interested in her than in her dead swinging grandmother. Was my mom friends with Annaliese? Was she sad when it happened?
I’ll keep my questions to myself till Mom gets past all this stuff.
3 MONTHS + 19 DAYS
Friday, October 24
As it turns out, aside from me, Lacy, and Meg, only pudgy Cecilia Carpenter and two other girls show up for the Homecoming decoration committee. The last two lose interest and disappear in sixty seconds. I notice Lacy eyeballing Cecilia’s belly rolls. I remember that look; it’s the same one
I’d
get from people when I’d start talking to my books.
“Since when are you interested in Homecoming?” she asks Cecilia.
“My mom thinks I should get involved in more activities this year,” Cecilia says.
I smile my encouragement. “Mine, too.” Cecilia smiles back, glad for a comrade, so I add, “I heard you singing in chorus today. You’re really good.” In fact, I was too busy listening to her to pay attention to myself.
Cecilia’s shy smile broadens. “Thanks.”
“If you’re looking for something to do, Cecil,” Lacy slyly inserts, “why don’t you try out for the squad? We’ve got a couple of openings. Rinn already said no.”
Cecilia flushes. “It’s Cecilia. And thanks, but no thanks.”
“Of course,” Lacy continues, “that means you’d have to learn how to do the splits. And I don’t mean, ya know,
banana
splits.”
“Lacy!” Meg yelps.
“Or the seat of your pants!” Lacy finishes, laughing heartily.
Openmouthed, I watch Cecilia rise. “Never mind,” she mumbles. “I’ll find something else to do, I guess.”
By the time I recover my wits, it’s too late; Cecilia’s already lumbered out.
“That,” I say angrily, “was
totally
rude.”
Lacy, unrepentant, lifts her hands. “Well, I
totally
do not want to hang around with that orca. Chances are she won’t even go to this stupid dance.”
“Why are you such a bitch?” I demand.
“Why are
you
calling me names?”
Meg and I face her with silent admonition.
Lacy bursts into tears. “Oh God. You’re right. I
am
a bitch.”
I watch with suspicion as Meg rushes to comfort her.
Hmm,
is this one of those “passive-aggressive” ploys for attention that Frank used to accuse me of ?
Lacy snuffles into Meg’s shoulder. “I wasn’t gonna tell you guys. I just can’t believe this is happening. But I did one of those tests?”
“Tests?” Meg repeats.
“A pregnancy test, stupid. And it, it was p-positive.”
She sobs hysterically. Meg, after a stunned moment, “aw-ws”and “c’mons” her like a mother hen. A twisted realization hits me: a creepy house, a dead body in the attic, a ghost, a sexy neighbor, and now a pregnant friend? I’m not trapped in some dinky southern Ohio town—I’m trapped in one of Nana’s daytime soaps:
Will Rinn Jacobs escape her fate as a hapless member of the Homecoming decorating committee? Will she beat her way to freedom with a pair of purloined pompoms? Tune in tomorrow!
At the clank of the janitor’s cart, Meg yanks Lacy’s arm— “C’mon, we can talk in there”—and pulls her to the side door of the cafeteria that leads to the tunnel. I follow doubtfully, thankful there are three of us.
Meg bangs the door shut. “Now tell us everything!”
Lacy screams and points. “A rat!”
Yes, it’s a rat, curled up on the worn floor. Two more dead rodents lie motionless nearby.
“Jesus,” Meg squeaks.
Shuddering in unison, we step around the furry bodies and edge farther down the tunnel. Lacy sinks to the floor and Meg crouches beside her. I simply stand there in the dim light, scoping out the nearest exit …
yes, the cafeteria, but the locker room might be closer …
It’s one thing to race through this tunnel in a group between classes. What are we doing here after hours with no one else around?
Lacy glances up at me, realizes I’m not about to politely disappear, and turns to Meg. “I missed two periods.”
“
Two?
Why
I’ll keep my questions to myself till Mom gets past all this stuff.
3 MONTHS + 19 DAYS
Friday, October 24
As it turns out, aside from me, Lacy, and Meg, only pudgy Cecilia Carpenter and two other girls show up for the Homecoming decoration committee. The last two lose interest and disappear in sixty seconds. I notice Lacy eyeballing Cecilia’s belly rolls. I remember that look; it’s the same one
I’d
get from people when I’d start talking to my books.
“Since when are you interested in Homecoming?” she asks Cecilia.
“My mom thinks I should get involved in more activities this year,” Cecilia says.
I smile my encouragement. “Mine, too.” Cecilia smiles back, glad for a comrade, so I add, “I heard you singing in chorus today. You’re really good.” In fact, I was too busy listening to her to pay attention to myself.
Cecilia’s shy smile broadens. “Thanks.”
“If you’re looking for something to do, Cecil,” Lacy slyly inserts, “why don’t you try out for the squad? We’ve got a couple of openings. Rinn already said no.”
Cecilia flushes. “It’s Cecilia. And thanks, but no thanks.”
“Of course,” Lacy continues, “that means you’d have to learn how to do the splits. And I don’t mean, ya know,
banana
splits.”
“Lacy!” Meg yelps.
“Or the seat of your pants!” Lacy finishes, laughing heartily.
Openmouthed, I watch Cecilia rise. “Never mind,” she mumbles. “I’ll find something else to do, I guess.”
By the time I recover my wits, it’s too late; Cecilia’s already lumbered out.
“That,” I say angrily, “was
totally
rude.”
Lacy, unrepentant, lifts her hands. “Well, I
totally
do not want to hang around with that orca. Chances are she won’t even go to this stupid dance.”
“Why are you such a bitch?” I demand.
“Why are
you
calling me names?”
Meg and I face her with silent admonition.
Lacy bursts into tears. “Oh God. You’re right. I
am
a bitch.”
I watch with suspicion as Meg rushes to comfort her.
Hmm,
is this one of those “passive-aggressive” ploys for attention that Frank used to accuse me of ?
Lacy snuffles into Meg’s shoulder. “I wasn’t gonna tell you guys. I just can’t believe this is happening. But I did one of those tests?”
“Tests?” Meg repeats.
“A pregnancy test, stupid. And it, it was p-positive.”
She sobs hysterically. Meg, after a stunned moment, “aw-ws”and “c’mons” her like a mother hen. A twisted realization hits me: a creepy house, a dead body in the attic, a ghost, a sexy neighbor, and now a pregnant friend? I’m not trapped in some dinky southern Ohio town—I’m trapped in one of Nana’s daytime soaps:
Will Rinn Jacobs escape her fate as a hapless member of the Homecoming decorating committee? Will she beat her way to freedom with a pair of purloined pompoms? Tune in tomorrow!
At the clank of the janitor’s cart, Meg yanks Lacy’s arm— “C’mon, we can talk in there”—and pulls her to the side door of the cafeteria that leads to the tunnel. I follow doubtfully, thankful there are three of us.
Meg bangs the door shut. “Now tell us everything!”
Lacy screams and points. “A rat!”
Yes, it’s a rat, curled up on the worn floor. Two more dead rodents lie motionless nearby.
“Jesus,” Meg squeaks.
Shuddering in unison, we step around the furry bodies and edge farther down the tunnel. Lacy sinks to the floor and Meg crouches beside her. I simply stand there in the dim light, scoping out the nearest exit …
yes, the cafeteria, but the locker room might be closer …
It’s one thing to race through this tunnel in a group between classes. What are we doing here after hours with no one else around?
Lacy glances up at me, realizes I’m not about to politely disappear, and turns to Meg. “I missed two periods.”
“
Two?
Why
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