“I see you didn’t break up with Vance last night,” Jet said, smiling at me.
“I did,” I told her, “he just kinda ignored me.” She was stil smiling.
Whatever.
“I have a problem,” I told them, “I need to go to work and I need to train with Luke at five thirty and then there’s the party and somewhere in between, I need to go to the mal and get a party outfit.”
“You have a lunch hour?” Indy asked immediately, dropping my wrist.
“You’re training with Luke?” Al y asked, eyes wide.
“Yeah, but it’s only an hour,” I told Indy, “and, yeah, but against my wil ,” I told Al y.
“Doesn’t matter,” Indy said, “meet us at Cherry Creek Mal . By Aveda. Noon. We’l sort you out,” Indy said.
“But –” I started.
“Noon,” Indy repeated.
“I wanna train with Luke,” Al y put in.
“Everyone wants to train with Luke,” Jet replied.
We al looked at each other. Then we al started giggling.
Once we were done giggling, Indy and Al y went back to work but Jet walked me to the door checking out my bracelet.
I looked at her.
I wanted to ask but I didn’t want to ask. I wanted to know I wanted to ask but I didn’t want to ask. I wanted to know but I didn’t want to know.
Oh hel , I just went for it.
“Jet?”
Her head came around to look at me. I stopped and so did she.
“Yeah?”
“What’s it mean when I guy holds your hand?” I asked.
Her fingers were around my wrist, they moved to wrap around my hand. “It means he likes you,” she replied.
“What’s it mean when he’s a guy like Vance?” I went on.
Her hand squeezed mine. “It means he real y likes you,” she repeated.
“What’s it mean when he’s a known player and a guy like Vance?” I kept at it.
She reached out and grabbed my other hand. “Jules, it means he real y, really likes you,” she said softly.
I sighed. “I was afraid of that.”
She smiled at me. “I told Roxie and I’l tel you, trust me on this, don’t fight it,” Jet said.
My voice got low. “I have to.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, I just do,” I lied. I knew perfectly wel , I just didn’t want to share.
She nodded. “I understand.”
I blinked at her. “You do?”
“I’l tel you about Eddie and me sometime. Actual y,” she said, her eyes getting bright, “I take that back. Fight it. It’s much more interesting that way.”
“For who?” I asked.
“Al of us,” she grinned, “including you.” Hmm.
That did not sound good.
*
The girls (and boys) and I swung into the doors at King’s only ten minutes late from my lunch hour. We’d just conquered Cherry Creek Mal and in the trunk of Hazel I had a new party outfit (with shoes); a new nightie to take to Vance’s on my sleepover; two new sets of very sexy underwear; a cute pair of cords I didn’t real y need; a couple of t-shirts I real y didn’t need; a fantastic new blouse I real y, real y didn’t need; and a serious new pair of ass-kicking boots.
This was accomplished because it wasn’t just Indy, Jet and Al y who met me at the mal , Roxie, Daisy, Tod and Stevie had come with.
I stood in different fitting rooms in different stores and they threw clothes at me. In came clothes, out went clothes.
Some would go scout other stores and whisk me away on the trot if they saw something I had to try on.
I didn’t need to train with Luke that evening. I’d had the workout to end al workouts at the mal .
But my party outfit was kil er and the shoes were amazing.
We’d al just made it through the door when May came trotting up to us, hands moving around in circles at her side, highly agitated about something.
Oh crap.
Oh crap.
The minute she made it to us I asked, “Where are Roam and Sniff?”
“What?” she asked, her eyes bright. “They’re in with a tutor, you gotta –”
“They’re okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, hon, you gotta –”
“You look like something’s wrong. What’s wrong?”
“I’m tel in’ you, you gotta –”
“Is it one of the other kids?” I cut in.
She put her hand to my mouth. “Hush, girl. You gotta come with me.” Then she grabbed my wrist but stopped and stared down. “Ooo, look at that pretty bracelet!” she exclaimed.
“May! What’s going on?” I clipped.
She snapped to and said, “Right.” Then she dragged me through the rec room, turning around towards my posse.
“Hey ya’l ,” she said as if she wasn’t acting bizarre in the extreme.
“Hey May,” they said, almost in unison.
May took us down the hal into the shared office space.
When the nine of us burst through the door everyone in the room looked up and stared.
I wasn’t paying attention to anyone. On my desk was a beautiful bouquet of the most exquisite pale pink roses.
I smiled, May let go of my wrist and I walked forward.
“Holy crap,” Indy breathed.
“Good God,” Roxie whispered.
They al fol owed me to my desk and we stood staring in silent awe at the roses, such was their magnificence.