though they were different in a lot of ways Genna read everything and always had a book in her hands Gabi didn’t mind reading but what she always had in her hand was a notebook and pencil She loved sketching the world around her Genna was athletic and Gabi was clumsy And while Genna was tall Gabi was definitely not Today Gabi had arrived late and couldn’t find Genna in the chaos So Gabi was stuck sitting next to a group of seventh-grade girls she didn’t know few friends from too unsure of herself The Outsiders was a funny book to be reading now considering how Gabi felt about school life Gabi thought maybe it was meant to be After all this year she was the ultimate outsider in so many ways too too uninterested in the social drama around her the list went on and on And sometimes kids teased her for her nut allergy that left her breathless in the lunchroom or covered in a red rash out of nowhere Nobody wants attention for turning red and wheezing just someone’s peanut butter sandwich Not a lot of fun Other kids with allergies didn’t seem to get teased but there was something about Gabi that just seemed teasable The reasons never really made sense Thankfully during times like this a pencil and a blank piece of paper were usually all Gabi needed to escape from the daily frustrations Art got Gabi smelling
through most things even tiresome assemblies like this one Art was like frosting on a cupcake that transformed the ordinary into something beautiful Not that Gabi was allowed to eat cupcakes In addition to possibly being contaminated with nuts most baked goods were off limits because her mom insisted she eat gluten free as much as possible It’s for our health Gabi was her mom’s constant refrain But still a girl could dream Like when her stepdad Leo gave her Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a few weeks earlier Gabi filled half a sketchbook with Willy Wonka-inspired art including Everlasting Gobstoppers and melting chocolate palaces from the story Gabi also sketched regular life around her including kids in the hallway or on the playing fields or even in assembly like right now She was way better with pictures than with words especially spoken words Pictures helped Gabi make sense out of some of the nonsense surrounding her the principal tapped on Up on stage the microphone and kids around Gabi settled into their seats and stashed away their phones Well some of them did The girl right next to Gabi kept checking her photo app and taking selfies Gabi rolled her eyes Your attention students Principal Keystone said
Eyes up here please Gabi for a readied herself long boring presentation She slipped her sketchbook out of her bag and placed it flat on her lap She tried to ignore the whispering giggling girls around her and finish up a sketch of the stage This was a challenging perspective looking through the space between two kids heads in front of her She sketched quickly tuning out the giggling selfie girl in the seat next to hers But then the girl elbowed Gabi hard in the ribs causing her pencil to lurch and tear her paper Hey Gabi gasped Too loudly she realized too late What’s your problem the girl snapped I was drawing Gabi said through her clenched teeth Sheesh Sorry Don’t freak out Gabi looked down at her ruined drawing and sighed She was tongue-tied as usual Ms Munn a teacher’s aide standing at the end of the row shot a glare at Gabi The gigglers giggled some more Ms Munn crooked her finger and beckoned Gabi You in the purple sweater come with me Gabi was dumbfounded She hadn’t done anything She glanced down to the end of the row
bristling at the giggling girls Ms Munn put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at Gabi With a sigh Gabi climbed over the row of girls with their book bags and wiggly knees and sneakers trying hard not to trip and fall on her face Nobody seemed to make any effort to get out of her way The heavy satchel Gabi had slung over one shoulder combined with one girl’s foot that stuck out at just the wrong time made Gabi lose her balance She went flying sprawling across people’s laps She bit her lip so as not to cry and got herself to the aisle where the aide was waiting You’re making a scene young lady Ms Munn said It wasn’t me Gabi started to speak but Ms Munn shushed her Gabi clenched her jaw even tighter Up on stage music was playing slides were flashing and Principal Keystone kept talking Selfie Girl and her friends were looking innocently up at the stage as if Principal Keystone was the most fascinating speaker ever Gabi shook her head at their good-girl act We cannot tolerate outbursts in assembly Sit over here Ms Munn whispered in Gabi’s face with toxic coffee breath She directed Gabi to a row on the opposite side of the aisle next to a boy Gabi had never seen before like that
