Читать книгу Better English. Английский в историях для школьников онлайн

"Well, well, well," he sneered, "look who it is. The new kid from… where was it again? Hicksville?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Westwood," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Westwood?" Toby scoffed. "Never heard of it. Probably some podunk 24town in the middle of nowhere."

Toby leaned in, his breath hot on my face. "So, farmboy," he said, "how many chickens did you have to count to get into this school?"

I gritted my teeth25. "I'm not a farmer," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Oh really?" Toby smirked. "Well, you sure sound like one. Bet you're really good at chasin' pigs, huh?"

He tapped his forehead with a finger. "Don't worry, new kid. We'll teach you all about big city smarts. Just try not to get lost on your way to the library."

I glared at him for a second, then turned and walked away. But Toby's words stung 26like a swarm of bees. What if he was right? What if everyone here thought I was just a hick 27who didn't belong?

By the time I got to math class, my head was spinning with self-doubt. Miss Miller, a tall, thin woman with a no-nonsense 28attitude, started peppering the class with questions.

"What's the Pythagorean theorem?" she asked.

I knew the answer, but my hand stayed glued to my side. What if my accent gave me away? What if I said it wrong and everyone laughed?

"Anyone?"

Still, I remained silent.

"Alright, how about this one," she continued. "What do those letters a, b, and c, stand for?"

Again, I knew the answer. But the fear of being mocked 29for my "redneck" pronunciation paralyzed me.

Miss Miller sighed and moved on to another student. I stared at my desk, feeling like a complete failure. Maybe Toby was right. Maybe I didn't belong here after all.

During lunch break, I was digging through my locker when JB appeared beside me. His usual grin was replaced with a frown. "Dude, you look like you just ate a lemon. What's up?"

I sighed. "Toby happened." I hesitated, then blurted out, "He was giving me a hard time about being from Westwood."