Hush Hush

CHAPTER 1

COLDWATER, MAINE PRESENT DAY

I WALKED INTO BIOLOGY AND MY JAW FELL OPEN. Mysteriously adhered to the chalkboard

was a Barbie doll, with Ken at her side. They’d been forced to link arms and were naked except for

artificial leaves placed in a few choice locations. Scribbled above their heads in thick pink chalk was

the invitation:

WELCOME TO HUMAN REPRODUCTION (SEX)

At my side Vee Sky said, “This is exactly why the school outlaws camera phones. Pictures of this in the

eZine would be all the evidence I’d need to get the board of education to ax biology. And then we’d

have this hour to do something productive—like receive oneonone

tutoring from cute upperclass

guys.”

“Why, Vee,” I said, “I could’ve sworn you’ve been looking forward to this unit all semester.”

Vee lowered her lashes and smiled wickedly. “This class isn’t going to teach me anything I don’t

already know.”

“Vee? As in virgin?”

“Not so loud.” She winked just as the bell rang, sending us both to our seats, which were side by side at

our shared table.

Coach McConaughy grabbed the whistle swinging from a chain around his neck and blew it. “Seats,

team!” Coach considered teaching tenthgrade

biology a side assignment to his job as varsity basketball

coach, and we all knew it.

“It may not have occurred to you kids that sex is more than a fifteenminute

trip to the backseat of a car.

It’s science. And what is science?”

“Boring,” some kid in the back of the room called out.

“The only class I’m failing,” said another.

Coach’s eyes tracked down the front row, stopping at me. “Nora?”

“The

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