Francie dreaded going to swim practice the next morning, but of course she went anyway, especially since she'd missed the afternoon before. She'd never been the subject of schoolyard gossip before, at least, not since she was eleven and had shot her bra at Louis Tornell. That had been terrible enough, even with Veronica and Tyler standing staunchly by her side. She thought she'd die of embarrassment. She remembered, though, her righteous fury at the horrible Louis when he'd said what he said about Brina and Lottie, and the thought of him doing what he'd done to her to them had made her blood boil.

This time was different. She was accused of hurting someone who didn't deserve it at all, of being mean to an innocent; moreover, she was accused of doing something she hadn't done. It was a very unpleasant feeling to know she was being whispered about. She decided she'd have to go to the office after practice to see the principal. Dr. Alvarez had always been kind, more a friend than a disciplinarian. Francie was going to ask for a letter of recommendation for college from her.

So, after practice, breakfast burrito from her mother in her backpack, Francie waited outside Dr. Alvarez' office until she had time to see her.

"Well, Francie, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Dr. Alvarez leaned over her desk to shake Francie's hand. "Everything okay?"

Francie shook her head and explained, very briefly, what had happened, making sure to keep things as short and unemotional as possible.

"Well, it sounds like I need to get Antonio in here and talk to him," Dr. Alvarez said, pushing a button on her phone. She asked her secretary to pull him from class and send him to her office immediately.

Francie started to get a stomach ache. She wondered if she could be considered a narc or a tattle tale for something like this.

"Good morning, Dr. Alvarez," Tony said as he breezed in. He saw Francie sitting in the chair and his smile died on his lips.

"I suppose you know what this is about?" Dr. Alvarez gestured toward the other chair.

Tony sat and nodded. "It must be the recording I put up of the conversation I had with Francie last week? Right?"

"You mean the doctored recording," Francie interjected.

Tony just looked at her.

"Mr Ribeiro? What do you have to say?" Dr. Alvarez asked.

Tony shrugged, again, saying nothing.

"Well, here's what I have to say," the principal said, tapping her pen on her desk. "Here at Sycamore Day, we respect ourselves and each other, and part of that respect means observing each other's boundaries. Regardless of what was done to the recording, the fact is that Francie didn't give you permission to release it, so you will remove it from the internet immediately, is that clear?"

Antonio gave Dr. Alvarez a cool look. "And if I refuse?"

"You will leave my school immediately." Dr. Alvarez gave him an equally cool look in return.

"Is this a joke?" Antonio sat up in his chair. "My father is special attaché to the ambassador! I've never heard of such a thing!" He gestured toward Francie. "How do you know she isn't lying, anyway?"

"I've known her family for fifteen years, and I've known her for ten, that's how," Dr. Alvarez said. "So, the recording comes down today, is that understood?"

Antonio regarded her for a moment longer, then nodded. "But what about all of the copies that must surely be out there by now?"

Next to him, Francie nodded.

"You'll do your best to make sure they come down also," the principal said. "You'll say it was intended as a joke and that it isn't real." She stared at the young man sitting in front of her. "Did you doctor the audio?"

Again, Antonio stared, then shrugged. "What do you want me to say? It was a joke. Just something silly I did for fun, just to mess with Francie because I thought she'd think it was funny." He turned to Francie. "I'm sorry if it screwed things up for you."

Dr. Alvarez shook her head. "I'm really disappointed in you, Antonio. You came highly recommended to us from your school in Sao Paolo."

"Yes, well, something like this would never have happened there," Tony retorted. "A student wouldn't have run to the principal over something so trivial, such a tiny little joke." He looked at Francie and and pursed his lips. "This was really ridiculous."

"We take things like this very seriously at Sycamore Day, Francie dealt with the situation correctly," Dr. Alvarez interceded. "I expect that this matter is closed now, I don't want to hear anything more about it, am I making myself clear?" She looked back and forth between the two students, though her gaze lingered on the tall, good-looking boy.

They both nodded, though Antonio averted his gaze.

"Please pick up passes to get back into class out front before you leave, then, and have a pleasant day," she finished, making some notations on her laptop about the meeting. "And Francie, I'll see you before the end of the year to talk about your letter of rec, right?"

"Yes, Dr. Alvarez, thank you."

"That was truly laughable," Antonio said derisively as they walked down the hall together. "I can't believe you ran to the principal over it, Francie."

"Why not? It was the fastest way to get what I wanted, so I did it," Francie defended herself. "Please make sure you take the recording down right away, like before you go back to class."

"It won't matter when I do it, everyone's heard it and made a copy by now," Antonio said, laughing.

Francie stopped walking. "You have to tell everyone you doctored it, you changed what I said," she told him.

Antonio stopped as well, turning to face her. "Why would I do that?"

"You really messed things up between Chester and me."

