Chapter Six
I drag myself out of bed when the alarm goes off, a feeling of impending doom in my heart. Okay, so maybe I’m being a bit melodramatic, but today is make or break day. I’ll find out whether my performance at Friday’s meeting has earned me the privilege of being friendless.
Mind you, even if Lori and gang don’t want to know me there’s bound to be someone to hang with—not that that’s going to help my cause. Although, even the not so popular kids will be more acceptable to Mom and Dad than most of the ones at my old school. Of course, there’s always a chance that Lori will tell the other guys not to be friends with me. That’s the thing when you’re popular, everyone does as you say. Well, they do at St Peter’s.
At my last school the popular girls weren’t so influential, though they could be right bitches and some of us (aka the have-plenty-of-friends-but-aren’t-totally-up-ourselves-and-plastic group) took great delight in doing things to wind them up.
It’s weird that here the coolest people support virginity, study hard and are sporty. And get invited to all the parties. The complete opposite to the cool guys’ behavior at Carlton High. Whatever. I’ve got to face Lori and the rest of them. And the sooner the better.
“No breakfast for me, Mom,” I yell as I run down the stairs. “Or I’ll miss the bus.”
“Suzy, wait,” Mom says coming out of the kitchen. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You haven’t been yourself this weekend. Is it Rosie? It gets to all of us sometimes out of the blue when we least expect it.” Now I feel awful. They think I’ve been upset about Rosie when really my main concern has been me and my social standing.
“I’m fine Mom. Just got a lot of work on at school.” She frowns. Isn’t she pleased I’m working so hard?
“There’s more to life than study, you know.”
Excuse me? Now who’s been taken over by aliens? If I had a dollar for every time Mom or Dad went on at me for not studying I’d be a millionaire several times over. This is so strange, but there’s no time to ask her, as I wasn’t joking about missing the bus.
“Very funny, Mom. I know your views on achieving and not letting the family down. And I’m really trying hard, honest.”
“I know you are. But remember—” her eyes glaze over. “Never mind,” she adds, giving herself a small shake. “Off you go. See you later.”
“Okay. Bye.”
I race down the street and only just make it in time for the bus. None of the gang are on it, because most of them have their own cars or get a ride. Something else I might work on Mom and Dad about soon. Rosie’s car is sitting untouched in the garage and I’ve been toying with asking if I can use it. Not sure how they’ll take me asking though. Rosie would have let me use it, I’m sure.
“Hey, Suzy,” a voice calls, distracting me from my thoughts.
I look up and notice the bus has pulled into a stop and Janey North is walking along the bus toward me. As in the Janey North, tart extraordinaire, who Lori warned me to keep away from. Thing is, I think she’s okay and am not sure she deserves the reputation she’s got. I don’t see her that much, apart from on the bus sometimes and she’s in some of my classes, but anytime I do bump into her she’s always friendly. She did ask me to sit next to her the other day in class but I made an excuse not to. I didn’t want Lori to get the wrong idea and it jeopardizes me being accepted. I feel really mean about that.
“Hi Janey. Want to sit here?” I pick up my bag and put in on the floor to make room.
“Thanks.” As she sits down a huge silver cross with green gem stones slips out the front of her school shirt.
“Hey, love that cross. I’ve always wanted one.”
Janey gives me the strangest of looks.
“Yeah, sure. I can imagine you wearing one of these. Not.” She holds it in her hand then tucks it back in.
Oops. I should have remembered my people don’t wear jewelery like that.
“Good weekend?” I ask changing the subject before I drop myself in it even more.
A shy smile tugs at the corners of her mouth and she flushes slightly. “You could say.”
“Come on. Spill,” I say curiosity getting the better of me. Or as Maddie would say, my nosy-bitch beacon on full alert.
She shifts awkwardly in her seat and starts to twist her hair around her fingers. She seems really embarrassed. I’d never have thought she would be like that. This has got to involve a guy, why else would she be acting like this?
“I met someone on Friday night at a party.”
“And?” I lean in toward her.
“He’s nineteen and goes to college. And—”
“Janey,” calls a disheveled looking Amy, another girl from school, as she walks along the bus. “Geez,” she continues, clutching a hand to her chest. “I’ve just run half a block. I really thought I was going to miss the bus. I couldn’t believe it when it was still at the bus stop. The driver tried to close the door on me before I got on but luckily I shoved my arm in and it opened automatically.” She rubs her arm.
