; Lilly: No, Mia. Because she’s trying to usurp our individuality by forcing us to bend to corporate feudalism. Again.
Me: Oh. And how is she doing that?
Lilly: By censoring us when we are at our most fertile, creatively speaking.
Boris: (leaning out of the supply closet, where Lilly made him go when he started practicing his latest sonata) Fertile? Did someone say fertile?
Lilly: Get back in the closet, Boris. Michael, can you send a mass e-mail tonight to the entire student body, declaring a walkout tomorrow at eleven?
Michael: (working on the booth he and Judith Gershner and the rest of the Computer Club are going to have up at the Winter Carnival) I can, but I won’t.
Lilly: WHY NOT?
Michael: Because it was your turn to empty the dishwasher last night, but you weren’t home, so I had to do it.
Lilly: But I TOLD Mom I had to go down to the studio to edit the last few finishing touches on this week’s show!
Lilly’s TV program, Lilly Tells It Like It Is, is now one of the highest-ranked shows on Manhattan cable. Of course, it’s public access, so it’s not like she’s making any money off it, but a bunch of the major networks picked up this interview she did of me one night when I was half asleep and played it. I thought it was stupid, but I guess a lot of other people thought it was good, because now Lilly gets tons of viewer mail, whereas before the only mail she got was from her stalker, Norman.
Michael: Look, if you’re having time-management issues, don’t take it out on me. Just don’t expect me to meekly do your bidding, especially when you already owe me one.
Me: Lilly, no offense, but I don’t think this week’s a good time for a walkout, anyway. I mean, after all, it’s almost finals.
Lilly: SO???
Me: So some of us really need to stay in class. I can’t afford to miss any review sessions. My grades are bad enough as it is.
Michael: Really? I thought you were doing better in Algebra.
Me: If you call a D plus better.
Michael: Aw, come on. You have to be making better than a D plus. Your mom is married to your Algebra teacher!
Me: So? That doesn’t mean anything. You know Mr. G doesn’t play favorites.
Michael: I would think he’d cut his own stepdaughter a little slack, is all.
Lilly: WOULD YOU TWO PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE SITUATION AT HAND, WHICH IS THE FACT THAT THIS SCHOOL IS IN VITAL NEED OF SERIOUS REFORM?
Fortunately at that moment the bell rang, so no walkout tomorrow as far as I know. Which is a good thing, because I really need the extra study time.
You know, it’s funny about Mrs. Spears not liking Lilly’s term paper proposal, because she was very enthusiastic about my proposal, A Case Against Christmas Trees: Why We Must Curtail the Pagan Ritual of Chopping Down Pine Trees Every December if We Are Going to Repair the Ozone Layer.
And my IQ isn’t anywhere near as high as Lilly’s.
Monday, December 8, Bio
Kenny just passed me the following note:
Mia–I hope what I said to you last night didn’t make you feel uncomfortable. I just wanted you to know how I feel.
Sincerely,
Kenny
Oh, God. Now what am I supposed to do? He’s sitting here next to me, waiting for an answer. In fact, that’s what he thinks I’m writing right now. An answer.