“But anyway, there’s a reason I’ve been trying to call you all day.”
“What?”
“Audrey and Sandra Roth inspected her bed right after you two left. Then Sandra spread the story around the party that you were definitely not a virgin before you went up to her room with Aaron last night.”
“Maybe we didn’t go all the way.”
“Really? Everyone says Aaron Podwell wouldn’t give a girl ten minutes of his time if she didn’t go all the way. Some people at the party have been telling everyone what Sandra said today. Sara Combes was the first to call and tell me that she had heard about it, and you know what a big mouth she has. I thought you should know what they’re saying to everyone.”
“Sick if that’s the way they get their jollies. Both of them but especially Sandra,” I said.
“They all keep asking me as if I know all your secrets, like who was the first time, where did it happen, stuff like that. I’m getting calls all day, but they don’t believe me when I tell them I don’t know.” She sounded like she was really fishing for information. Did she think I was lying about Aaron and me, or did she wish it was true so she could enjoy the details?
“It’s a terrible responsibility to put on your shoulders. I’m sorry for you,” I said.
“No, I didn’t mean . . .”
“Look, I have to go, Lila. I’ll see you Monday.”
“Monday? What are you doing tonight? Going out again with Aaron?”
“No. I have to do some ironing,” I said. I wasn’t interested in telling her all about my grandfather and how angry he was. She would find out soon enough.
“What? Ironing?”
“I’ll see you Monday,” I repeated.
“I could come by tomorrow.”
“I have too much to do. ’Bye,” I said, before she could ask another thing, and practically slammed the receiver onto the cradle.
Her phone call only heightened the flame of rage burning inside me. I was being accused and tried in gossip court, and I hadn’t even enjoyed the fruits of my supposed fall from innocence. The things that were being said about Aaron didn’t surprise me. I had heard them, but I was hoping that they were embellishments of fantasies other girls had about him, especially Sandra Roth. But I couldn’t deny that I liked the fact that besides being handsome, charming, and bright, he was also considered dangerous to girls. Going on a date with him had the added excitement that came from going too fast or drinking too much alcohol. How quickly my reputation had been challenged. I should have been angrier.
I was tired of pouting about what was happening to me at home, but I wasn’t in the mood to do homework or read and especially not to go downstairs to watch television. Besides, I couldn’t get the things Lila had said out of my mind. As if he could hear my thoughts, Aaron finally called.
“How bad was it for you?” he asked as soon as I said hello.
“I’m grounded until further notice, so doing anything tonight is out. You can’t pick me up for school and take me home, either. I have to go with the limousine driver.”
“My father won’t let me use the car for a week, anyway. I have to hitch a ride with Paulie Richards. He lives just down the street from me. My father and his father play bridge together. He’s always trying to get me to be friends with him. He still plays with an Erector Set. That’s the only erection he’s ever known.”
I smiled and fell back onto the bed with the phone pressed to my ear. It felt like a lifeline. In this house, I was drowning in wave after wave of pity, sorrow, and anger. I wanted Aaron to do something magical and pull me right out of it.
“Why was your father so mad at you?” I asked. “Were you supposed to tell him where you were going, too?”
“A little of that, but I think it was more your grandfather raking him over the coals for permitting his son to go off with a girl only sixteen without permission. Can you grow older faster?”
“How I wish.”
“Grounded. How hard is it to sneak into your house?”
I laughed. “It’s easier for me to sneak out.”
“Would you?”
“We’ll see,” I said. “I was thinking of going on a hunger strike.”
“Somehow I don’t think that would impress your grandfather. He’s a tough cookie. He’d have you force-fed or something.”