happy. "A little eye contact would have been good, Cat."
"I told you, I don't want to go out with anyone."
"Good," he said. "You're there. Beecher's a really nice guy. I'm sorry I ever introduced you."
He grumped off, leaving Amanda and me alone.
"You were really rude," she confirmed.
Okay, they'd both succeeded in making me feel like a total pig.
"What was I supposed to do?" I asked Amanda. "I didn't want to encourage him--that seems even ruder."
"Cat, we're just trying to help you out here."
I groaned. "Listen to me once and for all. I honestly, truly do not want a boyfriend. It's just not right for me. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'm much happier being alone. I swear."
Amanda handed me back my lunch container. "Thank you for the pizza. And the roasted asparagus. I'm going to try not to curse you right now, mainly because you're my friend and I love you and also because you cook such fabulous food and I want more of it. But tell me the truth--and I'm serious here, Cat. Is it even remotely possible that any of this has anything to do with you-know-who?"
"No," I answered quickly. "Absolutely not."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Amanda stared at me. I stared back.
"Some boys are nice," she said.
"I know. Look at Jordan."
"Who may never forgive you." Amanda sighed. "So we should just give up on you?"
"Yes, please."
"And you don't care that you're going to end up a bitter--"
"--dried-out old hag? No. I'm looking forward to that."
Amanda slumped in her chair. "I failed you."
"No, failing me would have been trying to force me to go out with someone I have absolutely no interest in."
"I need you to promise me something," Amanda said.
"Maybe."
"I need you to promise that someday--I don't care if it's a yearfrom now or ten years--but someday when you meet someone nice, you'll actually give him a chance. Do you think you can do that?"
I mulled it over. "Possibly."
"I mean, you're not saying you're never ever going to fall in love, right? Because if you tell me that, I'm going to stab myself in the heart with this spoon right now."
"No, I'm not saying that."
"Good. And can I tell you that you were really a bitch to Greg just now? I mean, really."
"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure I discouraged him."
"Oh, you did," Amanda said. "I think we can pretty much count on the Greg vote being lost."
Incredibly, she was wrong.
29
"T ell him I can't use the phone," I told my mother.
She handed it to me anyway. "You tell him."
"Hi, Cat?"
"Uh-huh?"
"Hi. It's Greg Beecher. From school."
"Right," I said. "I know who you are."
A fine mist sprang up over my lip, like a tiny sweat mustache. If only Amanda were nearby so I could kick her.
"Great," he said. "I, uh ... wanted to know if ..."
Oh my gosh, he actually sounded nervous. Which was impossible, because I was nervous enough for everyone in the world.
I needed to put us both out of our misery, fast.
"Look, Greg, I'm not really supposed to talk on the phone--"
"Oh, did I call too late?"
Considering that it was only seven, that was hard to believe."No, but I've taken a vow not to use the telephone for about another 165 days. So I have to get off right now--"
"Wait," he said quickly. "I just wanted to know if you want to go out with me sometime."
There. Words I never thought I'd hear. From anyone. By now even the roots of my hair were sweating.
"No," I said, "but thanks. I have to go now--"
"Wait. Are you joking?"
Like he'd never even considered I might refuse? "No, I'm not joking."
"But Jordan said--"
"Jordan was wrong," I told him. And for some reason the following words just sprang out of my mouth: "And besides ... I've sort of taken this vow of chastity, you know? So I can't really go out--"
"Yeah, sure--"
"I mean, I shouldn't even be around guys--"
"Yeah," Greg said, "but I like you. I think you're cool. I really want to go out."
What was I supposed to say to that?
30
I used the telephone again to call Amanda because it was a
"I told you, I don't want to go out with anyone."
"Good," he said. "You're there. Beecher's a really nice guy. I'm sorry I ever introduced you."
He grumped off, leaving Amanda and me alone.
"You were really rude," she confirmed.
Okay, they'd both succeeded in making me feel like a total pig.
"What was I supposed to do?" I asked Amanda. "I didn't want to encourage him--that seems even ruder."
"Cat, we're just trying to help you out here."
I groaned. "Listen to me once and for all. I honestly, truly do not want a boyfriend. It's just not right for me. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'm much happier being alone. I swear."
Amanda handed me back my lunch container. "Thank you for the pizza. And the roasted asparagus. I'm going to try not to curse you right now, mainly because you're my friend and I love you and also because you cook such fabulous food and I want more of it. But tell me the truth--and I'm serious here, Cat. Is it even remotely possible that any of this has anything to do with you-know-who?"
"No," I answered quickly. "Absolutely not."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Amanda stared at me. I stared back.
"Some boys are nice," she said.
"I know. Look at Jordan."
"Who may never forgive you." Amanda sighed. "So we should just give up on you?"
"Yes, please."
"And you don't care that you're going to end up a bitter--"
"--dried-out old hag? No. I'm looking forward to that."
Amanda slumped in her chair. "I failed you."
"No, failing me would have been trying to force me to go out with someone I have absolutely no interest in."
"I need you to promise me something," Amanda said.
"Maybe."
"I need you to promise that someday--I don't care if it's a yearfrom now or ten years--but someday when you meet someone nice, you'll actually give him a chance. Do you think you can do that?"
I mulled it over. "Possibly."
"I mean, you're not saying you're never ever going to fall in love, right? Because if you tell me that, I'm going to stab myself in the heart with this spoon right now."
"No, I'm not saying that."
"Good. And can I tell you that you were really a bitch to Greg just now? I mean, really."
"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure I discouraged him."
"Oh, you did," Amanda said. "I think we can pretty much count on the Greg vote being lost."
Incredibly, she was wrong.
29
"T ell him I can't use the phone," I told my mother.
She handed it to me anyway. "You tell him."
"Hi, Cat?"
"Uh-huh?"
"Hi. It's Greg Beecher. From school."
"Right," I said. "I know who you are."
A fine mist sprang up over my lip, like a tiny sweat mustache. If only Amanda were nearby so I could kick her.
"Great," he said. "I, uh ... wanted to know if ..."
Oh my gosh, he actually sounded nervous. Which was impossible, because I was nervous enough for everyone in the world.
I needed to put us both out of our misery, fast.
"Look, Greg, I'm not really supposed to talk on the phone--"
"Oh, did I call too late?"
Considering that it was only seven, that was hard to believe."No, but I've taken a vow not to use the telephone for about another 165 days. So I have to get off right now--"
"Wait," he said quickly. "I just wanted to know if you want to go out with me sometime."
There. Words I never thought I'd hear. From anyone. By now even the roots of my hair were sweating.
"No," I said, "but thanks. I have to go now--"
"Wait. Are you joking?"
Like he'd never even considered I might refuse? "No, I'm not joking."
"But Jordan said--"
"Jordan was wrong," I told him. And for some reason the following words just sprang out of my mouth: "And besides ... I've sort of taken this vow of chastity, you know? So I can't really go out--"
"Yeah, sure--"
"I mean, I shouldn't even be around guys--"
"Yeah," Greg said, "but I like you. I think you're cool. I really want to go out."
What was I supposed to say to that?
30
I used the telephone again to call Amanda because it was a
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