'I mean, when you set your tongue on slice and dice, it's like you've got a Ginsu knife between your teeth.' 'It's because you're too good at it,' Arturo had told her once. Unfortunately, whenever she tried to explain that she did this because she was shy, people laughed.

It was just that the minute people started teasing her about personal matters, she felt such an acute panic that she would say anything-anything-to get them to leave her alone. Juliet hated the nickname, especially because the ferocious comments that earned it for her had never been spoken out of anger. Or the entire state, by her father's calculation. But Juliet had been desperate to turn the attention away from herself, and the blistering comments had escaped her lips before she even had a chance to think about them.Įxplosions like this were what had earned her the ridiculous nickname Killer to begin with-ridiculous because, in truth, Juliet was the most painfully shy person in the entire Venus Harbor Middle School.

Bambi had only been wearing braces since Monday and she was still sensitive about them. Juliet knew she'd made a mistake the moment the words left her mouth. I hear boys don't like the taste of stainless steel!' 'Look who's talking, you pea-brained, metal-mouthed boy chaser! Did you ever see anything in pants that you didn't want? You'll probably have to wait to get the tin off your teeth, though. Clasping her hands she placed them against her cheek and fluttered her eyelids. 'Artureo and Juliet, the love story of the century!' cried Bambi. Arturo Perez was Juliet's across-the-backyard neighbor, and they had been walking to school together since first grade. That Bambi and Samantha had seen Juliet and Arturo walking together was no surprise. 'Yeah, we've seen you walking with Arturo!' repeated Samantha Foster, who was sort of Bambi's official leech. 'Oh, we've seen you walking with Arturo,' said Bambi knowingly. 'I don't have a boyfriend,' she said softly. Why couldn't Bambi Quilp just leave her alone? Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone? Juliet Dove felt her cheeks begin to burn.

Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker