what are you going to do about it?” she asks. “I mean about Emily?”
“I don’t know. Justin said that I shouldn’t tell her, that it would only hurt her.”
“And what do you think?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. I mean it’s not really any of my business. Maybe I should just try to forget the whole skanky thing.”
“Maybe . . .”
But the way she says “maybe” makes me wonder if she actually thinks otherwise. “Okay, Casey.” I feel myself giving in now. “What would
you
do?”
There’s a long pause, and I start to wonder if she’s hung up on me (like maybe I’ve been too rude) but then she speaks. “I guess I’d have to ask myself how I’d want to be treated if it were me.”
“Huh?”
“You know,” she continues. “Put yourself in Emily’s shoes. What would you want your best friend to do?”
I consider this. “I guess I’d rather know. Yeah, if my boyfriend were cheating on me, I feel pretty certain that I’d want to know.”
“That’s how I’d feel.” Then she laughs. “Well, if I had a boyfriend, which thankfully is
not
the case. See, Zoë,” she says in a somewhat self-satisfied tone, “this is exactly why I think we’re all better off not dating at all.”
“Hey, thanks for calling,” I quickly tell her, worried that she’s going to start preaching at me again. Like it’s my personal fault that Shawna and Todd can’t control themselves.
“I just felt like maybe I should,” she says. “Like maybe we both needed to talk about it, you know, to kind of process it.”
“Yeah,” I tell her. “It was sweet of you.”
“I guess it was just a God thing,” she says. “I’m glad I was listening.”
“Yeah,” I say, hoping that she won’t get going on that now. “I appreciate it.”
“Well, you seem like a nice girl and I could tell by the look on your face that you weren’t used to that kind of thing.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“But you and Justin are dating now.”
“Yeah?” Now I wonder where she’s going with this.
“Aren’t you a little worried about that, Zoë?”
“Huh?”
“I mean he’s kind of got a reputation if you know what I mean. Do you really think—”
“Look, Casey, it was nice of you to call and everything. But I don’t think it’s right for you to suggest that Justin has a reputation. You don’t even know him. And I should think that you, being a Christian and all, wouldn’t want to be gossiping about something that you couldn’t possibly understand.”
Now there is a silence and I’m sure I’ve offended her. But maybe I don’t care.
“Sorry,” she finally says. “I didn’t mean to be gossiping. I guess I just feel concerned about—”
“I’m a big girl, Casey. I can take care of myself.”
“All right. No hard feelings then?”
“Of course not.”
Then we both hang up. But now I’m feeling seriously aggravated. What right does she have to make accusations against Justin? It’s not like she’s ever dated him. Or anyone else for that matter. Maybe she’s just jealous. Maybe this whole I-don’t-believe-in-dating thing is just a big camouflage for the fact that no guy has ever asked her out.
I try to focus my thoughts on poor Emily. I suppose Casey might be right that Emily needs to know about this. I mean that’s how I’d feel if I were in her shoes, which thankfully I am not.
I start to call Emily but then remember she’s at an away game tonight. I would’ve gone myself, but play practice ran late and it would’ve been impossible to get there in time to see much more than the last few minutes. Besides that, I’m totally exhausted. Doing these rehearsals every weeknight can be draining. But I know it’ll pay off. So I decide to email Emily, but I don’t tell her anything specific, just that we need to talk ASAP. Then I go to bed, hoping that I won’t dream about
Oklahoma!
tonight or, worse yet, those two nasty rats in the wardrobe room.
seven
I WAKE UP TO
“I don’t know. Justin said that I shouldn’t tell her, that it would only hurt her.”
“And what do you think?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. I mean it’s not really any of my business. Maybe I should just try to forget the whole skanky thing.”
“Maybe . . .”
But the way she says “maybe” makes me wonder if she actually thinks otherwise. “Okay, Casey.” I feel myself giving in now. “What would
you
do?”
There’s a long pause, and I start to wonder if she’s hung up on me (like maybe I’ve been too rude) but then she speaks. “I guess I’d have to ask myself how I’d want to be treated if it were me.”
“Huh?”
“You know,” she continues. “Put yourself in Emily’s shoes. What would you want your best friend to do?”
I consider this. “I guess I’d rather know. Yeah, if my boyfriend were cheating on me, I feel pretty certain that I’d want to know.”
“That’s how I’d feel.” Then she laughs. “Well, if I had a boyfriend, which thankfully is
not
the case. See, Zoë,” she says in a somewhat self-satisfied tone, “this is exactly why I think we’re all better off not dating at all.”
“Hey, thanks for calling,” I quickly tell her, worried that she’s going to start preaching at me again. Like it’s my personal fault that Shawna and Todd can’t control themselves.
“I just felt like maybe I should,” she says. “Like maybe we both needed to talk about it, you know, to kind of process it.”
“Yeah,” I tell her. “It was sweet of you.”
“I guess it was just a God thing,” she says. “I’m glad I was listening.”
“Yeah,” I say, hoping that she won’t get going on that now. “I appreciate it.”
“Well, you seem like a nice girl and I could tell by the look on your face that you weren’t used to that kind of thing.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“But you and Justin are dating now.”
“Yeah?” Now I wonder where she’s going with this.
“Aren’t you a little worried about that, Zoë?”
“Huh?”
“I mean he’s kind of got a reputation if you know what I mean. Do you really think—”
“Look, Casey, it was nice of you to call and everything. But I don’t think it’s right for you to suggest that Justin has a reputation. You don’t even know him. And I should think that you, being a Christian and all, wouldn’t want to be gossiping about something that you couldn’t possibly understand.”
Now there is a silence and I’m sure I’ve offended her. But maybe I don’t care.
“Sorry,” she finally says. “I didn’t mean to be gossiping. I guess I just feel concerned about—”
“I’m a big girl, Casey. I can take care of myself.”
“All right. No hard feelings then?”
“Of course not.”
Then we both hang up. But now I’m feeling seriously aggravated. What right does she have to make accusations against Justin? It’s not like she’s ever dated him. Or anyone else for that matter. Maybe she’s just jealous. Maybe this whole I-don’t-believe-in-dating thing is just a big camouflage for the fact that no guy has ever asked her out.
I try to focus my thoughts on poor Emily. I suppose Casey might be right that Emily needs to know about this. I mean that’s how I’d feel if I were in her shoes, which thankfully I am not.
I start to call Emily but then remember she’s at an away game tonight. I would’ve gone myself, but play practice ran late and it would’ve been impossible to get there in time to see much more than the last few minutes. Besides that, I’m totally exhausted. Doing these rehearsals every weeknight can be draining. But I know it’ll pay off. So I decide to email Emily, but I don’t tell her anything specific, just that we need to talk ASAP. Then I go to bed, hoping that I won’t dream about
Oklahoma!
tonight or, worse yet, those two nasty rats in the wardrobe room.
seven
I WAKE UP TO
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