“Are you okay?” I ask. “I bet that hurt.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. It didn’t hurt that much. Move over and let me sit down.” Lucky we’re all small as three on a seat made for two is nothing if not intimate. “How was the party on Friday, Janey? As boring as you thought?”
“Depends on what you mean by boring.” Janey smirks. “I was telling Suzy about it, wasn’t I?”
“Yes, and we’ve just got to the interesting bit. Come on Janey, what happened? I’m getting all hot and bothered just thinking about it.”
Janey and Amy both look at me with bemused expressions of their faces. I think I might have said something wrong.
“That’s not the sort of comment we’d expect to hear from a member of the Virginity Club,” says Amy, her tone distinctly sarcastic.
What the—
“I’m not. Well I am, but I only went on Friday. How do you know?” And more to the point, does she know what else happened?
“I saw you leaving Starbucks with Lori and Rachel.” Phew. “I know that’s where they go so I put two and two together and got my answer. Hardly rocket science.” She rolls her eyes.
What a bitch. I used to think she was okay. I shrug. “Oh, right.”
“We had such a cool time,” Amy says, averting her gaze from me to Janey. “And there’s this real cute guy working in Starbucks. Have you seen him?”
I think back to Friday night when I was there for all of one minute. I don’t remember seeing any guys working there. Only girls.
“No,” says Janey.
“Neither,” I say.
“Well hands off, he’s mine.”
“Well, that might be a bit hard,” says Janey. “Seeing as we don’t even know what he looks like.” She glances at me and starts to giggle. “So maybe we’ll fight you for him.”
“Count me out,” I say emphatically. “I’m definitely not interested.”
“Because?” asks Janey, arching an eyebrow.
Luckily the bus pulls up outside school before I have time to answer. I pick up my bag from the floor, wait for Janey and Amy to slide out of the seat and follow behind them as we make our way to the door of the bus.
Looking out of the bus window I see Lori leaning against a big oak tree, and my heart plummets as the reason I’m dreading going to school this morning comes flooding back. My steps slow to a crawl in an attempt to prolong the inevitable. I’m so pathetic. Where on earth is in-your-face-Suzy who dare face anyone and anything?
I can’t delay stepping off the bus any longer as there’s a line of students behind me. Maybe Lori won’t notice me if I slouch and tuck in behind Janey.
“Suzy, over here.” Crap. She’s seen me. But she doesn’t sound as if she hates me. Not that I can tell after three words. I suck in a deep breath, but it doesn’t seem to slow my pounding heart.
“Hi,” I say when I get to the tree. I give my best and brightest smile. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.” She folds her arms and looks decidedly fierce.
Uh oh. Waiting for me so she can tell me not to go to the VC again and not to talk to any of them in future. I knew it. Things were going too well for something like this not to happen. And it’s no-ones fault but my own for being so stupid and for launching into act-before-thinking mode. Only when I was like this before I couldn’t care less about the consequences.
“Oh right,” is all I can utter as I wait for the onslaught. I focus on my shoes, unable to look her in the face.
“Yeah. To apologize.”
My eyes shoot up in surprise. This has got to be a joke, right? But she looks serious enough. Why would she want to apologize? I don’t get it.
“Apologize?”
“Yes,” Lori replies, hopping from foot to foot and looking uncomfortable. “For being so unsympathetic on Friday. I didn’t mean to drive you away. I felt awful all weekend. I couldn’t phone because I went away with my parents and didn’t get back until late last night. So I decided to wait for you this morning.”
I shake my head and pinch myself for good measure—just to make sure I’m not dreaming. Lori is apologizing to me, after the complete dick I made of myself with Guy and everything. I think I’ve entered a parallel universe.
“No worries,” I say. “My behavior wasn’t exactly cool. Especially after I got all silly with Guy. I don’t suppose he’ll be talking to me much after that.”
“No, you’re wrong. He felt as badly as I did. He said so when we were at my house later.”
“Oh.”
So I was Friday night’s cabaret, despite being nowhere near the place. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Well, that does it. There’s no way I can face Guy today.
“Hey, Guy. Over here,” shouts Lori over my shoulder.
Crap.