what’re we going to do tonight?” Missy asked, looking down her nose at the spread. “Cut open our palms and make blood vows over an empty calorie fest or something?”
“No,” I said, taking the last seat, which happened to be right next to her. “Tonight, we are going to have a little fun.”
I picked up the brown bag from the floor and dumped out seventy-five safety pins on the table. Each was tied with a tiny dark brown or baby blue ribbon—the official colors of the BLS. I’d spent half the night last night making them, and my fingertips still smarted from the effort.
“Everyone take five pins and attach them to your person,” I said.
They looked at one another dubiously, but Constance dove right in and started pinning the ribbons to her chest. I did the same, trying to show them that I was, in fact, serious. Once everyone had grudgingly done as they were told—Noelle the grudgingliest of all—I grabbed a bottle of water and a handful of M&M’s for strength. I had a feeling the girls were going to think “cheese” was my middle name after I explained this task.
“We’re going to play a little friendship game,” I told them.
“Oh my God! It is a fifth-grade sleepover!” London trilled.
Vienna clapped her hands, all hyper, and everyone laughed. I smiled gratefully. At least they hadn’t gotten up and walked out.
“Everyone’s going to have some munchies and soda and we’re all just going to hang out and talk,” I said, crunching away on my chocolate.
“About what?” Kiki asked, drawing her heavy boots up under her on the couch.
“About us,” I said, lifting a shoulder. “Good memories, bad memories, funny stories …” I trailed off as my eyes fell on Ivy, who was looking suddenly uncomfortable. Right. She wasn’t technically one of us. But she’d known Portia, Rose, Tiffany, Noelle, Vienna, Shelby, and London for a long time. Surely they had some mutual stories that didn’t involve putting her grandmother in the hospital. “If, during the conversation, you overhear a sister—I mean friend,” I amended, glancing up as Jillian walked by on her way to the stairs, “say something bad about another friend, you can take one of that person’s pins for yourself. The idea, obviously, is to say only good things about each other, but also to keep an ear open for disparaging comments. The game ends when one person has lost all their pins. Which hopefully won’t happen at all.”
“Wow. Who came up with this lameness?” Missy groused, shifting in her seat.
“I think it sounds like fun!” Rose put in with a bright smile.
“Question. Can I take one of Missy’s ribbons for that?” Astrid asked, lifting a hand.
I laughed. “I didn’t come up with this, so Missy’s comment wasn’t about me. Let’s say the game starts … now.”
“I have a good story!” Vienna announced, sitting forward and grabbing a chip. “Remember last spring when London tried to take the train to Boston and ended up in Maine?” She pointed at London with her chip.
“‘Omigod! Is this whole state populated by scary bearded men?’” they recited in unison.
Then they cracked up, laughing all over each other.
“That was one hell of a road trip coming to get you, though,” Tiffany said, reaching for the M&M’s. “The bathroom at the BP on 95?”
“Ew!” Rose groaned. “I dry-heaved for like an hour.”
“Okay, I’m confused,” Noelle said, raising a hand. “Is that a disparaging story about London’s total lack of travel skills, or a funny anecdote about a road trip?”
“Give me a pin!” Ivy said, reaching a palm toward Noelle.
“What? No way,” Noelle said firmly.
“No one said anything disparaging until you mentioned London’s total lack of travel skills,” Ivy countered. “Shocking that you were the first to insult someone.”
“Okay, now you give me a pin,” Noelle replied haughtily.
“What? Why?” Ivy said incredulously.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because
“No,” I said, taking the last seat, which happened to be right next to her. “Tonight, we are going to have a little fun.”
I picked up the brown bag from the floor and dumped out seventy-five safety pins on the table. Each was tied with a tiny dark brown or baby blue ribbon—the official colors of the BLS. I’d spent half the night last night making them, and my fingertips still smarted from the effort.
“Everyone take five pins and attach them to your person,” I said.
They looked at one another dubiously, but Constance dove right in and started pinning the ribbons to her chest. I did the same, trying to show them that I was, in fact, serious. Once everyone had grudgingly done as they were told—Noelle the grudgingliest of all—I grabbed a bottle of water and a handful of M&M’s for strength. I had a feeling the girls were going to think “cheese” was my middle name after I explained this task.
“We’re going to play a little friendship game,” I told them.
“Oh my God! It is a fifth-grade sleepover!” London trilled.
Vienna clapped her hands, all hyper, and everyone laughed. I smiled gratefully. At least they hadn’t gotten up and walked out.
“Everyone’s going to have some munchies and soda and we’re all just going to hang out and talk,” I said, crunching away on my chocolate.
“About what?” Kiki asked, drawing her heavy boots up under her on the couch.
“About us,” I said, lifting a shoulder. “Good memories, bad memories, funny stories …” I trailed off as my eyes fell on Ivy, who was looking suddenly uncomfortable. Right. She wasn’t technically one of us. But she’d known Portia, Rose, Tiffany, Noelle, Vienna, Shelby, and London for a long time. Surely they had some mutual stories that didn’t involve putting her grandmother in the hospital. “If, during the conversation, you overhear a sister—I mean friend,” I amended, glancing up as Jillian walked by on her way to the stairs, “say something bad about another friend, you can take one of that person’s pins for yourself. The idea, obviously, is to say only good things about each other, but also to keep an ear open for disparaging comments. The game ends when one person has lost all their pins. Which hopefully won’t happen at all.”
“Wow. Who came up with this lameness?” Missy groused, shifting in her seat.
“I think it sounds like fun!” Rose put in with a bright smile.
“Question. Can I take one of Missy’s ribbons for that?” Astrid asked, lifting a hand.
I laughed. “I didn’t come up with this, so Missy’s comment wasn’t about me. Let’s say the game starts … now.”
“I have a good story!” Vienna announced, sitting forward and grabbing a chip. “Remember last spring when London tried to take the train to Boston and ended up in Maine?” She pointed at London with her chip.
“‘Omigod! Is this whole state populated by scary bearded men?’” they recited in unison.
Then they cracked up, laughing all over each other.
“That was one hell of a road trip coming to get you, though,” Tiffany said, reaching for the M&M’s. “The bathroom at the BP on 95?”
“Ew!” Rose groaned. “I dry-heaved for like an hour.”
“Okay, I’m confused,” Noelle said, raising a hand. “Is that a disparaging story about London’s total lack of travel skills, or a funny anecdote about a road trip?”
“Give me a pin!” Ivy said, reaching a palm toward Noelle.
“What? No way,” Noelle said firmly.
“No one said anything disparaging until you mentioned London’s total lack of travel skills,” Ivy countered. “Shocking that you were the first to insult someone.”
“Okay, now you give me a pin,” Noelle replied haughtily.
“What? Why?” Ivy said incredulously.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because
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