means he’s never around.
“You’ve been holed up in the back of that BMW for, like, two days—what the hell?” Shelby holds out straws for each of us. Melissa is quick to grab the pink straw and I’m stuck with the yellow one. She smiles like she’s won.
Shelby’s phone rings. Saved again.
As soon as I hear Shelby yell, I know she’s on the phone with her older sister, Sienna. “But we don’t want to leave that early—since when do you go to the bar at nine? Fine! Whatever—at least I’m not twenty-three and still completely dependent on my mother to pay my rent.”
Melissa and I laugh as Shelby slams her phone onto the counter.
“That was harsh,” I say in between giggles. Really, it’s not that harsh. It’s true. Sienna is twenty-three and constantly borrowing money from Sandra. And always to pay rent even though she works three days a week filing for the records department at the plant and is also a waitress at a restaurant by the highway.
It’s Sienna’s on-again-off-again-so-many-times-it’s-impossible-to-keep-track boyfriend, Allen Lysander, who’s the problem. Shelby says he’s a mooch, and that he only comes back to Sienna when he needs money. “It’s like she’s learned nothing from Sandra’s past male-misdemeanors,” Shelby says, and we all agree.
“She’s back with Allen,” Shelby informs us. “Minus twenty points.”
We’re keeping score. Because when one girl is stupid, it affects girls everywhere. Boys tell all their friends—anyone who will listen, really—when a girl does something foolish or degrading or crazy involving them. Pretty soon the idea that girls act ridiculous spreads like a rolling snowball.
And if boys think girls are stupid, that’s how they’ll treat them.
Our theories stop boys from thinking girls are crippled by their emotions, and needy, and dramatic, and dependent. We like to think that our evolved behavior is saving girlkind. Because let’s face it, we need saving.
“So how many points does Brey lose for hooking up with Nathan on his first day at Lincoln High?” Melissa says, bumping me with her hips.
“We didn’t have sex,” I tell them, my hands up, surrendering.
“Yet!” Both Shelby and Melissa say at the same time. They say “cheers” to this even though their drinks are still too full. Clear liquid splashes everywhere.
“She’ll gain ten points for being the first one to bed Nathan Diggs.” Shelby winks at me.
This makes us laugh, and we’re still laughing when Danica breezes through the front door. Her hair is wild and she’s got a ridiculous smile on her face. “What’s so funny?”
“Well, well, well, where have you been?” I ask, even though it’s so obvious. Danica has a poker face, but her hair always gives her away. Down and wild and obviously handled. She’s been with Robert.
“Whaaaat?” she says. Her smile fades slightly when she looks at Shelby.
“God, Danica, couldn’t you have waited until after the party to hook up with him?” Shelby frowns. “Sienna ditched us and we need a ride.” I’ve learned recently that it’s always easier to get a ride from Robert if he’s getting something in return, i.e., Danica.
“Maybe Nathan Diggs can give us a ride?” Danica says. “I saw him in the library today looking all studious and sexy.”
“He’s out of town,” I tell her.
“So what did I miss?” Danica takes a huge sip of her drink, then purses her lips together to keep a straight face. “Did you spill the dirty details about Diggs yet?”
“If someone says the word spill one more time, I’m going to lose it.” I press my fingers against my temple.
“Spill, spill, spill,” Melissa says, knocking into me, and once again, some of my drink trickles out of my glass.
A smile creeps onto my lips. “What do you heathens want to know?” Usually we just cover the basics: what was done, how long it lasted, and of course, how big it was. I didn’t tell them that Trip actually blushed
“You’ve been holed up in the back of that BMW for, like, two days—what the hell?” Shelby holds out straws for each of us. Melissa is quick to grab the pink straw and I’m stuck with the yellow one. She smiles like she’s won.
Shelby’s phone rings. Saved again.
As soon as I hear Shelby yell, I know she’s on the phone with her older sister, Sienna. “But we don’t want to leave that early—since when do you go to the bar at nine? Fine! Whatever—at least I’m not twenty-three and still completely dependent on my mother to pay my rent.”
Melissa and I laugh as Shelby slams her phone onto the counter.
“That was harsh,” I say in between giggles. Really, it’s not that harsh. It’s true. Sienna is twenty-three and constantly borrowing money from Sandra. And always to pay rent even though she works three days a week filing for the records department at the plant and is also a waitress at a restaurant by the highway.
It’s Sienna’s on-again-off-again-so-many-times-it’s-impossible-to-keep-track boyfriend, Allen Lysander, who’s the problem. Shelby says he’s a mooch, and that he only comes back to Sienna when he needs money. “It’s like she’s learned nothing from Sandra’s past male-misdemeanors,” Shelby says, and we all agree.
“She’s back with Allen,” Shelby informs us. “Minus twenty points.”
We’re keeping score. Because when one girl is stupid, it affects girls everywhere. Boys tell all their friends—anyone who will listen, really—when a girl does something foolish or degrading or crazy involving them. Pretty soon the idea that girls act ridiculous spreads like a rolling snowball.
And if boys think girls are stupid, that’s how they’ll treat them.
Our theories stop boys from thinking girls are crippled by their emotions, and needy, and dramatic, and dependent. We like to think that our evolved behavior is saving girlkind. Because let’s face it, we need saving.
“So how many points does Brey lose for hooking up with Nathan on his first day at Lincoln High?” Melissa says, bumping me with her hips.
“We didn’t have sex,” I tell them, my hands up, surrendering.
“Yet!” Both Shelby and Melissa say at the same time. They say “cheers” to this even though their drinks are still too full. Clear liquid splashes everywhere.
“She’ll gain ten points for being the first one to bed Nathan Diggs.” Shelby winks at me.
This makes us laugh, and we’re still laughing when Danica breezes through the front door. Her hair is wild and she’s got a ridiculous smile on her face. “What’s so funny?”
“Well, well, well, where have you been?” I ask, even though it’s so obvious. Danica has a poker face, but her hair always gives her away. Down and wild and obviously handled. She’s been with Robert.
“Whaaaat?” she says. Her smile fades slightly when she looks at Shelby.
“God, Danica, couldn’t you have waited until after the party to hook up with him?” Shelby frowns. “Sienna ditched us and we need a ride.” I’ve learned recently that it’s always easier to get a ride from Robert if he’s getting something in return, i.e., Danica.
“Maybe Nathan Diggs can give us a ride?” Danica says. “I saw him in the library today looking all studious and sexy.”
“He’s out of town,” I tell her.
“So what did I miss?” Danica takes a huge sip of her drink, then purses her lips together to keep a straight face. “Did you spill the dirty details about Diggs yet?”
“If someone says the word spill one more time, I’m going to lose it.” I press my fingers against my temple.
“Spill, spill, spill,” Melissa says, knocking into me, and once again, some of my drink trickles out of my glass.
A smile creeps onto my lips. “What do you heathens want to know?” Usually we just cover the basics: what was done, how long it lasted, and of course, how big it was. I didn’t tell them that Trip actually blushed
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