“Come on, Darcy, some people are just beneath us, and that’s all there is to it. And they belong in a special school with the other rejects. If I were you, I’d report what Tarah and Cooper did to you, how you almost died of fright when that bug was in your sweater, how they laughed at you. Maybe you should change it a little— tell them it was a black widow spider and luckily it didn’t bite you, but they wanted it to bite you and they hoped you’d die. Then they’d both get transferred to that reject school, and we’ll be rid of them. ”

“But, Brisana, it was just a water bug,” Darcy protested.

“So what? How will they know the difference? It’s your word against theirs,” Brisana argued.

Darcy saw it then, the silver Toyota that she had seen near the tidal pool. It was parked across the street from Bluford High. “Brisana, look over there! That car was at the tidal pool on Saturday. The guy seemed to be watching me then, and there he is again!”

Brisana turned her head. “The windows are so dirty I can’t make out who’s at the wheel. ”

“The car’s starting up, Brisana—try to get a look at the driver when it goes by,” Darcy said.

The silver Toyota moved past them at moderate speed. “Some fat old guy,” Brisana said. “He was wearing a baseball cap. ”

“Yeah, he was the other day too. I wonder what he’s lurking around for,” Darcy said, worried.

“Maybe he’s one of Tarah’s or Cooper’s crummy relatives,” Brisana suggested darkly. “They have hordes of uncles and cousins hanging around their messy houses. I’m telling you, Darcy, you’re making a big mistake getting mixed up with those low-life people. I wouldn’t be surprised if that fat guy in the car is an uncle of Cooper’s, and he wants to sell drugs at the school or something. ”

Darcy frowned. “Brisana, Cooper’s a jerk, but he doesn’t do drugs. Neither does Tarah. ”

“Maybe not now, but give them a couple of years,” Brisana said. “I’m telling you, girl, they’re headed for drugs and gangs. Darcy, wake up! We have to stick together. We’re the tens!”

Brisana went to her first class, and Darcy headed for biology. Hakeem Randall was entering class at the same time Darcy was. He seemed to smile right at her—his warm, dark eyes looked so friendly. But Darcy was not sure. Maybe she only imagined it. She would feel like such a fool to smile back when he was not even smiling at her, so she hurried past him to her desk.