Antonio took a step closer to her in the deserted corridor. "Yes, I wanted to ask you about that, face to face. You really chose that boy, who can't walk, who's never going to be a real man, over me?" For the first time he sounded sincere, and honestly curious. "How? Why? I'm superior in every way."

Francie stared at him, perplexed. "What are you talking about? Chester's amazing. He's smart, Tony! And he makes me laugh. And have you heard him play the cello?"

"You prefer him for these reasons? Really?" Antonio took another step closer to her. "You're attracted to him? For these reasons?"

Francie nodded.

"But you're beautiful, Francie, you could have anyone," Antonio said in confusion. "And I'm basically the male equivalent of you, anyone can see that."

"Well, if I could have anyone," Francie repeated, "why can't I have Chester?"

The bell rang, startling both of them. Doors opened and kids streamed out, filling the corridor around them, effectively ending their conversation.

Francie could tell that people were still talking about her, and she wondered what Tony was saying. She saw that the original source material of the recording was gone, and was marginally grateful for that, though she knew that plenty of people had downloaded it or copied it or whatever the correct terminology was.

She walked to English with trepidation, wondering what her welcome from Chester would be. He came in right before the bell and sat down without saying a word to her, as did Antonio, who went to his place behind them in the rear of the class.

Francie sat through class in quiet agony, trying to make eye contact with Chester, who studiously avoided looking at her, even when they had to move their desks together to share a copy of the same book. He smelled distractingly good, and she could see his eyelashes moving as his eyes flicked up and down the page. Even his hands looked good to her, and his handwriting, his script elegant and flowing as it moved across the page.

Francie forgot to write as she watched the different components of the boy she was falling for, the way his long fingers grasped his pencil, the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed, his slight nod when he agreed with something the teacher said.

The bell signaling the end of class brought Francie back to herself, and she quickly moved her desk back and packed up.

Chester had left by the time she was ready to go, and she ran out into the corridor, looking for him. He was up ahead, with Jill, and she hurried to catch up.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked breathlessly.

"I don't think he wants to talk to you," Jill answered, putting a protective arm around him as he moved down the crowded corridor.

"Please, Chester." Francie didn't want to sound like she was begging, especially in front of Jill, but she had to talk to him.

"It's okay, Jill," Chester said, nodding to her.

"Fine, but I'm staying," Jill said, looking Francie up and down.

"No, Jill, I'll be fine on my own," Chester said firmly.

They were in the courtyard by now, and Jill looked like she was going to protest, but Chester just looked at her, and she finally backed down, going to their regular table and sitting by herself.

Chester motioned to a bench behind a tree where they might have a little privacy from prying eyes, and Francie nodded. She knew that everyone at lunch would be watching, and possibly recording them.

They sat, Chester put his crutches aside, and turned to her.

"So? What do you want?"

"Tony took the recording down," Francie began.

Chester nodded. "I know. Dr. Alvarez made him."

"He also told her that he only put it up as a joke," Francie added. "He told her he'd messed with it and changed it to say what he wanted it to say."

Chester took a deep breath. "I haven't heard anything like that, but okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Anything else?"

Francie stared at him, blinking. "What do you mean? What else is there? I'm telling you I never said those things, isn't that all there is?"

Chester licked his lips. "Look. It doesn't really matter anymore. It's out there, everyone's heard it, you know?"

"But it's not true." Francie's voice was soft.

"Francie."

"Yes?"

"I do have a little pride, believe it or not. Pretty much the whole school believes that I'm your charity case, that you took me on as a spring fixer upper project or something."

"But I didn't! You know it and I know it! Who cares what anyone else thinks?"

Chester just stared at her.

"Oh."Francie's voice was barely audible at this point.

She thought for a moment, then put her hand on his arm. "You know, though, Chester, probably pretty much the whole school thought that before, did you ever think of that?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.

Chester looked at her in shocked surprise and yanked his arm out from under her hand. "Francie! How could you say something like that!"

"Oh, come on, Chester! Look at you, and look at me! How could they think anything else?" Francie rose and did a slow twirl. Today she was wearing a white blouse with a lace collar, and a plaid skirt with a matching tie and knee socks, a combination of demure and sexy schoolgirl. She finished the twirl by popping her hip, putting her fist on it and flipping her hair. "I mean, I'm Francie the Fucking Body, am I right? And you're Chester the Crip? How could anyone not feel anything but abject pity for you, you idiot?"

Chester just stared at her, and Francie was afraid she'd gone too far. She watched him, her heart in her mouth. Then she saw his mouth twitching as he tried to keep a straight face. He bit his lips together in a vain attempt to stave off laughter, then finally gave up, letting out a loud guffaw and pulling her onto his lap. He buried his face in her neck and laughed comfortably, sliding his hand between her knees as Francie, too, laughed.

"You're so right," he said when he could talk. "We're the ultimate odd couple, any idiot can see that. It doesn't take a faked up audio tape, does it?"

Francie shook her head. "It sure as shit doesn't," she agreed.