“Not trying to be mean.” Chip laughs.
“Use up?” The anger pushes me to my feet as I leer back at her. “It’s not my fault that no one wants to go with you. I mean, you’re walking into a diner with a tiara on your head. Your attention whoring is so goddamned sad.”
Jane sighs, shaking her head slowly. “Really? Ouch. That hurts right here.” She makes a duckface and cups her left boob.
“It’s not my fault the guy you’re screwing has a girlfriend he obviously isn’t going to leave. At least not before Prom.”
Jane squishes her lips into a tight “O” and raises her chin.
I continue, “You and Todd do have something in common, though. You don’t give a shit about anyone else, and he doesn’t give a shit about you.” The permabitch grin leaves her face for another split second so I smile, “Maybe you should decline your nomination like Maisey did.”
“Good call,” says Chip. “Yeah Jane, how about you off yourself the way Maisey did, too.”
Jane’s face falls and her words come out in almost a whisper. “Screw you, Chip.”
“No, screw you,” he answers. “Everyone knows Maisey killed herself because you’re such a bitch.”
Jane’s eyes glisten as she pulls her shoulders back, and the way her fists open and close have me worried she might throw a punch.
“What’s up, guys?” Sean steps between me and Jane and there’s a wave of Thank God, as he places a hand on each of our shoulders.
Jane adjusts her crown and faces Sean. “Just talking to Bree here, you know, details about Prom, your sex life. All sorts of TMI, but don’t worry, my lips are sealed.” She narrows her eyes, “For now, anyway. Later, guys.” She walks off.
“You sittin’ here?” Chip asks Sean from the booth.
“Yep,” answers Sean. “Pretty sure that’s my sweatshirt you’re sitting on.”
“Sorry man. My bad.” Chip gets up and Sean moves past him to sit back down in the booth.
“You okay over here?” Sean says looking from Chip to me.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I slide back into my seat.
“Yeah, man, she’s all right. I was just saying hi.” He turns to me. “See ya Bree.”
I exhale as Chip walks away. “Oh my god. I don’t get why he can’t leave me alone. I’m beginning to think I can’t go anywhere with you without running into my two favorite people.”
“Hang on a second, okay?” Sean asks.
“Sure.”
He slides out of the booth, takes a few long strides up to Chip and grabs his shoulder.
Chip’s bony shoulder hunches beneath Sean’s hand. He looks as skinny as he’s always been, but for the first time I notice the way his spine wears his T-shirt. He faces Sean and they have an exchange that I can’t make out, but Chip looks intimidated and a little pissed as he looks back and forth from Sean to where I’m sitting. I feign a deep interest in the white marbled tabletop.
Sean returns as Chip leaves my sightline, not looking back.
“What was that all about?” I ask.
“Just guy to guy stuff, but I think we’re okay now. You sure you’re all right?”
“Now that you’re back, yes.”
“So what’d I miss?” he asks.
“You missed out on a really great time, great friends, great conversation. Just three besties catching up.”
“Sounds like it. Care to give me the scoop on what Jane meant by ‘our sex life’? Must be pretty racy if even Jane couldn’t stand it.”
****
“Wooooooohooooo!” Kallie shouts through my receiver. “You, me, Todd, and Sean doubling for Prom? We’re going to have the best time ever. I was scared for a minute ’cause no way did I want to triple or quadruple date with Molly and Jane. Hell’s no.”
“Well, when Sean told me your options I knew there was no way you’d let that fly.”
“It was probably Molly’s idea. She’s still totally in love with him.”
“She’s crazy. And not funny crazy.”
“Yeah, she’s bananas crazy.” I hear Kal suck air through the phone and then a short silence. “Bree?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re going to be nice to Todd, right? I know he’s not your favorite person, but I really don’t want it to be awkward.”
Too late for that. “Um, yeah, c’mon, what do you think I’m going to do? Bring out a lie detector and strap him into a chair?”
“Ha ha, I hope not. Maybe you can let that stuff go? I just don’t want it to be weird between everyone.”
“Kallie, I’m not going to ruin anyone’s night if that’s what you’re thinking. I want to have fun too. This is supposed to be the most magical night of our teenagerdom, isn’t it? Who am I to mess with that?”
****
NINETEEN