What the hell was wrong with her? Why wasn’t she jumping up and down with joy?

I voiced my first question.

“You really are out of your mind. You’re so self-absorbed, you can’t even see what’s happening.” Lissa’s words slapped my face with an intensity and force I can’t describe.

Before I could respond, she spun around on one heel and marched off down the hallway as the bell sounded.

“Lissa? Liss? Lissa?!” I knew my voice sounded pathetic, but I couldn’t stop myself. I stumbled after her, crippled by the pain of her words.

She entered her classroom and slammed the door on my face.

Oh. My. God. What was that?

I sagged against the blue classroom door, letting my weight rest on it. My face pressed against the cold wood.

Suddenly, in a sweeping arc, the door swung open. I jumped, and the door hit my cheekbone, hard. “Ow! Oh, God, ow!”

“Miss Sylvester?” The teacher looked surprised and a little worried.

“Yes?” I asked grumpily.

Obviously dubbing me OK, her expression grew business-like. “Get to class.”