The Mars Project by Julie Steimle (english readers TXT) đ
- Author: Julie Steimle
Book online «The Mars Project by Julie Steimle (english readers TXT) đ». Author Julie Steimle
âEw,â Zormna said, backing up. With one eye on the book, she shoved Jeffâs face back across the aisle with her hand. âSaints do not move, though grant for prayerâs sake.â
The rest of the class watched, erupting in little laughs at the play before them.
Jeff leaned over, though not as close this time, and lifted his eyebrows as if he was flirting. âThen move not, while my partnerâs effect I take. Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purgâd.â
He stopped.
The teacher sat back, amused also at what he saw, considering carefully. âThen you kiss her.â
Jeff laughed, thumbing toward his reading partner. âIâm not kissing her.â
The class busted into thunderous laughter, including Zormna who sat back with relief.
Pointing to Zormna, their teacher sighed. âContinue.â
She glanced at Jeff as she commenced. âThen have my lips the sin that they have took.â
Jeff shook his head and wiggled a finger as if he was still playing. âSin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urgâd! give me my sin again.â
Zormna tried to stop a laugh and hardly caught on to the next line. This time she blushed. âYou kiss by the book.â
Jeff looked up at her, his teasing smile falling.
The girl who had the Nurse started to read her part, but the meaning of the words slowly vanished as he watched Zormna stare into her book to hide her red face.
âWhat is her mother?â escaped his lips as practice, and he waited to read his next line. But Zormnaâs bowed head and blushed cheeks remained in his eye. He felt his heart thump harder in his chest.
âIs she a Capulet?â he found himself reading. These lines woke him from his stupor and he continued. âO dear account! My life is my foeâs debt.â
A boy in the far corner read Benvolio. âAway, be gone; the sport is at the best.â
Jeff nodded, nearly agreeing. âAy, so I fear; the more is my unrest.â
The boy that had been reading Capuletâs part had to be nudged by his neighbor.
âOh, um⊠Nay, gentlemen, prepare not to be goneâŠâ
Zormna wondered why she had blushed. She wasnât the type to get wrapped up in such flighty romantic thoughts. Joy and Jennifer and all the girl friends she had made at Pennington tended to think like that. But up until now, she had thought all boys were nuisances. True, she did once have a crush on her former commanding officer who had been ten years older than she was, but Alea Arden had been exceptional. And he was a man, not a boy. Boys were ridiculous. MenâŠwell, that was different. BesidesâŠromance? It had all seemed so silly. So why did that verse make her blush?
âZormna? Are you following?â Mr. Humphries, prompted her again.
She looked up and then popped her eyes back to her page, avoiding any look towards Jeff.
âCome hither, nurse. What is yond gentleman?â She slipped a glance at Jeff and saw that he was also peeking at her.
He quickly looked back to his book.
âThe son and heir of old Tiberio,â the girl who read the nurseâs part said.
âWhatâs he that now is going out of door?â Zormna continued, this time not letting herself get distracted.
âMarry, that, I think he be young Petruchio,â the other girl read.
Zormna followed, âWhatâs he, that follows there that would not dance?â
âI know not,â the girl promptly replied.
âGo ask his name. âif he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding-bed.â Zormna swallowed at the thought.
The other girl followed along. âHis name is Romeo, and a Montague; the only son of your great enemy.â
Zormna looked up and swallowed again. âMy only love sprung from my only hate!â She paused and frowned. âToo early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy.â
She sighed and pushed the book back. Zormna glanced at Jeff. He was looking at her again. Only this time he did not look away. She nodded and let out a sigh.
âWhatâs this, whatâs this?â the other girl continued with the same vigor.
Zormna sighed again and nodded sadly as she spoke. âA rime I learnâd even now of one I dancâd withal.â
âAnon, anon! âCome, letâs away; the strangers are all gone.â The girl finished the lines with a satisfied grin.
The teacher gazed down at them with a similar grin.
âThat was really moving,â Mr. Humphries said, gazing at Zormna and Jeff with an appreciative nod. âIt seems I have picked my leads well after all.â
*
Zormna sighed as she scooped her book off of the desk to shove back into her bag. Their English teacher had made them write another paper, this time about their first love. It took her a lot longer to write this one. She could hardly make up anything that she felt satisfied with. Jeff, however, probably rattled off a fine tale about a girlfriend he had at his last school, wholly made up from what Zormna had guessed. He was just finishing it up when the bell rang.
They all gathered their things and exited the room.
When Zormna, Sam, and Adam arrived to the History classroom they saw their teacher folding out an ancient paper bulletin board and clipping it to the top part of the chalkboard. It ran longer than the board and curled on the ends, but even they could see under the bent paper that it announced last yearâs cultural fair.
Slipping into her seat, Zormna leaned forward and whispered to Jennifer McLenna and Jessica. âWhat is she doing?â
Jennifer shrugged. Jessica scratched her head, looking bewildered. They still were not looking at each other though.
âSheâs starting early on the fair is my guess,â Stacey said, now sitting in a seat close by.
Michelle had also moved but she still wasnât talking to Zormna. At cheer practice the other day she spoke to Joy, ignoring Zormna altogether.
âDo you have a partner yet?â Tammy asked, leaning near. She had also followed them from English.
Jessica silently shot her a look, then stared at Zormna, wondering how the âIrish blondeâ became so popular.
Zormna looked around and found that Tammy Davis had taken Samâs seat. âI was probably going to do it with Sam over there,â she said, looking over Tammyâs head at the guy who looked a little exasperated at the girl.
