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
Darren watched as Zormna joined the other cheerleaders.
Several other people stood near Darren at the fence to watch the cheerleaders practice. And a few passed by to go in the gate. Gazing towards the stadium, Darren noticed that Jeff was already sitting on the bleachers, propping a math book in his lap and a notebook in his hands. He appeared to be doing his homework, scratching out whatever with his pencil. But Jeff glanced up often enough that it was also obvious to people other than Darren that he was watching Zormna.
âHe really has a crush on her, doesnât he?â said Adam Arbor who was leaning near the gate within the crowd, watching the cheerleaders also. The fair haired new boy had an open manner and an almost yearning look on his face as he watched the girls on the field. He and Sam had both stopped to watch their red-and-black-decked cheerleaders.
Currently in their simple Pennington Pirate cheer uniforms, the girls wore their black leotards with a skull and crossbones on the front with red skirts over them. Their fancier uniforms were all piratey with steampunk level ruffs and laces, jackets and corsets and tall boots. But they were awkward to practice in. Their school mascotâleggy, curly-haired Amanda Stephensâwas a pirate wearing a huge hat with a plumed feather and carrying a fancy saber, which she twirled during football games in place of the majoretteâs baton. To be honest, they always drew a crowd after schoolâthough this yearâs team seemed especially âhotâ.
As the practice commenced, Brian Henderson and his buddies pushed through the watching crowd at the gates, Brianâs younger freshmen brothers skipping off with a tandem eye-roll at Darren. Darren gave all of them a wide berth, especially as Mark Wheley sneered at him and Jonathan Baker rolled his eyes with a snort upon seeing him. Going through the crowd, they headed toward the stadium steps to where Jeff was sitting, but did not go far in.
âJeff!â Jonathan called to him, waving him over.
Jeff smiled then stood, packing up his books and cramming them into his backpack. As he stepped off the bleachers and down into the track, coming toward them, his buddies turned their eyes to the cheerleaders. Mark whistled and waved at the girls.
Several of the cheerleaders turned their heads. Zormnaâs turned also but then rolled her eyes when she saw him. Joy giggled and blushed, waving back.
âJeez, Mark, youâre whistling at my sister,â Brian said with disgust.
Shrugging, Mark just smiled. âSheâs cute too.â
Brian clocked him on his head with half a smirk.
âShe is cute,â Adam said while leaning on the fence.
Brian looked back at him. Recognizing him from class, and Sam, he huffed. âYouâre in my English class, arenât you? The new kid.â
Adam nodded sheepishly.
Turning to face him, Brian stuck out his hand. âBrian Henderson.â He then pointed to the others, he said, âThatâs Mark Wheley and heâs Jonathan Baker.â Then pointing farther to the approaching Jeff, he finished, âAnd you should know Jeff Streigle. Heâs in class with us.â
Adam and Sam nodded together as Jeff joined the group.
âThe state champ wrestler?â Adam almost murmured it, his eyes trailing to Jeffâs face the most, his eyes tracing the scar across Jeffâs nose and cheek. But his eyes also took in Jeffâs unusually pale skin.
Brian nodded with a shrug.
âWhatâs up?â Jeff asked, approaching the group. His fathomless eyes took in all the new faces, and Darrenâs of course. He had shot Darren a warning glance as he was approaching.
Darren wisely stepped back.
âNew guys,â Brian said, thumbing toward Sam and Adam.
Jeff nodded at the two, looking them both in the eye briefly. âHi.â
Brian smiled, then said to the new pair, âSo, are you joining any sports or are you here just to look at the cheerleaders?â
Adam and Sam blushed, ducking their heads and shifting their feet.
âJust looking,â Sam muttered sheepishly.
Jeff smirked, and so did the others in the group. âLook all you want. Just donât check out Brianâs sister. Heâs a little sensitive about that.â
Gaping, Brian reacted immediately. âSensitive? Jeff, you littleâŠ. Thatâs my kid sister. A brother can be protective, you know.â
âAw, you softie,â Mark said, rubbing Brian on the head while snickering.
Stepping next to Sam while the other two started pounding on each other in fun, Jeff said, âYouâre in my English class too, arenât you?â
Sam nodded, grinning calmly. He was attempting to meet Jeffâs intimidating stare, as it really was like gazing into the fathomless depths of space. Most felt like they could see stars and galaxies in Jeffâs dark blue eyes.
âYou guys also go to History with Zormna, donât you?â Jeff asked more inquisitively. He stood casually, leaning back to get a good look at them.
Adam glanced at Sam. And he likewise shared a knowing look as if this question confirmed their suspicions. They knew Jeff had been watching them. They had seen it at lunch when they had come up to Zormna in an attempt to get her to eat with them. But when she had gone to Brianâs group, they had noticed Jeffâs watchful stare relax.
âUm, yeah. She and her friend, whatâs-her-nameâŠJennifer, sit next to me in History,â Sam said.
Jeff nodded. Then, thinking to himself, he continued to nod. His pals were already leaving the stadium together, so he turned to go with them. However, just as he was about to walk out of the stadium, he leaned back and whispered, âBe careful of Zormna. Sheâs a little dangerous.â
âDangerous?â Sam stared at him.
Nodding, Jeff said, âAsk around about her. Anyone will tell you the details.â
He then continued on. He joined his pals. Brian and Mark had ceased teasing each other and followed Jonathan and Jeff out to the parking lot where Jonathan was going to show off his relatively new car. Adam and Sam watched them go. After admiring the secondhand piece of machinery, Brianâs gang all climbed in the small sports car and let out whoops of excitement as it roared off.
