this because his biggest fear is that I’ll topple over and crush him.
Like a falling redwood.
“Oh God,” I said, speaking to the concrete underneath me, “This is doomed . I’m never going to make it.”
When I looked up at the semi-circle of Greenbacks standing over me, I could see the truth in their eyes. Mrs. Bullard had just driven off with Drew and Bianca arguing.
I had texted Mrs. Bullard that 1) Drew was being tempted, 2) Bianca needed a ride and a guy was hitting on her, and 3) she should wait fifteen minutes before leaving to come pick them both up. And yes, everything I sent her was auto-tweeted to my twitter account.
Thankfully, Mrs. Bullard did what I asked her to do, down to the (text) letter without asking questions.
Which meant that Drew had no choice but to wait around for his mom, standing beside Bianca and glaring at the (now — counting Tio — three ) guys drooling over her. Once his mother arrived, Drew, without a car, had no easy way to beg off and go to Steve's. All his friends had already left while Bianca's guys were drooling.
Now, the Greenbacks were finally alone. “Without Mrs. Snyder's accidental help tonight,” I wailed, “this would've gone down in history as one enormous, gigantic, huge failure.
“That's true,” said Tio.
“Hey! You don't have to agree so fast.” I held my head in my hands. “Sorry. I'm just depressed. One little me — okay one tall me — cannot possibly do this. I can't even hold my own around those kids, much less somehow…I don't know…undo everything that happens around the Dog. He's like a magnet for trouble. Everyone wants to drag him away, to show him something that'll impress him. It's like a cult. The Cult of the Dog. There's no way I can fight that.”
Helena sat down gingerly beside me.
“You’re right,” she said. “I don’t think you can pull this off. You can’t pull the same stunt over and over. And you can’t afford to pay both your tickets into every University function. He’s too proud to ask, but sooner or later one of the Dog’s pals is going to notice and offer to loan him money. That’s when he’ll leave you in the dust. Even more than tonight.”
There was a long, painful silence. It was hard to hear, even though I knew it was true. And it sounded even more hopeless, when you said it out loud. I swallowed past tears. “The trees ,” I said.
“Oh no,” wailed Gonzo. “Don’t cry. I can’t stand it if you cry. Not after everything — the bruises you covered with make-up, the way you got all dressed up and no one noticed, and the way you walked right up in front of all those horrible people and faced him down.” Gonzo’s voice shook. “You can’t give up now .”
In the silence, Phoebe said, “I could smack him around, you know.”
We all looked at her. Robin said, “You weigh — what? — a hundred pounds?”
Phoebe said, “Just leave me alone for a couple of months and I’ll be like a cocked and loaded gun. With the safety off.”
Oh, God.
“You knew?” I said.
She smiled. “You guys are sweet. And you’re right — I do feel a lot better if I blow off steam.”
“Why did you let us think it was a secret?”
“Where would I be without friends to keep me sane? Where would any of us be? Besides,” she pulled out her index card, “if I’d mentioned it before, we might not have played the Uni-watching game. Why would I open my mouth and miss out on forty bucks?”
“Hey! That’s it!” I said, “That’s the key!”
They all stared at me. “Forty bucks?” said Alex. “I don’t think you could get the Dog to cross the street for forty bucks.”
“Friends!” I shouted it like a eureka . “It’s your friends that keep you sane — you said it yourself, Phoebes.”
“No way you’re going to get the Dog a friend for forty bucks,” Viola said. “I’m pretty sure even prostitutes cost more.”
Shocked silence.
“Come on, give me a hand up,” I said, “I’ll
Like a falling redwood.
“Oh God,” I said, speaking to the concrete underneath me, “This is doomed . I’m never going to make it.”
When I looked up at the semi-circle of Greenbacks standing over me, I could see the truth in their eyes. Mrs. Bullard had just driven off with Drew and Bianca arguing.
I had texted Mrs. Bullard that 1) Drew was being tempted, 2) Bianca needed a ride and a guy was hitting on her, and 3) she should wait fifteen minutes before leaving to come pick them both up. And yes, everything I sent her was auto-tweeted to my twitter account.
Thankfully, Mrs. Bullard did what I asked her to do, down to the (text) letter without asking questions.
Which meant that Drew had no choice but to wait around for his mom, standing beside Bianca and glaring at the (now — counting Tio — three ) guys drooling over her. Once his mother arrived, Drew, without a car, had no easy way to beg off and go to Steve's. All his friends had already left while Bianca's guys were drooling.
Now, the Greenbacks were finally alone. “Without Mrs. Snyder's accidental help tonight,” I wailed, “this would've gone down in history as one enormous, gigantic, huge failure.
“That's true,” said Tio.
“Hey! You don't have to agree so fast.” I held my head in my hands. “Sorry. I'm just depressed. One little me — okay one tall me — cannot possibly do this. I can't even hold my own around those kids, much less somehow…I don't know…undo everything that happens around the Dog. He's like a magnet for trouble. Everyone wants to drag him away, to show him something that'll impress him. It's like a cult. The Cult of the Dog. There's no way I can fight that.”
Helena sat down gingerly beside me.
“You’re right,” she said. “I don’t think you can pull this off. You can’t pull the same stunt over and over. And you can’t afford to pay both your tickets into every University function. He’s too proud to ask, but sooner or later one of the Dog’s pals is going to notice and offer to loan him money. That’s when he’ll leave you in the dust. Even more than tonight.”
There was a long, painful silence. It was hard to hear, even though I knew it was true. And it sounded even more hopeless, when you said it out loud. I swallowed past tears. “The trees ,” I said.
“Oh no,” wailed Gonzo. “Don’t cry. I can’t stand it if you cry. Not after everything — the bruises you covered with make-up, the way you got all dressed up and no one noticed, and the way you walked right up in front of all those horrible people and faced him down.” Gonzo’s voice shook. “You can’t give up now .”
In the silence, Phoebe said, “I could smack him around, you know.”
We all looked at her. Robin said, “You weigh — what? — a hundred pounds?”
Phoebe said, “Just leave me alone for a couple of months and I’ll be like a cocked and loaded gun. With the safety off.”
Oh, God.
“You knew?” I said.
She smiled. “You guys are sweet. And you’re right — I do feel a lot better if I blow off steam.”
“Why did you let us think it was a secret?”
“Where would I be without friends to keep me sane? Where would any of us be? Besides,” she pulled out her index card, “if I’d mentioned it before, we might not have played the Uni-watching game. Why would I open my mouth and miss out on forty bucks?”
“Hey! That’s it!” I said, “That’s the key!”
They all stared at me. “Forty bucks?” said Alex. “I don’t think you could get the Dog to cross the street for forty bucks.”
“Friends!” I shouted it like a eureka . “It’s your friends that keep you sane — you said it yourself, Phoebes.”
“No way you’re going to get the Dog a friend for forty bucks,” Viola said. “I’m pretty sure even prostitutes cost more.”
Shocked silence.
“Come on, give me a hand up,” I said, “I’ll
Similar Books