Tammy lifted her head in the air as if to ignore that Sam had been there all that week. âIâm going to do France with Maria Forte and Stephanie Poulsek. Weâre making an Eiffel tower shaped tent to go over our table, and weâre serving real French food.â
Jessica rolled her eyes.
Michelle Clay snickered, ignoring Jessica entirely. âWhat? Are you going to hire a caterer?â
Tammyâs eyes narrowed into angry snake-like slits. But then she abandoned her angry act with a toss of her hair, sticking her nose back into the air. âNo. Mariaâs father is a real chef, and her mom runs their cafĂ© downtown in Monroe. Iâm sure youâve heard of it, Petite Blanc?â
âWhat does that mean?â Zormna asked. She peeked to Jessica who shrugged. Jennifer slumped against her desk feeling unusually crowded.
Michelle laughed again, sneering. âLittle white. It means nothing.â
âWell what are you going to do?â Tammy lashed out more cattishly. âCook hot dogs?â
The head cheerleader rose as if she would claw Tammyâs eyes out.
âThe only culture youâve got is growing in your undershorts, miss cheerleader,â Tammy spat.
Jessica ducked, snorting while pulling Zormna out of the way. They stood back with Jennifer who was now staring at the ceiling. Jennifer and Jessica exchanged a look. Michelle would have pounced on Tammy, but just then their teacher turned around.
âAh, Michelle. Do you mind getting that green magnet for me? I canât get off this stool without having this fall,â Miss Bianchi called to her.
Michelleâs angry glare evaporated as she replied, âMy pleasure, Miss Bianchi,â and marched forward as if that had been her intent all along.
Sliding back into her seat, Zormna sighed and shook her head.
âBrownnoser,â Jessica muttered at her right.
Jennifer covered her mouth and âcoughedâ.
But Tammy joined in with a sneered.
Yet Michelle delivered a quick dirty look their way, especially for Tammy. Cheerfully helpful, Michelle dutifully handed up what was needed. And Miss Bianchi thanked her when it was finally hung.
Michelle smugly took her seat.
Their teacher started up her lesson, explaining the poster. It was exactly as they had guessed.
âThe cultural fair is in two weeks. Each of you need to get a partner and sign up for a country. I have handpicked a few students to host specific booths, and I have already spoken to them. The rest of you may choose to help them if theyâd like, otherwise you can also help with the rest of the fair by signing up for ticketing or helping with getting the entertainment.â
Nearly all of them murmured at this news. But there were a few that seemed a more down at the announcement. Jennifer McLenna was one of them.
Their teacher nodded as she continued, âNow, onto business number two. Colonization. Why did people go to the New World?â
*
âWhat do you mean she volunteered you?â Zormna asked Jennifer as they walked from the class.
Hanging her head with an agonizing sigh, Jennifer replied, âShe said that she wanted an authentic Irish girl to run the Irish booth. Apparently sheâs convinced that Iâm it.â
Sam laughed. Trailing along, he asked, âWell, whatâs the problem?â
Jennifer frowned. âI donât really know anything about Ireland. My parents have always been so paranoid about stuff like that. They left the âOld Country behind for goodâ, is what they say whenever I bring it up.â
Zormna lifted her eyebrows and nodded. âThatâs them.â
âWhy didnât she just ask Zormna?â Jessica asked, heading in that direction. âI mean, come on. Sheâs the real deal.â
Zormna could feel her face flush.
âYouâre really Irish?â Sam asked, looking at her. âI heard rumors, butâŠI was wondering about your accent.â
Ignoring it, Zormna replied, âApparently she didnât think I was a proper Irishman.â
âIrishwoman,â Jessica clarified.
Zormna rolled her eyes. âWhatever.â
Jennifer shook her head with a scowl at Jessica for butting in. âNo. She just knows Todd. He did it last year, and she was mad at him for what he did. âCause, you know, Mom and Dad didnât help him at all. So he just dug stuff off the Internet and printed it out on a poster, and he played a few Irish tapes he found in the New Age section of Gadsonâs Music Store. And he got a few Gaelic words put on a poster. She was furious. So now she is taking it out on me.â
Looking at Zormnaâs drawn expression as if she had been weighed down with concrete shoes, Jennifer moaned.
Jessica shook her head as she parted from them to go to class. âWell then, Jenny-poo, youâre just gonna have to suck it up and beg Zormna to help you.â
âYou donât want to do it with us?â Zormna asked, following her a bit.
With a peek at Jenniferâs protesting expression, Jessica shook her head. âNah. I think Iâll help with the other stuff. I hear that cutie Adam is signing up.â
She winked as she hurried off.
The other three continued on to Samâs locker where he traded books.
âShe told me that if I repeat Toddâs performance, sheâll fail me,â Jennifer muttered once her ex-best friend was gone, setting a hand to her head with a moan. âWhat am I going to do?â
âWhy donât Zormna and I help you on the project? Sheâs Irish, and Iâve been to Ireland,â Sam offered as he stuffed a book into his bag, smiling.
Both Zormna and Jennifer looked up at Sam in surprise.
âYouâve been to Ireland?â Jennifer gasped.
Sam nodded proudly.
Zormna cringed with a peek at Jennifer. âThatâs great, Sam, for you. But I spent my entire life at military school. I couldnât tell you anything about the rest of Ireland that doesnât come out of a textbook.â
His eyebrows lifted up as he held back a laugh.
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