3

My clothes were soaked, and my skin was turning blue. As much as I loved to run wild, I knew I had to come in. Suddenly, I saw someone approaching me. I recognized Penny, her eyes dripping hate.

"Thanks a lot. Where did you come from, the 5th wave?" She spat. Even her words were coded in a thick layer of dislike. I step back. I search for an insult, and I open my mouth to say it, but nothing comes out.

"Why are you out here?" I finally blurted, instantly regreting it. She angrily flicked away a curly strand of blonde hair.

"The teacher made me. Now are you coming or not, freakazoid?" She glared at me, and I stepped back before following her in to school. The class was already over, so I bolted to the showers before lunch. My clothes were still damp, but at least I was warm. As soon as I took my food over to the table, Melinda and Jimmy plunked their trays on either side of me. Since the storm was still raging, the cafeteria crowded with everyone who usaully sat outside. Penny and Julie were whispering a couple of tables away. As soon as they noticed me, I was sent an icy glare.

"So," Melinda began. "Why didn't you come in when it started to rain?" It was begginning to hail now, and it sounded like rattling change in a tin cup. My clothes were almost dry, and I was almost cheered. But my appetite was still scarce. I picked amost at my salad, making it look somewhat eaten. A soccer player sitting a couple of tables away flipped a bit of ketchup at Melinda's back, and it left a red splotch even after it had been wiped up.

"Never mind about that." I replied. "I have something more important. Doesn't it seem like Julie and Penny have been targeting us lately? I mean, the ink thing, the note, and I'm positive that they told the socc�""

"What note?" Melinda interrupted, brushing her brown hair away from her face. I sighed.

"Listen, M, I'll tell you what happened later. Anyway, I'm sure that they told the guys to flick the ketchup at you." Melinda nodded.

"Yeah. Maybe it's because Charlie Ann moved away. We all know they've been looking for a new target after that, and maybe we just seemed, well..."

"Like easy victims." I suplied. Melinda nodded.

"Listen, if you're done, would you like to go to the library and talk? I need to return my book." Melinda said, taking an old copy of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix out of her bag. I nodded, even though I hadn't even taken a bite of my salad. Julia and Penny were giving me the evil eye, which freaked me out. I threw away my untouched lunch before following Melinda down the hall. Since we still had forty five minutes of lunch yet, mostly everyone was eating, making the halls nearly empty, except for a few that couldn't find cafeteria seats. It was still raining, and I jumped as a clap of lightning illuminated the window briefly. The storm was still raging, but the hailing had stopped. Melinda and I settled down on two soft armchairs, talking about things like fashion, makeup, and Dancing With Stars. Finally, we both took out books, spending the rest of our lunch hour reading.

Thankfully, Jimmy and Melinda were in my gym class, and though there was also Penny, Julie wasn't in it. Unthankfully, we were playing dodgeball, my least favorite sport. This one was like a three legged race, where one of our legs was strapped to somebody else's. Since we got to chose partners, I went for Melinda. While Penny went for one of her friends Addison Carter. Since we couldn't dodge very well, seven people needed ice packs, and three went to the nurse's with bloody noses. It was down to five teams, Kristy Cullen and Dani Anderson, Jimmy Block and Chris Krueger, Karen Cass and Kyla Bloom, Penny Welsh and Addison Carter, and me and Melinda.

"Throw that ball, Chris!" Said someone in the crowd of people who were out, causing Chris, Jimmy's partner, to drop the ball. It rolled to Dani Anderson, Kristy's partner, who tried to catch it but missed, causing it to roll towards me. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the gym on me, and shockingly, I picked it up. Not letting the boo's from Penny and Addison distract me, I threw it straight at Kristy And it hit her. And her team was out.

"Great throw, A!" Melinda whispered in my ear. I nodded, not being able to what just happen sink it. Finally, I got my head back in the game. two more teams got out, until it was just Penny and Addison vs. Melinda and me. Then, Melinda got the ball. She missed Penny by an inch, and Addison got the ball. Hurling it toward my face, I ducked, and it rolled into the corner

We all lunged.

Penny got it.

She chucked it.

It hit me.

We were out.

They had won.

We all hit the showers, feeling free to take long ones since most of us had study hall next. I basked in the warm water until it turned icy, and then I went down to the library, where I found Penny and Julie reading People and Entertainment Weekly. I approached them, biting my lip and thinking about the words I had rehearsed in the shower. They stared at me, and finally, looking at my shoes, I blurted it out.

"I want you to make me popular."