“It’s not that simple.”
“It’s like being a little bit pregnant. You either are or you’re not.”
“I’m not, but she thinks I am.”
And whose fault is that? “Can’t you tell her you’re not seeing her?”
“It’s not so easy. She needs me.”
Now I really have had enough. How can any self-respecting girl respond to this nonsense? Am I supposed to say, “No, please, I need you too”? And what’s up with this old-fashioned “neediness” stuff, anyway?
He pulls into my driveway and parks the car. “Carrie—”
“I should probably go.” There’s a bit of an edge to my voice. But what else am I supposed to do? What if he does like Donna LaDonna better and he’s only using me to make her jealous?
I get out of the car and slam the door.
I race up the walk. I’m nearly at the door when I hear the quick, satisfying tread of his footsteps behind me.
He grabs my arm. “Don’t go,” he says. I allow him to turn me around, put his hands in my hair. “Don’t go,” he whispers. He tilts my face up to his. “Maybe I need you.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
“Maggie, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she says coldly.
“Are you angry at me?” I gasp.
She stops, t
urns, and glares. And there it is: The international girl face for “I’m mad at you, and you should know why, but I’m not going to explain it.”
“What did I do?”
“It’s what you didn’t do.”
“Okay, what didn’t I do?”
“You tell me,” she says, and starts walking.
I run through a variety of scenarios but can’t come up with a clue.
“Mags.” I chase after her down the hall. “I’m sorry I didn’t do something. But I honestly don’t know what that something is.”
“Sebastian,” she snaps.
“Huh?”
“You and Sebastian. I come to school this morning and everyone knows all about it. Everyone except me. And I’m supposed to be one of your best friends.”
We’re nearly at the door to assembly, where I will have to walk in knowing that I’m going to have to face the hostility of Donna LaDonna’s friends, as well as a small army of kids who aren’t her friends, but want to be.
“Maggie,” I plead. “It just happened. I didn’t exactly have time to call you. I was planning to tell you first thing this morning.”
“Lali knew,” she says, not buying my explanation.