank to my feet and marched away, turning back to throw one last zinger. "You know, to avoid any misunderstanding."
    My heart pounded and my hands were shaking. Were Sally and Margo against me now? Were they plotting to make me look like a fool?
    I banged open my locker and grabbed my books.
    I agreed with Sarah. I hated my new school.
    ****
    Sally and Margo were waiting for me Tuesday morning. I approached them, dragging my feet as if slogging through ankle-deep mud. The whole Jordan episode was their fault, and I wasn't in a forgiving mood.
    Sally rushed up to me. "Sorry, Emili. We talked to Jordan last night."
    "Did you guys tell him I wanted to go out? What did you say?"
    Margo shook her head. "It was all a huge mess-up. We only said you were new and cute and nice and maybe he should pay attention."
    Sally crossed her heart. "Yeah, nothing else. He's the one who took it wrong. What a doofus. We didn't mean you were hot on his trail."
    "That's how he took it."
    "I know. Sorry," Margo said.
    They both gave me puppy eyes, and sincerity oozed off of them. Since I wasn't exactly drowning in friends at Edgemont, I relented. "No harm done."
    Sally bobbed her head up, eagerness all over her face. "Thanks, Emili, but you'll still go after him, right?"
    I frowned. "Are you kidding? After yesterday? No way. Besides, I'm not in the market." My mind flashed back to Farah. I'd let her control my love life at Bates, and what a disaster that turned out to be. Never again.
    I was ashamed to admit it, but hope for Marc's return still burned in my heart.
    Margo jabbed me in the ribs. "Give it time. You'll fall for him like the rest of us."
    Bud hurried over, balancing a huge stack of papers and notebooks. "Hey, Emili — oh, hi, Sally and Margo — you're working on posters after school. Laine has all the stuff. Be there."
    Like a cyclone, he was gone.
    Margo looked after him. "He makes me dizzy."
    "But he's cute," Sally said.
    "Yeah, and bossy," I murmured.
    After school, I took my time wandering into room 201. Laine and Jordan were already there, bending over the poster boards, tracing letters with florescent markers.
    "Emili, we don't need your help," Laine announced.
    Jordan glanced at me — a quick once-over as if we were strangers. He gave a tiny shrug and resumed work on his poster.
    "Bud told me to come," I said. "I'm here now, so you might as well use me."
    Laine grimaced. "Fine. Grab some markers. Here's what we're writing." She shoved a paper my way.
    I snapped it up along with a blank piece of poster board. I plopped them onto an empty desk and turned to grab an orange marker. Jordan reached for the same one and our hands brushed. A jolt of electricity traveled up my