The next few days at school, things don't seem to get much better with Claire and Grace. I haven't heard from them since that moment after school. That regrettable outburst. Not a single text. This is the longest we've gone without texting. Since we've all gotten phones, I don't think we've ever gone more than maybe ten hours, when one of us sleeps for a long time. Or if a parent takes away our phone privileges. I hate when that happens!
But that's not what this is. We are currently not speaking. For the first time ever. Well they are speaking to each other. Just neither of them is speaking to me. Everyone always says that best friend groups of three are always trouble. It always ends up being two against one because of this thing or the other. But never us, not once. Until now.
I feel like it's on me to let them know about the weekend and when and if I can make it. But I know that won't be good enough for Claire. Agreeing to go for a weekend sleepover and ditching Sam is what she wants. I know she's expecting more from me and our friendship. And she's not wrong. But I really want to see Sam.
But I haven't heard from Sam yet. Which is so strange. We had such a great night on Saturday. Maybe this is him just being cool. I am not as cool as him so maybe I just don't know how to be cool? That's a depressing thought. Sam is really messing with my head. Well Sam. And Grace. And Claire. And Bruce of course, he's always in there messing things up.
As I am walking home from school, alone, my phone buzzes. My heart jumps. I want it to be Grace so badly. She almost always sends a funny text after school, just with a random observation from the day. Someone's weird outfit. A bit of a conversation she caught that is hilarious when out of context. A teacher comment that totally had a different meaning than what was intended. Those happen a lot.
But it's not Grace. It's not Claire.
IT'S SAM! Oh my god. It's from SAAAMMMM!!! I had basically given up. I was trying to be okay with it. I wasn't. But I was trying.
Hey girl. What are you up to?
While I am slightly offended that he is not acknowledging that he has taken DAYS, and what felt like decades, to get back to me, I am still really excited to see his text. I start typing my reply immediately.
Then I stop.
He can wait. A little bit at least. Stay cool Lucy.
I keep walking, a giddiness adding a hop to my step. I haven't felt like this in days. As I walk into my house, my mom is in the kitchen.
"Hey mom," I say, almost sing to her from the front door.
"Lucy?" she sounds confused. She runs from the kitchen to the front door but stops suddenly when she sees me. "You sound different. What's happening?"
She is eyeing my suspiciously.
"Are you drunk?"
What does this say about me? The second I sound happy, my mom thinks I'm wasted.
"Mom! Come on. I am not drunk. Just slightly less miserable than yesterday." I run upstairs to my room. I need some time to dedicate to the perfect reply. I really wish Claire was here. She is the best at this stuff.
My phone buzzes again. Geez, Sam, calm down. I am getting back to you.
I look at my phone, but it's not Sam. It's the editor.
Prediction correct. No hate mail.
Phew. That is good to hear. And good to hear from him. I write back.
Any fan mail?
A girl can dream. I lie on my bed and stare at the ceiling. How did I get here? Texting with an anonymous boy who knows a side of me that I can't even share with my closest friends... former closest friends?
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Dispatches from a Teenage Girl
أدب المراهقين[FEATURED x5] When Lucy's estranged father dies suddenly, she knows she is not going to have the Senior Year of her dreams - it is definitely not starting out as her best year ever, that's for sure. Instead, she begins to question the point of it al...
