without any malice. Yet. “But I did have to go outside the system. He’s Dean Bowman’s newest assistant.”
“Ew.”
“Good. Fine. Keep that attitude! Because he’s cute and sweet and not a geek or a Kappa Tau and I am keeping him. At least for the evening. Hands off Rob.”
“Rob who?”
“Robert Howell. Transfer student from Cornell, poli-scimajor. Totally hot and a little shy. And even with the association with Dean Bowman— Rebecca, swallow.”
It did look as if Rebecca was going to choke. That was what happened when you inhaled your food midchew, especially popcorn.
“Robert Howell? Are you sure?”
“Uh, yes?”
“Brown hair, square face, total hick accent that he covers up a lot?”
“Kinda. I don’t have a picture of him—I’ve met him, like, twice. Do you know him?”
Rebecca made an exaggerated noise of disgust. “From, like…when I was young. And stupid. And so was he. He probably still is.”
Now Casey was paying attention. “What is it? Is he a jerk? Oh, my God, did you go out with him? I can’t believe this!”
“ No. It was this…thing that totally does not involve dating or college or anything else, if it is really him. And I will go so far as to say that if I implode in his presence, I’m taking people with me.”
“Rebecca—”
But Rebecca had lost interest in food or conversation. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Enjoy your date with Robert-freaking-Howell.” And she stomped out of the room with all of the indignation possible for someone wearing pink bunny slippers.
“Um, okay.” And having nothing else to say, to herself or the empty room, Casey let that stand and retreated to her own bedroom, where Ashleigh was still up. Only her lamp was on, but that was enough for Casey. “Something’s up between Rob and Rebecca.”
Ashleigh put down her book and turned over. “What?”
“Rebecca, like, totally freaked out at his name.”
“Are we talking about the same Rebecca? The one who doesn’t freak out unless there’s a senatorial scandal and a copious amount of alcohol in the vicinity?”
“She did, and she wouldn’t tell me why. Apparently she knows him.”
“Okay. Don’t panic. We have, like, two days to find out what it is. Or one, really, if it’s anything. Maybe he dumped her in high school in front of the whole prom or something. Who knows?” She turned back over. “She would have told you if it was anything that would be devastating to you.”
“Ash! It’s Rebecca. What am I going to do?”
“I don’t know,” Ashleigh mumbled into her pillow. “Worst-case scenario, we’ll ask her about her dad and put a beer in front of her, and see what happens. It worked when you guys wanted me to spill about Fisher.”
It was cruel, but if it came to it, it would work. And Casey was prepared to make things work.
chapter five
“So then,” Ashleigh said as she sat down at the breakfast table with Rebecca and Casey. “What’s up with Robert Howell?”
Rebecca gave her a look of disgust, grabbed her bowl of cereal and left the table before Ashleigh even had time to put down her own food.
“Way to go,” Casey said. “I was only working on her for, like, twenty minutes!”
“Sorry!” Ashleigh was legitimately apologetic. “Maybe I should put some pledges on it.”
Casey played with her spoon, thumping it against the tablecloth. “I think it may be a lost cause.”
“Did she say anything? ”
“In my subtle yet obvious attempts to inquire about her possible history with Rob, I learned that she once attempted to go to summer camp but went home two weeks early because the mosquito bites were ruining her complexion. I now know that she was captain of her varsity field hockey team freshmanyear after she got the previous captain suspended after finding a sex tape linked to her MySpace page. I’ve discovered the wonder that is a three-month obligatory playing of the clarinet for a band class requirement, and that her favorite
“Ew.”
“Good. Fine. Keep that attitude! Because he’s cute and sweet and not a geek or a Kappa Tau and I am keeping him. At least for the evening. Hands off Rob.”
“Rob who?”
“Robert Howell. Transfer student from Cornell, poli-scimajor. Totally hot and a little shy. And even with the association with Dean Bowman— Rebecca, swallow.”
It did look as if Rebecca was going to choke. That was what happened when you inhaled your food midchew, especially popcorn.
“Robert Howell? Are you sure?”
“Uh, yes?”
“Brown hair, square face, total hick accent that he covers up a lot?”
“Kinda. I don’t have a picture of him—I’ve met him, like, twice. Do you know him?”
Rebecca made an exaggerated noise of disgust. “From, like…when I was young. And stupid. And so was he. He probably still is.”
Now Casey was paying attention. “What is it? Is he a jerk? Oh, my God, did you go out with him? I can’t believe this!”
“ No. It was this…thing that totally does not involve dating or college or anything else, if it is really him. And I will go so far as to say that if I implode in his presence, I’m taking people with me.”
“Rebecca—”
But Rebecca had lost interest in food or conversation. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Enjoy your date with Robert-freaking-Howell.” And she stomped out of the room with all of the indignation possible for someone wearing pink bunny slippers.
“Um, okay.” And having nothing else to say, to herself or the empty room, Casey let that stand and retreated to her own bedroom, where Ashleigh was still up. Only her lamp was on, but that was enough for Casey. “Something’s up between Rob and Rebecca.”
Ashleigh put down her book and turned over. “What?”
“Rebecca, like, totally freaked out at his name.”
“Are we talking about the same Rebecca? The one who doesn’t freak out unless there’s a senatorial scandal and a copious amount of alcohol in the vicinity?”
“She did, and she wouldn’t tell me why. Apparently she knows him.”
“Okay. Don’t panic. We have, like, two days to find out what it is. Or one, really, if it’s anything. Maybe he dumped her in high school in front of the whole prom or something. Who knows?” She turned back over. “She would have told you if it was anything that would be devastating to you.”
“Ash! It’s Rebecca. What am I going to do?”
“I don’t know,” Ashleigh mumbled into her pillow. “Worst-case scenario, we’ll ask her about her dad and put a beer in front of her, and see what happens. It worked when you guys wanted me to spill about Fisher.”
It was cruel, but if it came to it, it would work. And Casey was prepared to make things work.
chapter five
“So then,” Ashleigh said as she sat down at the breakfast table with Rebecca and Casey. “What’s up with Robert Howell?”
Rebecca gave her a look of disgust, grabbed her bowl of cereal and left the table before Ashleigh even had time to put down her own food.
“Way to go,” Casey said. “I was only working on her for, like, twenty minutes!”
“Sorry!” Ashleigh was legitimately apologetic. “Maybe I should put some pledges on it.”
Casey played with her spoon, thumping it against the tablecloth. “I think it may be a lost cause.”
“Did she say anything? ”
“In my subtle yet obvious attempts to inquire about her possible history with Rob, I learned that she once attempted to go to summer camp but went home two weeks early because the mosquito bites were ruining her complexion. I now know that she was captain of her varsity field hockey team freshmanyear after she got the previous captain suspended after finding a sex tape linked to her MySpace page. I’ve discovered the wonder that is a three-month obligatory playing of the clarinet for a band class requirement, and that her favorite
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