***
Mom wasn’t back yet from picking Maggie up from school, so I had the house to my lonesome for the next hour or so.
My parents were in the process of hiring help. Our old housekeeper would’ve loved to come with, but she just had a new grandson and didn’t want to leave him.
I’d shed a tear or two over that one. Stella had been with us since I was five I think, and was as much a part of our family as mom and dad.
I made myself a sandwich since I’d only picked at my lunch. And no wonder, ‘he’ was in the cafeteria and I’d forgotten how to eat.
I knew every second of every minute that his eyes were on me and I’d become all thumbs. Belle was her usual snarky self and asked me what the hell was wrong with me.
So instead of drawing even more attention to myself, I’d pushed my lunch aside and pretended an interest in the Calculus assignment we had next class.
The three of us had fallen into a groove, like we’d known each other all along, and then there was my little Cassandra.
She was a year younger than us and didn’t seem to have any friends either, so when I saw her looking around the room for a place to sit, I’d called her over.
Tammy and Belle didn’t seem to mind and had even included her in our conversation, so I guess ‘and then they were four’.
Something strange was going on with me though I noticed. I’d taken one look at Belle and felt laughter bubbling in my throat, and with Cassandra I’d wanted to cry.
Not because I’d sensed any sadness in her per se, but there was just something about her that made me feel, I don’t know, protective. Like she needed me to stand between her and everyone else.
It was still early days yet so I hadn’t really dug into anyone’s backgrounds, but I planned to do that soon. Maybe I’ll plan a sleepover for the four of us; that would be cool.
All in all I was feeling very good about things. I very rarely got a case of the blues anymore when I thought about my old life and the friends I left behind.
Maybe I should call Jessica. Thinking of Jessica made me think of Jace. I could finally talk to her about boys and giggle like a freak.
She answered on the second ring.
“Hey my little starlet, I was beginning to think you’d forgotten all about the little people.”
“Shut up, we spoke like two days ago.” She’s such a ham.
“Oh did we? I forgot, it seemed so long ago, so how is it, meet any hot stars yet?” I had to go through the whole list of leading men that she had papered her bedroom wall with since we were twelve, denying having run into any one of them thus far.
“So what’s the point?”
I rolled my eyes at her question. “The point is that dad got a kick ass promo and is making more money to keep yours truly in designer wear.”
“Meh, so any cute boys?” she said it in a singsong voice. I think Jessica was more bummed about my dating situation back home than I was.
She wanted to do the whole double dating thing and sharing stories in my back yard around the campfire that dad would build for us in the summer and fall.
For the first time I actually felt that tingle that I guess most teenage girls get when asked that question.
I told her about Jace and the Mandy situation. “Oh she’s so done.”
“What do you mean, why do you say that?”
“Because if she was in there she wouldn’t feel threatened by you, unless the guy is a total dog who cheats on her all the time.”
“I didn’t hear anything like that, only that they were the hottest item last year and now, ice-burg. I did see the two of them together and she seemed way more interested than he did.”
“See, they’re on the outs, now the thing to find out is is it temporary, a lover’s spat or is it permanent?”
“How do I do that?”
“Did you learn nothing from me? Geez, here’s what you do. You don’t approach him at all, like never.
Whenever you see him make sure you’re doing something that will get his attention but don’t be too obvious.
You know, like laugh at something someone else said and throw your head back like it’s really funny, that sort of thing.
“Uh Jess, that sounds really lame. Why can’t I just talk to him if I like him?”
“Are you insane, no no no no no, under no circumstances are you to approach this guy; shit I need to be there to oversee this first courtship of yours. Do you really like this boy Si?”
“I don’t know we haven’t even really met. All I know is that whenever I see him I forget my damn name.”
“Awww, my little chickie is in love.”
“Shut up.”
“Okay this is your first real biggie so there’s no way you’re going to follow protocol, and the way you talk about this guy I’d be lucky if you don’t do him in the stands after practice.”
“Eww, Jessica I won’t do no such thing.” Though the thought made me all hot.
We stayed on the phone for another ten minutes catching up on the news back home before it was time for homework.
By the time the others filed in that evening one by one I was finished and ready for dinner.
I asked mom about the sleepover and other than being surprised that I’d already met someone that I wanted to bring home she was cool.
Sleepovers were a big part of my life back home, like almost every other weekend since I couldn’t date.
Thinking about dating brought Jace to mind again and I started blushing for no reason whatsoever, which I had to hide, because my family didn’t miss much of anything.
Dinner that evening was the usual Claiborne boisterous ordeal with talk of everything from what we did at school that day to the state of the union.