“Then just do it. Be better.”
Casey furrowed her brows, and then her face lit up. She nodded, and Regan watched her lips spread into a brilliant smile. It was a smile that said, “Today, I’m changed.”
“I’m not scared,” she said defiantly. “I’m not.”
“I believe you,” Regan replied.
“And I’m gonna make it right,” Casey went on. “I don’t know how, but I’m slated for Brown. I can figure this shit out.”
Regan laughed.
“Regan, it wasn’t even hard to break free—to let go. It wasn’t even hard. The moment you walked away, I wanted to walk away, too. I was too scared then. But once I made the decision on my own, it was so easy. It was like coming up for air.”
Regan lifted her palm. “Come on. Slap it.”
Casey laughed and smacked her hand.
Regan moved to the sink to wash the tea cups. Casey hopped up and grabbed a tea towel to dry.
“Wanna spend the night?”
“You want me to?” Casey asked.
“Well, don’t you think we’ve got a lot of catching up to do?”
Casey nodded. “Tons.”
Regan handed her a clean spoon to dry.
“I think it’s great you’re dating Jeremy,” Casey said, dumping the spoon in the appropriate drawer.
“You do?”
“Mmhmm. You’re both kind of weird. It fits. Plus, you seem to really make him happy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile at school until you started hanging out with him.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. What are these special Regan powers you have?” Casey asked.
Regan thought a moment then sang, “It’s the power of love.”
“Oh my God, you’re such a dork,” Casey said.
And then she flung her arms around her friend, nearly choking her with that power—the power of love. Regan hugged her back just as hard.
“Wanna watch Back to the Future?” Regan asked.
Casey released her and headed for the pantry. She rooted around until she found the box of popcorn, holding it up for Regan to see.
“One bag or two?”
***
“I love it,” Casey said, watching Regan twirl around.
“The leg warmers, too?”
Casey eyed Regan’s neon pink leg warmers and nodded. They were bunched around her calves, overlaying ankle boots and black tights. She paired the bottom half of her ensemble with a short, black sequins mini skirt and silver metallic bomber jacket.
“You look like a disco ball,” Casey said.
“Precisely what I was going for,” Regan replied.
Casey glanced at the bedroom door.
“Is he on his way?” she asked. She pulled nervously at a loose thread on Regan’s quilt.
“Relax,” Regan said.
“Ha! Relax. Yeah, um, okay,” Casey replied.
Just then a knock sounded on the door.
“Come in!” Regan called, and Jeremy opened the door, peeking his head inside.
He was smiling. And then he noticed Casey.
“I knew this was a really bad idea,” Casey mumbled.
“Nonsense,” Regan said, walking over to her and taking her hand. “Jeremy, you remember Casey.” What a ridiculous thing to say.
“Uh . . . yeah,” was his reply.
“And you remember how we were best friends before our falling out.”
He said nothing, eyeing the girls warily.
“What you don’t know is that we made up,” Regan went on.
“Why?” The word came out as an accusation.
“Because I apologized,” Casey said softly. “And meant it.”
Jeremy clenched his jaw.
“And I believe her,” Regan added. “We all make mistakes. I realized I made a ton of mistakes in our friendship.”
He stared, nonplussed.
“I’m not comparing our mistakes,” Regan explained. “I’m just saying that no one’s perfect.”
“She dropped you. She ignored your existence at school. She turned her back on you,” Jeremy spat, glaring at Regan in disbelief.
“I know that,” Regan replied, gripping Casey’s hand tighter.
“She tortured the hell out of Hannah!” Jeremy continued.
“I know,” Casey said.
“Don’t talk,” Jeremy barked. “Ever.”
“Jeremy,” Regan chided.
“I just don’t understand you, Regan. You finally made it out! What’s convinced you to go back? How did she convince you to go back? What did she say? What did she promise you?”
“Go back?” Regan asked, confused.
“Go back to them!” he roared.
Casey jumped up and thrust herself in front of Regan.
“Calm the fuck down,” she warned Jeremy.
“I thought I told you to never talk,” he said.
“Shut up,” Casey replied. “Shut your mouth and listen to me. I didn’t come over here to steal Regan away from you. I’m not trying to persuade her to go back to that group. I came to her to apologize for being the biggest asshole on the planet.”
Jeremy stood fuming, unable or unwilling to process Casey’s words.
“I left,” she went on. “I left them. It was a horrible bunch of people who turned me malicious and hateful, and I finally realized it. Okay? This has nothing to do with taking Regan back to the dark side. I’m here to give her advice on her outfit for your date, you jerk!”
He blinked.
“And to tell you I’m sorry for my dishonesty in seventh grade,” she added softly. “I should have given you the note.”
Regan peeked her head around Casey’s shoulder and glanced at Jeremy. His eyes asked her the unspoken question: “Is she for real?” Regan nodded and smiled.
He cleared his throat. “So you think two words are gonna make up for everything you’ve done?”
Casey drew in her breath. “Not even close. But it’s a start.”
Jeremy hesitated. “I can’t pretend not to know all the shit you’ve said to Hannah.”
“I know.”
“She was my only friend until Regan.”
“I figured.”
“I’m protective of her.”
“Understandable.”
“What are you gonna do about her?” he asked.
Casey thought a moment. “I’m gonna do everything I can to make it right.”
“She’ll never forgive you,” Jeremy pointed out.
Casey nodded. “But I have to try.”
Pause.