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“I guess I’m not surprised.”
“He sucks, Ally. I’m going to form a protest. I’ll get every Norm in town to stay home.”
I snorted a laugh. “Like I’d do that to you.”
This party was like a jackpot for A
As the music swelled to its crescendo overhead, I couldn’t help remembering Jake’s birthday last year. When he’d gotten his car and the first thing he’d done was zip right over to the Orchard View Condominiums to see me and we’d driven up to the country club and we’d kissed. For the first time.
“You know you did the right thing breaking up with him, right?” A
“Yeah.” My voice was thick. “I know.”
“Are you okay?” A
“Ugh. I wish people would stop asking me that,” I replied, swiping one tear off my bottom lashes. Mercifully, the wedding march had ended, and my mom started motioning to me to wrap it up. “I’m fine. Thanks for letting me know, A
“Cool. Well, have fun.”
“I will,” I said.
I hung up the phone and forced a smile onto my face as my mother and the seamstress approached with their measuring tape and pins. For the next fifteen minutes I was turned and poked and prodded and appraised, the whole time just trying as hard as I could not to burst into tears.
jake
My party was the party that kicked every other party’s ass. As I did a lap around the game room, I actually started to think that every single person I had invited had shown up. At least it seemed like it. There were dozens of people gathered around the pool table, faces I barely recognized hunched over the pinball machines, and the Idiot Twins had drawn a crowd at Ping-Pong, jumping and flailing and hitting backhands like they were on the court at the US Open or something. The music was loud, the beer was flowing, and everyone was having a kick-ass time. I was on top of the world.
I half wished Ally would try to crash, just so she could see how not affected I was by the fact that she’d dumped me.
“I can’t believe your parents actually let you have this thing.”
Sha
“Yeah, well. Dad’s still psyched I’m not a baby daddy and he has friends in high places, so no one’s go
“Me too,” she replied.
Was it just me, or was that her sultry voice?
“Come with me. I need to talk to you.”
She took my fingers lightly and tugged me toward the door. My heart pounded. Whatever this was, it was probably not a good idea. But I couldn’t think of a reason not to go—she had no boyfriend, and I definitely had no girlfriend—so I went. Sha
But then she turned around and sat down on the bottom step. I glanced up toward the second floor in confusion.
“Have a seat.” She patted the space next to her. I sat.
“What’re we doing?” I asked.
Sha
Suddenly I didn’t like where this was going. I leaned back, resting my elbows on the steps behind me. The music was dull from in here, and I was already starting to lose my buzz.
“Yeah,” I said.
“So for old times’ sake, I just want you to tell me one thing,” Sha
I balked. “That’s what this is about? Shit.”
“I’m serious. I just want to know,” Sha
I felt like my eyes were on fire. “Why does no one seem to get what she did to me was not even close to being in the realm of forgivable?”
“I didn’t ask you to forgive her,” Sha
“Why should I?” I demanded.
“She fucked up.” Sha
The sound of her name squelched the buzz completely. My chest felt hollow, but heavy somehow. “Yeah. And look how long that lasted,” I shot back.
Sha
“Wow. Tell me how you really feel,” I said.
She took a swig of her beer and held it in her mouth for a second before swallowing. “I’m just saying. That girl stayed with you longer than I would have. She stayed with you longer than most people would have. Because she loves you.”
Something was welling up in my throat. I tried to swallow it back, but it wouldn’t go.
“But back to Chloe,” Sha
She nudged me with her shoulder and I sat up straight, rubbing my hands together. “Yeah. How did that happen?”
Sha
Over in the game room, one of the Idiot Twins whooped over a win and everyone applauded. Meanwhile, I felt the full weight of what Sha
“Just something to think about.”
“Says the girl who spent last year torturing Ally Ryan,” I said, trying to get in the last word.
Sha
“Or maybe this is just a prank like everything else, right, Shan?” I said, pulling myself up by the banister. “I go over to apologize to Chloe and she, what, throws a pie in my face?”