The way she asked suggested she somehow knew already.
I looked from her to Claudia and back to her. Just like that, they had become closer friends? What happened to Claudia’s hang-ups? What happened to Marcy thinking Claudia was a lead weight, especially on a date?
“It was fine,” I said.
“Terri was practically waiting at the door for us,” Claudia revealed, hoping to keep me from denying anything and looking foolish, I’m sure.
“What did she say?”
“That you went off with Troy Matzner,” Claudia said.
“How could you go with Troy Matzner?” Marcy demanded, sobering quickly. “He’s such a snob he won’t even hang out with his own shadow.”
They both stared at me, anticipating my regrets.
“He’s just shy,” I said. “Misunderstood.”
Marcy’s eyes widened as her mouth opened.
Claudia nodded as if she always believed it.
“Just shy? With a head like he has? I think his family is the richest at Littlefield, and he lets everyone know it. How could he be shy and drive a red Jaguar convertible?” Marcy asked.
“He could be,” Claudia said. She looked like she was sobering up quickly. “Kaylee’s right. People are too quick to make judgments about others.”
It was clear to me from the way she glared at Marcy that Claudia was talking about how Marcy originally had perceived her. She went to her closet and began to undress.
“Whatever,” Marcy said. “Arrogant or shy, it couldn’t have been much fun being with him. The only thing you’d have to fight off is boredom. Speaking of which, where did he take you? To some foreign film or his favorite stop sign?”
“He took me for a nice ride past his family’s mansion and then for an ice cream sundae,” I said. “We had a very nice time.”
Claudia smiled, but Marcy shook her head in pity.
“Nice time? An ice cream sundae? That was the best he could do? How exciting, and what an expensive date. Is that why you were crying? I don’t blame you. I’m sure it was a big disappointment. If you would have listened to me and
shown some interest in one of the other boys, you could have had a great time with us. First, we—”
“I said I wasn’t crying, but I am tired. You can give your blow-by-blow description of your good time tomorrow. I’m going to the bathroom to wash up and brush my teeth.” I rose and walked out.
“But I’m too juiced to go to sleep!” Marcy called after me. “It’s like leaving me on the brink of an orgasm!”
I kept walking. I felt like I had regressed to kindergarten. I had no tolerance for these games, these childish contests to see who was having a better social life. Drinking, getting high, all of it paled in comparison to the roller coaster I had lived through. And if one thing was certain, it was that I wasn’t eager to toy with dangers or irresponsibility.
Claudia joined me in the bathroom before I was finished. “I sent her back to her room,” she told me. “I’m sorry we were so boisterous.”
“That’s okay. I needed to be woken up to get to sleep.”
She laughed and then looked very serious. “I had a good time with Ben. He’s the shy one, not me. When we parked, he didn’t put his arm around me until I said I was cold.”
“You parked? You mean you guys went somewhere to make out in the car?”
“Sorta. I don’t know what Marcy and Rob did. I avoided looking, but we mostly talked and kissed, the kisses almost like putting periods to sentences,” she said. “As my father is fond of saying, ‘nothing to break out the champagne over.’ But I think Ben likes me, and I do like him.”
“I’m happy for you, Claudia. And I was telling the truth back there. I did have a good time, too.”
She smiled and started on her preparations for bed.
“See you in the room,” I said.