“I never told you that Mrs. Hathaway called me into her office to discuss you,” she blurted.
I sat back. “No. I wouldn’t have missed that if you did. Why did she do that?”
“Why? You know how much she likes to turn everyone into a little spy around here.”
“And?”
“And . . . and you never ask permission to go off campus on a date. You never go to any social events on campus, even the geeky ones, unless I force you to go with me.” She leaned in. “I think she was really trying to find out if you were a little . . .” She moved her hand like some bishop offering a blessing.
“A little what?”
“Gay, not that anyone could be a little. You either are or aren’t, I think. You know some of the girls thought that from the day you came to Collier. I told you they did.”
I looked away. She had told me that, but I was sure there was a great deal she hadn’t told me.
“Of course, I told Mrs. Hathaway no way, but she was concerned. Some other bigmouth told her mother that she thought you definitely were, and her mother called Mrs. Hathaway and gave her an earful, I guess.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I suspect Amanda Crowley. She’s in the next room. Maybe her mother thought she’d get infected or something through the wall.”
“I don’t care,” I said. “I’m leaving here soon, and I don’t intend to see any of them again, especially Mrs. Hathaway.”
“Yes, but about the favor . . .”
“Christmas trees, Ellie!” I cried. It actually felt as if Cassie was now talking and not me. That was her favorite expression of frustration. “What is it, already?”
“I think—in fact, I feel pretty confident—that if you’ve been invited to a social by a boy from one of the so-called approved high schools and you won’t go unless I go with you, I can get a pass on this probation. I’ll make it look like I’m doing you a favor, which will please Mrs. Hathaway, get it?”
“But I haven’t been invited.”
“Yes, you have,” Ellie said. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small envelope.
“What is that?”
“Your invitation, silly. Take it,” she said, thrusting it at me.
I took it, looked at her suspiciously, and then opened it and pulled out the card. It was an invitation from someone named Clark Kelly Morgan. I had no idea who that was, of course. I shook my head and looked up at her.
“Why would someone I never met invite me, Ellie?”
“Guess.” She waited a moment and then exclaimed, “He’s Ethan’s best friend. I told Ethan about you and what I thought might work and . . .” She turned her hand in the air. “So?”
“But this is a college fraternity party again, and that’s off base, Ellie. We could both be expelled.”
“I thought you didn’t care about school that much. I’ve stuck out my neck for you plenty of times, Semantha,” she whined. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it all figured out. I asked this boy at Pine View, that school that attended our last function, to pretend he’s asked you out. That’s what Mrs. Hathaway will hear, and if she checks up on it, he’ll say it’s true. Of course, I had to promise him I would really go out with him sometime soon, but I won’t. Well?”
I didn’t know what to say.
“Look. I got the impression from Mrs. Hathaway that your father was concerned about you not having any social life,” Ellie said.
“My father? I don’t think so. My uncle Perry, maybe, but not my father,” I said. “That wouldn’t be at the top of his agenda.” She had no idea why, of course, but she could see I knew she was exaggerating. “In any case, he certainly wouldn’t approve of me breaking a serious rule here.”
“C’mon, Semantha, can’t you do me this little favor? Say you’ll accept the invitation. I’ll go speak with Mrs. Hathaway and work on her. You won’t even have to talk much with this boy if you don’t want to. Please. My God, don’t you ever want to do anything exciting?” she added with frustration.
“Okay,” I said. It was the fastest way to get her to leave me alone.
“Terrific. Leave it all to me.” She jumped up and rushed out.