he was right.
Cindy stood there, deserted and alone while everyone else went off to have fun. It was her own fault. She could have gone. The music came wafting out of the gym. The song they were playing? Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day.”
twenty-one
There are two things in life for which we are truly never prepared: twins.
—Josh Billings
Toby crawled across the wet grass in the dark and watched his friends get into the new sports van while the music faded into the background. For once he’d escaped, thanks to his weak stomach. If he’d been on the dance floor when the Nazi had busted his friends, then he’d be with them now, on his way home with the Vanderhoffer twins. Wait a minute. How did that happen? Had they been drinking too? Who hadn’t? Should he have crawled after them and confessed so he wouldn’t be left out? Jared must be in hog heaven. Squeezed into the van with the girls of his dreams. In between the two of them, if dreams really did come true. If the rumors were valid, God only knew what Jared would get out of the ride to his house, besides a ride to his house.
Even in the dark he could see the twins were wearing dresses that used to be worn only by prostitutes, but which must have cost in the three-digits. And yet Cindy, their so-called stepsister, was wearing some denims and a shirt that was a size too big for her. What a contrast.
He’d never be able to explain to his friends why he’d escaped getting caught. He didn’t want anyone to know that he’d gone outside to throw up in the bushes. What a way to end a perfect day.
Was it any better to be lying on the grass, feeling physically wretched but spared from having some Italian jock pull up in front of his house and have the neighbors see him stumble out like he’d just been let out of prison?
Yes!
In a few minutes, or a few hours, he’d work his way to the parking lot and find a way home. He didn’t know why he’d even come tonight. The whole thing had been totally lame, starting with Rich and ending with him alone and flat on his face. He wondered drunkenly if he should give up alcohol. He couldn’t seem to drink anymore without getting sick. Classes went by in a haze. Friends came and went. Or were they really friends? What was the point of making an effort for them like he had tonight?
Maybe he should give up high school too. That might be harder to do unless he could get his father or mother to home-school him. Fat chance.
There were no girls at this school that excited him. Take the Vanderhoffer twins at one end of the hot scale and their stepsister, Cindy, queen of the geeks, at the other end. The dances had never been much fun, but they’d gone from tame and over-chaperoned to stupid events out of a Manga book like the dance tonight.
When his cell phone rang and he saw it was Jared, it was only a dull curiosity that made him answer.
“Where are you, man?” Jared said.
“You know, still here, hanging with my homies,” Toby lied, getting to his knees. “What happened to you?” As if he didn’t know.
“You don’t know? We decided to cut out early. Couldn’t find you. You’ll never guess who gave us a ride home.”
“Are they tall and blond and have a sister?” Toby asked. “Shit. How did you know?”
“Just a lucky guess. How did that happen?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ve just got what it takes. Girls can’t get enough of me. Once those hotties saw me they were all over me like I was the new Double-Oh-Seven or something.” “You were lucky to fight them off, I guess.” Toby finally got to his feet and walked slowly and unsteadily toward the parking lot. The more Jared bragged, the better Toby felt about his escape. And the happier he was he hadn’t taken a ride with them. And the more he thought about stopping drinking. Oh, not altogether, just cutting back a little. At least for now. To see if it made any difference.
“Yeah, okay, talk to you later. Gotta go now.”
Toby could hear Jared’s
Cindy stood there, deserted and alone while everyone else went off to have fun. It was her own fault. She could have gone. The music came wafting out of the gym. The song they were playing? Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day.”
twenty-one
There are two things in life for which we are truly never prepared: twins.
—Josh Billings
Toby crawled across the wet grass in the dark and watched his friends get into the new sports van while the music faded into the background. For once he’d escaped, thanks to his weak stomach. If he’d been on the dance floor when the Nazi had busted his friends, then he’d be with them now, on his way home with the Vanderhoffer twins. Wait a minute. How did that happen? Had they been drinking too? Who hadn’t? Should he have crawled after them and confessed so he wouldn’t be left out? Jared must be in hog heaven. Squeezed into the van with the girls of his dreams. In between the two of them, if dreams really did come true. If the rumors were valid, God only knew what Jared would get out of the ride to his house, besides a ride to his house.
Even in the dark he could see the twins were wearing dresses that used to be worn only by prostitutes, but which must have cost in the three-digits. And yet Cindy, their so-called stepsister, was wearing some denims and a shirt that was a size too big for her. What a contrast.
He’d never be able to explain to his friends why he’d escaped getting caught. He didn’t want anyone to know that he’d gone outside to throw up in the bushes. What a way to end a perfect day.
Was it any better to be lying on the grass, feeling physically wretched but spared from having some Italian jock pull up in front of his house and have the neighbors see him stumble out like he’d just been let out of prison?
Yes!
In a few minutes, or a few hours, he’d work his way to the parking lot and find a way home. He didn’t know why he’d even come tonight. The whole thing had been totally lame, starting with Rich and ending with him alone and flat on his face. He wondered drunkenly if he should give up alcohol. He couldn’t seem to drink anymore without getting sick. Classes went by in a haze. Friends came and went. Or were they really friends? What was the point of making an effort for them like he had tonight?
Maybe he should give up high school too. That might be harder to do unless he could get his father or mother to home-school him. Fat chance.
There were no girls at this school that excited him. Take the Vanderhoffer twins at one end of the hot scale and their stepsister, Cindy, queen of the geeks, at the other end. The dances had never been much fun, but they’d gone from tame and over-chaperoned to stupid events out of a Manga book like the dance tonight.
When his cell phone rang and he saw it was Jared, it was only a dull curiosity that made him answer.
“Where are you, man?” Jared said.
“You know, still here, hanging with my homies,” Toby lied, getting to his knees. “What happened to you?” As if he didn’t know.
“You don’t know? We decided to cut out early. Couldn’t find you. You’ll never guess who gave us a ride home.”
“Are they tall and blond and have a sister?” Toby asked. “Shit. How did you know?”
“Just a lucky guess. How did that happen?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ve just got what it takes. Girls can’t get enough of me. Once those hotties saw me they were all over me like I was the new Double-Oh-Seven or something.” “You were lucky to fight them off, I guess.” Toby finally got to his feet and walked slowly and unsteadily toward the parking lot. The more Jared bragged, the better Toby felt about his escape. And the happier he was he hadn’t taken a ride with them. And the more he thought about stopping drinking. Oh, not altogether, just cutting back a little. At least for now. To see if it made any difference.
“Yeah, okay, talk to you later. Gotta go now.”
Toby could hear Jared’s
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