The Rich Girl and the Gangster

Chpater twenty-one again

Chapter twenty-one

When I came home from my visit to Xavier, Kate was waiting for me in my bedroom. She was reading the Cosmopolitan and looked up when I entered.

She turned it around and showed me a picture of a really tight red dress, and she said, “Do you think it would look hot on me, or would it make me fat.”

I rolled my eyes, dumped my bag on the floor and said, “Please, you could never be fat and you know it.”

She shrugged, put the Cosmopolitan away, crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave me a stern look.

“You’re in trouble, lady.” She announced. “I’ve never seen Drew so pissed in his life before.”

“Why,” I said and frowned.

“Why?” Kate asked in disbelief, “Well, for one you just disappear on us, and then we found you skipped so you could visit Xavier, who was home with the flu. That’s why.”

The flu? What was she talking about? Then I realize that must have been what they told the school.

“When you didn’t come back from the ladies room, I went to check if you’d fallen in, which you hadn’t obviously. Then I checked outside and this dude asked if I was lost or something, and I said I was looking for you and then he said you stormed off after he told you Xavier had the flu.”

“Look-“ I started but Kate cut me off.

“Don’t. just listen to what I have to say, first. Okay? I know you’re attracted to Xavier. And I don’t blame you, he is hot, he’s exciting. And I know you didn’t grow up here, and that you were told that you shouldn’t discriminate and that everybody’s equal and all. But don’t mess around with Xavier just because you’re not in love with Drew.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but she gave me a look that shut me up.

“Don’t try to deny it either. Fact is, you changed. It’s not a miracle, it’s not weird. Actually, after what you went through it’s expected. But the new you isn’t as…” She paused as if she couldn’t find the right word. “Shallow? I guess. You don’t care as much about popularity and stuff, which is totally fine by me. But I think the new you doesn’t like Drew the way you used to, you know.”

She was right, in a way. But I wanted to be the old me. I didn’t want what happened in summer to change me.

“And I don’t want you to hurt Drew by messing around with Xavier, just because you couldn’t break up with him to his face, or ruin a relationship for a delinquent. Because let’s not forget that Xavier is a gangster.”

I listened to her, because Kate was being reasonable. She wasn’t acting all bitchy and stuck up or anything. She was just being Kate, looking out for everyone.

So I gave her a sad smile and said, “Xavier and I, we are just friends. Sure, he has mentioned he wanted to be more, but I think it’s more because of his rivalry with Drew. And you know it never sat right with me to just ignore the Mexican kids.”

“And Drew?”

“I want to want him...”

Kate nodded, then smiled and said, “Come on, let’s go shopping.”

I didn’t buy anything, but I did judge whatever Kate picked out. Which was a lot. Most of her clothes were short dresses, things you wore to parties or on dates and not to school. Right now, she was parading a red dress, not unlike the one she showed me in the Cosmopolitan, and said, “Imagine it with black heels and smokey eyes. I’d look like some sort of vamp, right?”