hearts?" Laura asked in a loud voice. "Know
how to play that? Or rummy? How about gin rummy?" She looked around the
room wildly.
Tammy, Melissa, Funny, her father, and Trudy were all
staring at her, their mouths open.
Trudy leaned toward Laura's father and spoke in a low voice,
but Laura heard what she said. "Is she always this hyper?"
Laura forced a laugh. "Oh, it just seemed to be time
for a game. Anybody want to play?"
"I do!" Tammy spoke up. She still sounded
desperate to please Laura.
"How about you guys?" she asked Funny and Melissa.
"No thanks," Funny answered. "I want to
concentrate on the movie."
"Me, too," said Melissa.
Laura pretended not to care. At least she had Tammy's
attention. Now Tammy wouldn't make any more dumb remarks to her father about
having a maid and blow everything. She shrugged. "Suits me fine."
"We just came home to get the theater tickets,"
her father explained. "I forgot them."
"Okay," said Laura. "See you later."
Laura and Tammy spent most of the rest of the evening
playing cards while Funny and Melissa watched the movie.
This isn't going the way I'd planned, Laura said to herself.
I wanted the four of us to have fun together, the way we used to, so everyone
would remember how much our friendship means. If only Tammy hadn't made that
stupid comment to Dad about the maid.
The movie was almost over, and Laura picked up the cards and
put them away.
"This was really fun, Laura." Tammy sounded
enthusiastic. "Thanks for inviting us."
"Sure," said Laura.
She noticed that Melissa and Funny didn't add their thanks.
When the movie was over, Tammy called her parents to pick
her up. "Want a ride home?" she asked Melissa and Funny.
"No, thanks," Funny said, and shot Melissa a
warning look.
What's this all about? Laura wondered. They always go home
together.
In twenty minutes Tammy's father arrived. Tammy threw on her
coat. "Sure we can't drop you guys oft?"
"No, thanks," Funny repeated.
"Okay," said Tammy. She turned to go, then turned
back. "Hey, tomorrow's Saturday. Are you going to the mall?"
"I'm going to sleep in," Laura told her. "But
I'll probably get there by noon."
"Great," said Tammy. "See you tomorrow."
She disappeared out the door.
Laura looked questioningly at Funny and Melissa, who were
standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room.
"Thanks for the movie," Funny said.
"Sure," replied Laura.
"Uh, can we talk to you?" asked Funny.
Laura's stomach tightened. "What about?"
"About Tammy," Melissa answered.
Laura immediately relaxed. For an instant she had been
afraid they would bring up the maid story.
"Sure," she said. "What about Tammy?"
Funny shifted her weight over to one foot and glanced at
Melissa.
"What's the matter?" Laura insisted.
"Well," Melissa began, "Tammy has started
another rumor."
Alarms went off inside Laura. "What rumor?" she
demanded.
"About Alexis," said Funny.
Laura frowned. "What's she saying now?"
"Tammy is telling everyone that she glanced into your
room that day at the party—" Funny began, and paused.
"She's telling everybody that she saw Alexis's
reflection in the mirror over your bureau," Melissa finished for her.
"Go on," Laura pressed.
"Well, Tammy is saying that she wasn't sure what Alexis
was up to," Funny said, "so she signaled you to check it out."
"And that was when you caught Alexis going through your
things," Melissa put in.
There was a moment of silence.
"And, of course, you know that's not true," Funny
concluded in a little voice. "Tammy was out in the living room the whole
time. She couldn't possibly have seen down the hall and into your room."
"She just made up the story," Melissa said.
Laura gulped. "But why?"
Melissa looked Laura straight in the eyes. "Because she
really likes you, Laura. She would do almost anything for you. Even lie."
There was another awkward silence.
"Well, I still don't see why Tammy would do that,"
said Laura.
"Don't you get it?" Funny asked in astonishment. "People
are more
how to play that? Or rummy? How about gin rummy?" She looked around the
room wildly.
Tammy, Melissa, Funny, her father, and Trudy were all
staring at her, their mouths open.
Trudy leaned toward Laura's father and spoke in a low voice,
but Laura heard what she said. "Is she always this hyper?"
Laura forced a laugh. "Oh, it just seemed to be time
for a game. Anybody want to play?"
"I do!" Tammy spoke up. She still sounded
desperate to please Laura.
"How about you guys?" she asked Funny and Melissa.
"No thanks," Funny answered. "I want to
concentrate on the movie."
"Me, too," said Melissa.
Laura pretended not to care. At least she had Tammy's
attention. Now Tammy wouldn't make any more dumb remarks to her father about
having a maid and blow everything. She shrugged. "Suits me fine."
"We just came home to get the theater tickets,"
her father explained. "I forgot them."
"Okay," said Laura. "See you later."
Laura and Tammy spent most of the rest of the evening
playing cards while Funny and Melissa watched the movie.
This isn't going the way I'd planned, Laura said to herself.
I wanted the four of us to have fun together, the way we used to, so everyone
would remember how much our friendship means. If only Tammy hadn't made that
stupid comment to Dad about the maid.
The movie was almost over, and Laura picked up the cards and
put them away.
"This was really fun, Laura." Tammy sounded
enthusiastic. "Thanks for inviting us."
"Sure," said Laura.
She noticed that Melissa and Funny didn't add their thanks.
When the movie was over, Tammy called her parents to pick
her up. "Want a ride home?" she asked Melissa and Funny.
"No, thanks," Funny said, and shot Melissa a
warning look.
What's this all about? Laura wondered. They always go home
together.
In twenty minutes Tammy's father arrived. Tammy threw on her
coat. "Sure we can't drop you guys oft?"
"No, thanks," Funny repeated.
"Okay," said Tammy. She turned to go, then turned
back. "Hey, tomorrow's Saturday. Are you going to the mall?"
"I'm going to sleep in," Laura told her. "But
I'll probably get there by noon."
"Great," said Tammy. "See you tomorrow."
She disappeared out the door.
Laura looked questioningly at Funny and Melissa, who were
standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room.
"Thanks for the movie," Funny said.
"Sure," replied Laura.
"Uh, can we talk to you?" asked Funny.
Laura's stomach tightened. "What about?"
"About Tammy," Melissa answered.
Laura immediately relaxed. For an instant she had been
afraid they would bring up the maid story.
"Sure," she said. "What about Tammy?"
Funny shifted her weight over to one foot and glanced at
Melissa.
"What's the matter?" Laura insisted.
"Well," Melissa began, "Tammy has started
another rumor."
Alarms went off inside Laura. "What rumor?" she
demanded.
"About Alexis," said Funny.
Laura frowned. "What's she saying now?"
"Tammy is telling everyone that she glanced into your
room that day at the party—" Funny began, and paused.
"She's telling everybody that she saw Alexis's
reflection in the mirror over your bureau," Melissa finished for her.
"Go on," Laura pressed.
"Well, Tammy is saying that she wasn't sure what Alexis
was up to," Funny said, "so she signaled you to check it out."
"And that was when you caught Alexis going through your
things," Melissa put in.
There was a moment of silence.
"And, of course, you know that's not true," Funny
concluded in a little voice. "Tammy was out in the living room the whole
time. She couldn't possibly have seen down the hall and into your room."
"She just made up the story," Melissa said.
Laura gulped. "But why?"
Melissa looked Laura straight in the eyes. "Because she
really likes you, Laura. She would do almost anything for you. Even lie."
There was another awkward silence.
"Well, I still don't see why Tammy would do that,"
said Laura.
"Don't you get it?" Funny asked in astonishment. "People
are more
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