Darren sighed.
Both Sam and Adam looked back at him.
âWhat?â Sam asked.
Startled, Darren hadnât realized that he had been heard. âSorry?â
Adam eyed him then glanced back at the speeding car with the group boys. âNot one of their pals, I gather.â
Darren shrugged and leaned against the fence. âFew arenât. Iâm just one of the elite uninvited.â
Sam laughed though he tried to swallow it, coughing instead.
âBut youâre friends with Zormna, and sheâs with them, right?â Adam said, glancing over at the cheerleaders.
Nodding, Darren said, âItâs hard not to know her, though. She owns a house right next to mine.â
Adamâs eyes widened with strange excitement. âShe owns a house?â
âDonât you mean she lives next to you?â Sam asked skeptically.
Shaking his head, Darren said, âNo. She lives with Jennifer McLenna. I really mean she owns the house next to mine. It used to be her great auntâs house, but when she died she left it to Zormna.â
Both boys stared with wider eyes. It was obvious they were interested in Zormna, like most of the boys at school were. They watched her like hungry children. But being new, they were clearly ignorant of her reputation.
Sam leaned in to whisper. âBut why is she living with Jennifer McLenna? Where are her parents?â
Darren shrugged. âTheyâre dead. Zormnaâs an orphan. She came to live with her great aunt, but her great aunt was dead when she got here.â
They stared more. Those around them listened in, knowing the story, but were finding it interesting hearing it from âDarren-the-weirdoâsâ point of view.
âWait.â Sam kept shaking his head, clearly unable to wrap his mind around it. âIf she owns a house then why isnât she living in it? Man, I would if I had one.â
âShe owns a house?â Adam said again, still amazed and staring into space as if one of his dreams were materializing in front of his eyes.
Darren shrugged. âZormnaâs only fourteen. She canât legally live in a house by herself. Believe me, if she could she would. Sheâs been trying to become an emancipated minor ever since she moved here.â
âSheâs fourteen?â Sam gasped. His eyes turned across the lawn toward the well-developed yet petite blonde whom he had clearly assumed was much older. âBut isnât she a junior?â
âShe owns a house?â Adam grinned dazedly, his eyes twinkling.
âYeah, she owns a house,â Darren said in irritation to Adam. Then to Sam he said, âAnd yeah, she is fourteen. I think her birthday is this October, but Iâm not sure.â
Darren glanced back at the cheerleaders. He could see that Michelle Clay was busy tearing into the girls for how their routine looked after that summer. Darren could even see from that distance the annoyed expression on Zormnaâs face. He figured she was probably thinking a number of angry Martian thoughts, with wishes that she could be Home to use her military training just once on Michelle. The soldier in her came out when she got irritated.
âWhat is she, some kind of wiz kid?â Sam asked, following Darrenâs gaze across the field. He looked overblown.
With an absentminded nod, watching the cheerleaders break formation and start their routine, he murmured, âSheâs near genius.â
âShe owns a house?â Adam said one more time.
Sam gripped him by the shoulders and shook them. âYes! She owns a house, Adam!â Then turning to Darren, he asked, âHow smart?â
Shrugging again, Darren said, âI dunno exactly. She claims to be finished with school back where sheâs from.â
âAnd whereâs that?â Adam asked suddenly, now curious. âI mean, sheâs got this cool Australian accent. Sheâs from Down Under, right? Like Teresa Palmer and Yvonne Strahovski?â
Sam listened eagerly, waiting for Darrenâs answer.
Darren swallowed. It wasnât the same as last year. Last year he would have told them in an instant what she was. This year he knew he had to be more cautious. It was no longer a game to himâand Jeff would definitely kill him if he brought it up again. The FBI were watching and listening after all. And he had promised Zormna.
âSheâs from Ireland,â he said, shrugging. âThatâs what she says anyway.â
The crowd nearby sighed with relief. No more Mars nonsense.
âAbandoned your old cry, dork-o?â A voice echoed from across the parking lot.
The three boys looked up. They saw the football team approaching the gate in full padding and red, black and white regalia. The three parted to let the hulking boys through. But the captain of the team and quarterback, Bradley Hershott, stopped in front of them with a sneer especially for Darren.
âYouâre not going to tell them that Z-babe is a Martian? Have you stopped believing in little green men?â Bradleyâs mockery goaded him. The rest of the team laughed in their usual thick-headed chorus as they passed through the gate.
Darren closed his mouth and clenched his fists. There was nothing he could do against the gargantuan football player. True, he was no longer the short pimply weirdo of the last yearâDarren had hit his growth spurt that summer and his skin had cleared upâbut he was still a weakling in comparison to that behemoth.
âHe just better not call her Z-babe to her face,â Darren muttered once the players passed entirely through.
Others at the fence skirted away from him though. Sam and Adam also stared at Darren for a moment. They could see now why people edged away from Darren. Already people were turning away from Darren to ostracize him as they always had. But the new boys also watched the football team catcall at the cheerleaders as they passed by. And though a lot of the girls flirted back, Zormna grew annoyed at the attention.
âCan we get on with this?â Her voice echoed in the stadium, calling to the rest of the cheerleaders with Irish irritation.
The other girlsâ voices echoed back, teasing her about some boyfriend she already hadâwhich made her even more furious.
âJeff is not my boyfriend! For the last time!â Zormnaâs voice echoed.
Their teasing laughs resonated across the field, bouncing through the stadium to the boysâ ears.
Sam
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